Squirrel Boss, despite its name, is a squirrel-proof bird feeder. It is controlled by a remote and can be used from inside your house as well.
The inventor and founder of Squirrel Boss, Michael J. Desanti, is an aerospace professional. He invented this product out of his love for birds and squirrels. Though he was a little frustrated by the fact that the squirrels would eat the food of birds as well. For this reason, he created Squirrel Boss, a bird feeder that doesn’t allow squirrels to steal seeds from it when they are not invited.
What Do They Make?
When a squirrel is seen hogging contents from your bird feeder, just press the button on the remote controller and the squirrels receive a harmless little zap, which causes them to run away. Squirrels will soon learn to avoid the feeder when they keep receiving these little shocks every time they come near it.
The feeder works by sending a little static shock to the squirrels when the button on the remote is pressed. The remote comes with a convenient remote holder, which can be mounted up on a wall for easy access.
What Makes Them Unique?
The reason why this product is so unique and durable is that it has a thick plastic feeding tube and stainless steel metal. It is squirrel-proof in another sense that the squirrels cannot easily chew off the thick plastic, which is a very common event while using other plastic feeders.
The feeder has been tested repeatedly and in different conditions and weathers. It has proven to be safe and effective and the remote controller works very well from inside the comfort of your house.
After a few tries, the squirrels will stop coming back to steal food from this particular feeder.
Are They Still an Active Company?
Squirrel Boss has been popular among its users and biologists ever since it was introduced in 2009. Although Michael didn’t manage to strike a deal with the Sharks, the product is still being sold on Amazon and the company has a running website.
People on Amazon have mixed reviews regarding the product. It works well for some users but doesn’t work at all for others.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Michael J. Desanti began his pitch by introducing his product, Squirrel Boss, to the Sharks. Squirrel Boss is a bird feeder designed to keep the squirrels away. The Squirrel Boss works by pressing a button on the remote controller when a squirrel is spotted nearby a bird feeder. It delivers a mild static shock connection that tingles but doesn’t hurt them.
Michael came to the show asking for $130,000 investment for a 40% equity. The Sharks were fascinated by his product and they all gave the squirrel-proof feeder a try, getting zapped one by one. Only Kevin stayed back.
The Sharks were concerned about the safety of the product for the squirrels, but when they realized the zap was very light and harmless, they were satisfied. They wanted to know whether the animal rights activists will have an objection to its use. Michael explained that the animal activists and biologists already like the product because it doesn’t harm the squirrels and the other methods used elsewhere are fatal to the animals.
Michael told the Sharks that he already had $196,000 worth of sales so far and that he had an investor who invested $140,000. Michael managed to repay all the money, but $38,000 of the original amount.
He also revealed that he had spent $60,000 on marketing but that didn’t benefit him as he saw no increase in his sales.
Robert was the first Shark out, he believed that the product was more of a novelty than a solid investment. He believed that Michael would not be able to make a lot of money from the business.
Lori still thought that zapping squirrels is sadistic, and for that reason, she was out as well.
Mark Cuban was next to go. He said that he would not be able to put his heart into the product.
Kevin and Daymond were the last Sharks to back out. Kevin didn’t give an explanation for his disinterest, and Daymond did think about it for a while before he was out as well.
Michael was adamant that he would not leave without a deal from the Sharks, to which Kevin threatened to zap him off from his own bird feeder.
Our Review of Squirrel Boss
The Squirrel Boss zapping technique doesn’t allow the squirrels to chew off the plastic of the feeder. It is perfect to let the squirrels feed for a while but then send them away when it is time to go. The seeds last a long while in this way. The two small openings at the bottom make it difficult for squirrels to reach the contents from any other way, but the sides alone.
Pros of Squirrel Boss
- It has no moving parts so it cannot wear out easily.
- The thick plastic doesn’t let the squirrels chew it off.
- It is harmless to the squirrels and at the same time, effectively scare them off.
Cons of Squirrel Boss
- It needs to be charged frequently.
- The remote needs to be supervised to prevent the misuse of the feeder by children.
Who Is Squirrel Boss For?
Squirrel Boss makes a wonderful gift for people who love to feed birds and watching them from inside their house. The company claims that the product pays for itself, which means that the amount of seeds saved from the excessive hogging of squirrels will prove this product to be worthy of your investment.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- Squirrel Buster Standard Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder
- Squirrel Solution200 Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder
- Squirrel-X 111IN Bird Feeder
- Squirrel Buster Suet Squirrel-proof Suet Bird Feeder
Our Final Thoughts
Although this bird feeder is comparatively expensive as compared to other feeders in the market, it is still unique in the sense that it provides users control over the animals they want or do not want to take food from their feeder. A lot of customers are thrilled by the idea of gentle zaps for the squirrels, but still, the majority of reviews have a common problem that the squirrels always find a way to dodge the zap and steal food from the feeder.
