HILLIARD, Ohio — Squirrels in an Ohio city are going nuts over an Ohio woodworker’s latest creation.
“The Nutty Bar,” built by Michael Dutko, 35, of Hilliard, is a place for squirrels to gather for a snack, WSYX reported. The bar, attached to Dutko’s backyard fence, offers squirrels a variety of nuts on tap.
It’s also a way for Dutko’s neighbors to birdwatch without having to deal with squirrels.
“My neighbor and her daughter birdwatch,” Dutko told WSYX. “They mentioned squirrels kept getting in the way. “I thought that would be a great YouTube video ... let’s make a squirrel bar.”
Dutko posted a seven-minute, 11-second video to his YouTube channel, Duke Harmon Woodworking, that shows him creating the bar. The channel is named for Dutko’s grandfather, a former firefighter in Columbus, WSYX reported.
The bar offers squirrels seven different nuts, which are named after beers: Almond Ale, Cashew Dunkel, Peanut Pilsner, Pecan Porter, Pistachio Pale Ale, Sunflower Saison and Walnut Stout.
“I didn’t even tell (his neighbor) what I was going to do, I just built it and put it back there,” Dutko told CNN. “When she saw it, she just started cracking up.”
Dutko said he put his plan into action but the squirrels were camera shy.
Posted by Michael Dutko on Saturday, August 29, 2020
“It took me a few times to get one (squirrel) on camera,” Dutko told WSYX. “He cleaned me out before I was able to get one.”
Dutko said that since his video went viral, he has received numerous requests to make similar nutty hangouts for squirrels. Dutko told CNN he applied for a design patent and is planning to start a business to sell The Nutty Bar for about $175 to $200.
“It all blows me away,” Dutko told WSYX. “I’m just a dude in a garage making cool stuff.”
Cox Media Group
