As much as we love animals, we often don’t think much about the wildlife in our own backyards. Squirrels, for instance, often come and go unnoticed.
But other people go all out to treat these neighborhood creatures… like one man, who not only built a special feeder for the squirrels, but he made them one impressive, elaborate and hilarious “nut bar” to call their own.
Michael Dutko is a woodworker who often shows off his handmade pieces on his YouTube channel, Duke Harmon Woodworking, and he’s gone viral for his latest invention that’s just for squirrels.
He told CNN that he has a neighbor who likes to birdwatch, but squirrels keep invading her feeder. So as a surprise, Dutko decided to make a specialized squirrel feeder.
“Squirrels are people too. They’re just stealing birdseed because they don’t have anywhere else to go,” he says in his YouTube video. “So, let’s build them somewhere to go. Let’s build them a squirrel bar.”
Dutko writes that squirrel feeders are “traditionally done looking like a box,” but he “wanted to do something different.”
So his creative take on the squirrel feeder looks like an actual bar for squirrels, complete with a custom sign (“The Nutty Bar”) directions to the bathrooms (“Nuts” or “No Nuts”) and a variety that even the fanciest craft bars would be jealous of.
He has all sorts of nuts for the squirrels to choose from, each selection carefully labeled with engraving and given a punny craft title like “Pecan Porter” or “Pistachio Pale Ale”:
The video shows the elaborate commitment and detail Dutko puts into the project.
“All this clamping is probably unnecessary, but so is building a squirrel bar,” he jokes at one point.
And we also get to see the squirrels enjoying their new establishment. One squirrel wanders into the bar and seems to enjoy the fine selection of nuts.
It’s safe to say that people have gone “nuts” for Dutko’s invention, and he’s thrilled to see how much people have enjoyed it.
“It’s surreal to me that I was able to make such an impact by doing something so little with something I love so much,” Dutko told CNN. “I’m so amazed.”
“People have been so kind and positive. And my kids definitely love it too, they’re always watching the squirrels stuff their faces with nuts and they think it’s just so cute.”
And if you want a “Nut Bar” of your own, you can buy your own handmade bar from Dutko on Etsy.
What a great idea! Would you love something like this for your backyard? Share this story!
