Clear leaves and nesting material from between the pins once or twice a year
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in France. It is free on orders of €35 or more, and a flat €15 below that. Allow 10 to 18 business days, after a 2 to 5 days processing time.
Under the EU consumer rights directive you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery. You cover the cost of returning it unless the item is faulty.
If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, we put it right at no cost to you under the two year legal guarantee of conformity that applies across the EU, return postage included.
Clear leaves and nesting material from between the pins once or twice a year. Enough debris packs down into a platform and a bird will stand on that instead.
Stainless Steel Pins1.3 mm pins that do not rust, inland or on the coast
Sold By The 50 cmNo minimum order, so you buy the run you actually have
Almost InvisibleA clear 5 mm base that reads as nothing from the ground
Humane And PermanentIt removes the perch. It does not injure anything
About this product
A squirrel is following a route.
It is not choosing a perch, it is crossing your fence on the way somewhere. That changes where the strip goes: along the run, not at the destination.
Squirrels use a fence top, a wall coping or a branch as a highway. They are not looking for somewhere to sit, they are going somewhere.
That is the useful difference. A perch deterrent works at one spot; a route deterrent has to cover the whole crossing, because a squirrel will simply walk to the gap.
Stainless pins on a clear base, sold per 50 cm with no minimum, so a fence run costs exactly what the fence measures.
It is humane. Squirrels are agile and cautious, and a spiked run is something they step around rather than something that injures them.
Be realistic: a squirrel that can jump to the far side of your strip will do that. Look at what is overhanging before you buy.
The single most common disappointment with squirrel spikes is a two metre strip in the middle of a twelve metre fence. Squirrels are patient and they have all day. Cover the whole crossing, or at least the whole section between two points they cannot bypass.
The second most common one is a tree. If a branch reaches within a couple of metres of the fence top or the feeder, the fence is no longer the route and no strip is going to change that. Pruning is the intervention, not spikes.
On feeder poles the strip is a genuinely good answer where the pole is boxed or square. On a round pole a baffle usually beats spikes, simply because a baffle presents a surface they cannot get round rather than one they can step over.
Fitting is the part that decides whether it works. Clean the surface first, because old droppings and moss stop adhesive keying to anything, and a strip that lifts at one end is a perch rather than a deterrent.
Cover the whole surface, not most of it. Birds are entirely willing to use the bare half metre at the end of a run, and a gap teaches them exactly where to stand. Round the number of strips up, never down.
Once it is on, there is nothing to do but clear leaves and nesting material out from between the pins once or twice a year. Enough debris packs down into a platform, and then a bird can stand on that instead of on the spikes.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You can change your mind. Under the EU consumer rights directive as it applies in France you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The two year legal guarantee of conformity covers you across the EU, we pay the return postage, and you can have a repair, a replacement or your money back. Read the full detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
A bird chooses a perch. A squirrel is passing through on the way somewhere. That means the strip has to cover the whole route rather than one spot.
Will a short length of spikes stop them?
No. A two metre strip in a twelve metre fence is a two metre detour and squirrels have all day.
How much do I need for a fence?
The whole crossing, post to post. Measure it, double it because strips are 50 cm, and round up.
There is a tree overhanging the fence.
Then the fence is not the route. Squirrels jump further than people expect, and pruning back is the intervention that works. No strip fixes this.
How far can a squirrel jump?
Far enough that a branch within about two metres of the target should be treated as a bridge.
Will it hurt them?
No. The pins are blunt-ended wire and squirrels are agile and cautious. They step around rather than into it.
Can I use it on a bird feeder pole?
On a square or boxed pole, yes, with cable ties. On a round pole a baffle works better.
Why is a baffle better on a round pole?
Because a baffle presents a surface they cannot get around. A strip presents one they can step over if there is any room at all.
How do I fix it to a wire fence?
Cable ties through the base holes. That is the easiest fixing on this whole site.
And to a timber capping rail?
Short exterior screws through the base, or exterior silicone if you would rather not make holes.
Do I need to take it right to the post?
Yes. A bare 30 cm at the end is where they will cross.
What about a wall coping?
Same principle. Cover the whole run and both returns if there are any.
Will it stop them getting into my roof?
Only if the fence is genuinely the route. Check for branches, cables and downpipes first, because those are usually the real access.
Do squirrels learn to avoid it?
They learn there is no footing there, which is the point. It is not a scare device that wears off.
Is it legal to deter squirrels?
Deterring an animal from a surface is not the same thing as trapping or harming one. This product does neither.
