This is Bird Noir. I'm Private Eye, Michael Stein.

Not all thieves in the animal world are sneaky.

Some of them will rob you in broad daylight.

Like what happened to my friend Danny.

Michael, I need your help.

Me and my neighbors void feeders are being robbed blind by a pack of squirrels.

Hey, you watch it. How do we keep these punks out?

The easiest thing is to use food that squirrels don't want, Niger and thistle seeds, or jalapeno

suet in the winter.

That's great, Michael, but my feeder is chock full of black oil sunflower seeds.

Only the best for my birds, you know.

Well, in that case, you'll need more layers of security.

First, hang the bird feeder on a tall pole away from your roof or trees.

Squirrels can jump nine feet across, and they will if there's a good snack waiting for them.

Michael, my feeder is already up on a pole. The squirrels just shimmy up it like it's nobody's

business. How about a second line of defense? A squirrel baffle. It's a big cone or tube on the

feeder pole that blocks a squirrel's path. So that'll keep my seeds safe for the birds then?

Well, mostly.

A determined squirrel can make it past the tightest security.

But there's one last trick.

You can set up a protection racket with your squirrel mafia.

Leave the squirrel some cheap food, like dried corn,

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