Squirrel-proofing

Brome Squirrel Solution200 Bird Feeder Review

brome squirrel solution200 Squirrel Solution200

Quick Summary

91% Overall

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 is a good feeder for both clinging and perching birds. The weight-activated outer cage blocks the feeding ports from marauding squirrels and looks pretty at the same time. It holds enough food that you won't have to fill it every day and also comes with a free funnel for filling up. What's not to like about that?

95%
bird safe
90%
quality
95%
value
85%
easy Use

We Liked

  • Good for both perching and clinging birds  
  • Bottom drainage keeps food dry
  • Awesome guarantee & service
  • Comes fully assembled with free funnel

We Didn't Like

  • Not adjustable for bird weight
  • Must disassemble to clean
  • Cardinals may have trouble feeding

Conclusion:

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 is another of Brome's excellent squirrel-busting products. It's a medium-sized feeder that holds about 3.5 lb or 2 quarts of seeds and is effective at blocking squirrels. Quite a few owners loved it enough to buy several of them.

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Brome Squirrel Solution200 Review 

Brome Squirrel Solution200 with funnel attached

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 is a medium-sized decorative bird feeder with good squirrel-stopping capability. It consists of a clear feeder tube and a weight-activated wire shroud cage that drops down to cover the feeding ports when a squirrel climbs aboard.

With 6 feeding ports there's lots of room for birds to feed, and the wire cage also works well for clinging birds like nuthatches, creepers and woodpeckers, so you may see a greater variety of birds at this feeder. 

The Squirrel Solution200 is a very sturdy and durable product backed by Brome's amazing lifetime guarantee.

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 comes fully assembled and includes a free, bright yellow seed funnel which is attached at the bottom of the feeder for shipping.

The seed tube is ventilated so heat and humidity can escape, meaning your bird seed will stay nice and fresh, and all the plastic components are UV-resistant to last a long time.

Who is this product for?

You need to be a little bit handy to use the Squirrel Solution200 - you'll have to take it apart to clean it, and then put it back together, which some people find challenging.

Otherwise, this is a good all-around bird feeder for everyone.

What's included?

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 comes fully assembled and includes a free, bright yellow funnel for filling the seed tube. It also comes packed with a full color booklet that includes identification photos for 20 kinds of birds, cleaning instructions and a chart comparing the weights of common birds and squirrels.

How to use the Brome Squirrel Solution200

Size & Weight

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 is 5.5 inches square and  24 inches long. The hanger cord adds another 6 inches of height.

It weighs about 2.5 lbs empty and holds about 3.5 lbs of food, for a total filled weight of about 6 lbs.

Placement

This feeder can't be pole mounted, so you'll need to find a sturdy branch or pole to hang it from. To exclude animals smaller than adult gray squirrels, you'll need at least 18 inches of clear space all around the feeder as well as above it, and it should be mounted at least 5 feet above the ground - more if you can.

To get the necessary 18 inches of clear space at the top, we suggest using a length of chain with a sturdy S-hook at both ends to hang this feeder in a tree.

Note: make sure you detach the yellow funnel from the bottom of the feeder before you hang it up - otherwise the cage won't be able to cover the ports.

Capacity

You can put about 3.5 lbs or 2 quarts of seeds into your Squirrel Solution200. Brome recommends using black oil sunflower seeds and/or safflower seeds.

Filling

To fill your Brome Squirrel Solution200, hold down one of the two buttons on the side of the lid. Rotate the lid back and insert the square funnel into the feeding tube, then add seed.

To avoid waste, you might want to use a box or cookie sheet under the feeder to catch any seed that escapes.

Cleaning

You'll need to take the Brome Squirrel Solution200 apart to clean it - here's a video explaining how:

Brome recommends wearing gloves and washing the feeder with soap and water or a 1/10 bleach solution. You can also use non-toxic Grapefruit Seed Extract,  which is 10 to 100 times more effective than bleach.

Related: 60 (Sickening) Reasons NOT to Clean Your Bird Feeder in the Dishwasher!

Alternatives to the Brome Squirrel Solution200

Arundale Sky Caferead our review - holds more food, a great feeder for cardinals and all other birds

Brome Squirrel Buster Plus  - see our review - holds more food, good for smaller birds.

Woodlink Caged 6-Port tube feeder - see our review - great for smaller birds, holds less food

People who own the Brome Squirrel Solution200 say


Positives

  • "I've been fighting the battle of man vs. the squirrels with the bird feeders in my back yard for five years, and up until now, the squirrels have been winning every time. A few hours after hanging the feeder, I watched a squirrel climb down to the feeder upside down, only to have the ports shut right in his face. He went back up to the top (no success), then back to the bottom (no success), then in a 360 degree trip around the feeder, only to find that every food port was now closed.  I was so pleased that I went back on to Amazon.com and purchased a second one!"   
  • "Love this feeder, I have purchased three so far. Keeps squirrels away 100%"
  • "Hands down my favorite! It's hysterical watching the squirrels try to get in to it. I had one that was literally trying to open it from the top. He gave up. This is a must for bird lovers"

Negatives

  • " The gap between the internal shell and external mesh is large enough that squirrels still can eat the food, though much more work for them."  
  • "I bought 2 of the squirrel buster feeders as pictured. The birds seem to prefer the 'smaller plainer' style feeder. Not sure why. They also have to really stick their heads in far to access the seeds- maybe that's putting them off. "
  • "We have had this feeder up for a few weeks and have had very little bird action on or near it."
  • "The way the feeding holes on this feeder are designed, a bird grabs a seed and dumps 20 or 30on the ground every time. "

Conclusion

The Brome Squirrel Solution200 is a nice-looking feeder suitable for a wide variety of birds. When placed properly, it's squirrel proof and also defeats smaller rodents like chipmunks. The metal cage is chew proof and the plastic parts are made of Brome's extra tough resin. It may take a week or so for your birds to get used to it, but people who own this product love it so much that they often get several of them.

About the author

Joy Thurlow

Hi, I'm Joy Thurlow. Watching birds in the back yard is a favorite hobby of mine. My mission with Joy of Birdwatching is to share (accurate) information about birds, birding and useful products to help everyone connect with nature and enjoy the birds while we still have them. Thanks for reading!

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About the Author

Joy Thurlow

Hi, I'm Joy Thurlow. Watching birds in the back yard is a favorite hobby of mine. My mission with Joy of Birdwatching is to share (accurate) information about birds, birding and useful products to help everyone connect with nature and enjoy the birds while we still have them. Thanks for reading!

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