Will it also stop cats using the fence?
Often yes, though our moulded plastic strip is the one people usually buy for cats because it is blunter and more visible.
Does it work in winter?
Yes. Snow can bridge the pins briefly and it clears as it melts.
How visible is it on a garden fence?
The base is clear and the wire is thin, so it disappears at a few metres. Much less obvious than a plastic strip.
Can I cut the strip?
Yes, with tin snips, between the pin mounts.
How many strips is a 10 metre fence?
Twenty. Buy twenty-one if the ends are awkward.
What is the annual maintenance?
Clear leaf litter out from between the pins. A packed strip becomes a walkway.
Is there anything that just makes them go away?
No, and be wary of anything sold on that promise. You can make a route inconvenient. You cannot make a garden uninteresting to a squirrel.
How much is delivery and how long does it take?
Delivery across France is free on orders over €35, and €15 below that. We process an order in 2 to 5 days and delivery then takes about 10 to 18 business days. A tracking number is emailed as soon as it ships.
Which payment methods do you take?
Card and PayPal. Both go through the checkout on this site and neither of us ever sees your card details.
Can I change my mind after ordering?
Yes. You have fourteen days from delivery to tell us you want to cancel, and a further fourteen days to send the goods back, under the EU consumer rights directive. Nothing we sell is made to your measurements, so the right applies to the whole range.
What if the order arrives damaged or faulty?
Tell us and we will replace it or refund it. That is separate from changing your mind: a faulty item carries a two year legal guarantee of conformity across the EU, and it is not shortened by anything on this site.
How do I track my parcel?
The tracking number is in your dispatch email, and there is a tracking page on this site. If the number has not moved for a few days, email us and we will chase it.
Do you sell to trade and in bulk?
Yes. There is a wholesale page on this site with a quote form on it. Tell us the run length or the quantity and we will price it.
Are the prices shown with tax included?
The price you see is the price you pay, in euros. Nothing is added at the checkout except delivery, and that only when the order is under the free threshold.
How do I get hold of a person?
Email theteam@birdspikes.direct. We are an online supplier with no shop counter, which is a large part of why the spikes cost what they do.
The complete guide
Spiking a route rather than a perch
4Bird Spikes Company
Think about the journey
The mistake people make with squirrel spikes is treating them like bird spikes. A pigeon
picks a ledge and sits on it, so you spike that ledge. A squirrel is going from the oak
tree to your feeder, and your fence happens to be the path.
That means partial coverage does nothing. A two metre strip in the middle of a twelve metre
fence is a two metre detour, and squirrels have the time.
Work out the crossing
Stand where the squirrel starts and look at where it ends up. Usually there is one obvious
route with one or two alternatives. Cover the whole of the primary route between two points
it cannot bypass: a post at each end, a corner, a wall return.
If you cannot close it end to end, be honest that you are making it slightly less
convenient rather than stopping it.
The branch problem
If any branch reaches within about two metres of the fence top, the feeder or the roof, the
fence is not the route any more and nothing on this page helps. Squirrels jump further than
people expect. Pruning back is the intervention, and it is usually cheaper than the
alternative.
Feeder poles
Square or boxed poles: the strip works well, fixed with cable ties.
Round poles: a baffle is better. A baffle presents a surface they cannot get around;
a strip presents one they can step over.
Fitting on a fence
Cable ties through the base holes are ideal on wire and metal. On a timber capping rail,
short screws or exterior adhesive. Butt strips end to end without gaps, and take the run
right into the post at each end.
Clear leaf litter out once a year, because a packed strip becomes a walkway.
Tell us the bird, the surface and roughly how long the run is, and we will tell you what suits it before you buy. Free delivery across France on orders over €35.
Squirrel Spikes sold by Bird Spikes Company at birdspikes.direct, in France. The
same stainless steel strip as the rest of this site's spike range: 1.3 mm pins 115 mm long
on a clear polycarbonate base 500 mm x 23 mm x 5 mm, 70 mm protected band, EUR 5 per 50 cm
strip with no minimum. Fitted along fence tops, wall copings, gate rails and boxed feeder
poles. The key behavioural point is that squirrels use these surfaces as a ROUTE rather
than as a perch, so coverage must be continuous across the whole crossing: a partial run is
simply walked around. Overhanging branches within a couple of metres defeat any fence-top
measure entirely, and pruning is the effective intervention in that case. On round feeder
poles a baffle generally outperforms spikes. The strip is humane and does not injure
animals. Delivery across France is free over EUR 35 and EUR 15 below it.
