squirrel discouragement

["Harrold, Eric S" <esharrol@email.uncc.edu>]

Folks,

I was at a hardware in Charlotte today looking for some device that might
put me back in the lead in the arms race against Sciurus. I was directed to
use a sticky substance in a plastic tube that is actually manufactured to
keep pigeons and starlings from perching on surfaces. Since my feeder pole
is 3/4 inch and I've observed it for a considerable period of time and
noticed that birds very very seldom perch on it (don't recall seeing one on
it actually), I thought "why not" and also applied cayenne pepper as
squirrels don't like this either. My concern arises over the possibility
though, that a small bird will perch on it and at least get the sticky resin
on its feathers. As I watched today though, all avian feeder visitors made
no contact with the pole. Any  concerns/experiences with a similar method of
squirrel deterrent? 

I did observe one squirrel trying to go up the pole to reach the new nut
cake I put there for woodpeckers and such. He got his feet on the sticky
part of the pole and didn't like this at all, leaping off immediately. He
also left some long tail hair that got caught in the resin. I hope this
continues to work without posing any serious problems to either birds or
squirrels.

Eric Harrold
Charlotte, NC