Guardian Fat Ball & Suet Feeder

Out of the box, this product is large bird proof, but is not squirrel proof. Squirrels will hang from the underneath and reach into the fat balls, scratching off large chunks and either hang upside down to eat, or drop to the floor to eat what has collected there, and repeat. Additionally, this cage caused my other squirrel-proof feeders to become ineffective, because they would hang from this cage with the majority of their weight, and reach into the seed feeder without activating the spring mechanism which normally keeps them out.

This feeder could be completely squirrel proof with some changes to the design, which I have done myself through a series of alterations. It is now very effective and only accessible to small birds.

So, I would say be prepared to make some changes to this product once it arrives, if you have squirrels in your area. Otherwise, prepare to be disappointed, as they will likely figure out how to gain access.

For those who are willing, the changes I have made are as follows:
Remove the internal fat ball holder (which is too big anyway - 10 fat balls will potentially spoil in certain weathers, plus the birds can actually land on the fat balls themselves because of the size of the mesh and the large opening, which I imagine is unhygienic for them) and replace it with a tube-shaped 3-5 fat ball holder. You may need to trim the top/base of this with wire cutters to get it to fit. Use zip ties to anchor it centrally in place. Then use a champagne cork or similar to fill the central hole in the base (otherwise squirrels can gain access from underneath). Finally, hang it separately from other feeders, or modify your feeding stand so that the cage hangs further away. I have done this with a piece of wood, hose clamps, a picture hanging bracket, and a small carabiner. This probably will not be necessary if your feeding stand has hangers at staggered heights - hang the cage above the others.

I have problems with crows, rooks and Jackdaws rather than squirrels. Plus fat balls are so popular I was finding my smaller feeders sometimes needed refilling twice a day. This feeder has far greater capacity (if you pile them right up above the top of the inner container you could probably squeeze 15 in!) and it has effectively flummoxed the large birds. It doesn’t stop starlings, however – whilst they can’t get in, they can reach through to the food – more difficult for them than on my previous feeders though, so still plenty for the small birds. My only real niggle is that it’s quite fiddly to open and close and it will be easy to lose the metal clip that holds it together, especially if you drop it in long grass! Just be aware of that though and you’ll be ok. Overall, I’m very pleased with it. Incidentally – sparrows love it, as they can perch comfortably inside it, on the base, rather than wasting energy clinging to the frame.

Apart from the good advice given by the previous reviewer I also found some problems.
Firstly, the top fat balls can be reached by Starlings if 10 are inserted. Best to half fill the feeder or follow the previous advice on alteration.
Next, it is not entirely large bird proof, maybe 98% because I have found starlings inside the feeder which panic like mad to get out, and do, before I have chance to free them.
On a similar feeder, I did find one starling had got stuck halfway out only to be caught by a magpie. You can guess I only found half of the starling.
A good product but not a 'fit and forget' item.