FAQs

1. Are the UFO contraptions safe for squirrels?

Yes. squirrels are natural acrobats due to the fact they need to navigate tall trees literally for a living. They have an incredible strength-to-weight ratio, a very low terminal velocity and an unbelievable sense of balance, which means they can land on their feet safely from a jump or fall from any height. In the slow-mo footage on the contraptions page you can see how the squirrel uses its tail to land perfectly on the UFO contraption.

2. Is it hard to train the squirrels to use the UFO to get nuts?

No. Squirrels have a nearly supernatural sense of smell and will investigate as soon as they pick up the scent. For the first few days, the UFO is hung only a couple of feet from the ground so they can jump up to it to get nuts, and then over the course of a few days it is slowly raised up to about four or five feet, at which point they easily realize they must jump to the UFO from something other than the ground below.

3. What kind of nuts are best for squirrels?

The UFO contraption has toothed slots called a NutNotch™ that can hold a variety of nuts. Unsalted peanuts in the shell are a favorite, however not the most nutritionally complete. Squirrels on a diet of only peanuts will forgo other foods in favor of them and gain weight, so it’s best to consider multiple kinds of nuts to have a healthy variety.

4. Can squirrels see very well?

Yes. They have terrific depth perception and can focus on a much wider area than we can, which helps them not only navigate a complex three-dimensional world but avoid predators as well. They do have a bit of a blind spot directly in front of their faces however, so if something is right in front of them they’ll rely on scent or they’ll turn slightly sideways to check it out.

5. What precautions should be taken with squirrels?

They are motivated by food and finding a safe space to raise their young, so keep feeders out in the yard and make sure any entrances to attics or crawlspaces have suitable barriers.