Pennsylvania town’s $1,000-a-day fine is for the birds, residents say

FOX ^ | 1-21-14 | unattributed

[smokingfrog]

A retired Pennsylvania couple is facing a $1,000-a-day fine for feeding birds at their Bethlehem Township home, The Morning Call reported.

The couple has been feeding the birds for 25 years at their home, which is north of Philadelphia, but their bird feeder has been deemed out of compliance with town code.

Those who support the fine say the bird-feeding ordinance is in place to deter the habitation of squirrels and other rodents in the area, the report said. The ordinance, in part, calls for a squirrel-proof top and catch basin affixed at the bottom of all bird feeders.

Increased enforcement of the ordinance appears to be the result of a resident complaining about bird feeders in the area attracting deer.

"After all this, it's all about deer," said Diane Ganssle, the homeowner who was visited by a code enforcement officer in December. "Deer are there without the feeders."

[Paladin2]

Wouldn’t ownership of a 10/22 be sufficient to take care of the squirrel issue?

[smokingfrog]

A .410 shotgun would work pretty good — if you had a Kevlar bird feeder.

[Vendome]

That or a pocket rocket.

Gotta get a bigger load for the 150# hoofed rodents.

[dr_lew]

Wouldn’t ownership of a 10/22 be sufficient to take care of the squirrel issue?

My wife puts out peanuts for the squirrels to keep them away from the bird feeder. It actually seems to work.

[Paladin2]

My dawg takes out the smaller rodents (Hey you woodchucks, quit chuckin’ my wood) and chases off the >100lb ones.

[M-cubed]

Hell!..My wife puts out Wolf urine around my bird feeder....She said shes sick of deer meat...the birds still come though...Shes clever for her age

[Paladin2]

"Shes clever for her age"

Well, keep her then. ;-) (Just in case she's reading)

[Valpal1]

I was just reading the other day about a correlation between deer populations in conjunction with rodent populations having a higher prevalence of Lyme’s Disease.

Seems another good reason to not attract them to your yard.

[gortklattu]

Squirrels are good at robbing bird feeders.

[shibumi]

You toy with my friends at your peril!

[Ditter]

I have found a kind of bird seed that squirrels refuse to eat. It is safflower seed, a white seed that I can only find at one place in Houston,a Wildbird Store. Pound for pound it is more expensive than bird seed but since not one grain of it goes to the squirrels, it last a long time.

[Ditter]

I have found a kind of bird seed that squirrels refuse to eat. It is safflower seed, a white seed that I can only find at one place in Houston,a Wildbird Store. Pound for pound it is more expensive than bird seed but since not one grain of it goes to the squirrels, it last a long time.

[Marylander]

squirrel-proof top? ... Ha Ha Ha.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

I, for one, would like to see a “squirrel-proof feeder.” I don’t believe in The Tooth Fairy either.
TC

[wny]

they don’t feed the birds....i’m sure they simply fill the so-called bird feeder with so-called bird seed and then walk away. if birds choose to land and eat, that’s up to them. Deer come into my yard and eat the apples off my tree and also eat some of the shubbery. I don’t feed the deer. they just come by and help themselves.....

[lucky american]

Squirrel proof bird feeder.

Take plastic PVC pipe and attach to 2 trees or posts. Cut tops and bottoms off of 1 or 2 litre soda bottles and slide over pipe . Hang feeder. When the squirrels jump or try to cross, the soda bottles spin .
Best squirrel deterrent ever.

[Peet]

www dot deadsquirrel dot com (clix the pix)