Hello all,
This is my first post, but I really need some help if anyone can provide any!
Last winter I was unfortunate enough to have rats in my home for the first time - a thoroughly unpleasant experience.
Although the advice from the pest controllers was to stop feeding the birds, I was very reluctant to do this - not only because of the pleasure it gives me, but because I didn't want to remove a food source the birds had come to rely on in the middle of winter.
I tried to minimise the problem by having three separate feeders for nyjer seed, sunflower hearts and peanuts, by "customising" the feeders with trays underneath to catch the waste, and by siting them over a tarpaulin which I am able to sweep easily.
The feeders are in an apple tree at the far end of the garden, about 15 metres from the house.
I've had no further problems since until yesterday when I spotted a new unwelcome visitor - a rat in broad daylight climbing the tree trunk to reach and feast from the feeders. It's back again today.
I really don't want to stop feeding the birds but I can't see an alternative now. Apart from anything else, I assume the birds will be at risk of disease passed on from the rats.
Please can anyone offer any advice at all?
Many thanks in advance.
Sandpipa.
Hello Sandpipa - welcome to the forum. Really sorry to hear about your dilemma.
I wish I knew how to put a link in for you to this post, as there are posts on this site from others who have had the same problem (me included!) and in return some really good advice has been given. Basically you need to stop feeding the birds for a while (it's not so cold at the moment and there is still natural food for the birds so they will survive for a couple of weeks) or try moving your feeders away from areas where the rats can climb - as rats feel vulnerable coming into the open. Your rat is obviously a bold one if is out during the day.
I'm sorry I can't be of more help but I'm sure someone on here will be able to - Good luck!
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Hi Kezmo,
Thanks a lot for that. I've done a search and I think I've found most of the other advice on rats but I'm still stumped, to be honest.
My feeders are in as open a site as I've got. I did try adding lots of chilli powder to the seed last year when I had a squirrel problem. It did nothing to deter the squirrels - just made me sneeze a lot! - so I'm a bit sceptical as to whether the reaction from the rat(s) would be any different.
The only thing I can think of is to find some kind of truly rat-proof feeder, or else attach it to some kind of super-slippery pole the rats just can't climb up... Does such a thing exist?!
I just can't risk having rats in my house again so unless I can find a solution it'll be a sad goodbye to the feathered friends in my garden.
Thanks again,
Welcome to the forum Sandpipa!
The only thing I can think of is to buy one of those 'feeding stations' which the rat would struggle to climb I think! My parents have one in their garden which is well used (after a couple of weeks of nothing as it was 'new' and 'different'!, but the birds soon got used to it!!)
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
MarJus Welcome to the forum Sandpipa! The only thing I can think of is to buy one of those 'feeding stations' which the rat would struggle to climb I think! My parents have one in their garden which is well used (after a couple of weeks of nothing as it was 'new' and 'different'!, but the birds soon got used to it!!)
Unfortunately the rats can climb the feeding stations too! I had to stop feeding the birds because of rats, my feeders and feeding station have since been donated to a nearby school I'm volunteering at so at least some birds somewhere benefit!
Mille & Fly on Facebook
Wouldn't some sort of 'baffle' halfway up the pole stop them? I'm really amazed actually as the pole is so smooth!! Just goes to show how 'clever' (if annoying) these creatures are!
MarJus Wouldn't some sort of 'baffle' halfway up the pole stop them? I'm really amazed actually as the pole is so smooth!! Just goes to show how 'clever' (if annoying) these creatures are!
Never got the chance to try a baffle because of the neighbours complaining. I don't get on with them as it is because they let their dogs foul the garden and their kids tear up the plants. Something like that should work though as long as it is high enough up, but I'm only short so that would place the feeders too high for me to reach anyway!
The key thing to note when trying to prevent attracting rats is to ensure that they cannot get access to food - prevent food from reaching the floor. Use collection trays below hanging feeders and if you have a bird table its worth having a raised edge around the sides, again to stop food from being spilt onto the floor.
· Cones and baffles fixed on to the string of a hanging feeder – plastic soft drink bottles, large domes and disks around the centre pole. http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p//M-SQUIRRELGUARD.htm
· If feeder is hung from washing line, thread line through a length of hosepipe or a plastic coke bottle on each side.
· Downward opening cone or a biscuit tin fixed to the pole below the bird table to prevent them climbing up it. Vaseline or other grease on a smooth pole will also help.
· Remember that all these methods will only work if the squirrel/rat cannot jump directly onto the feeder, but will have to approach via the defended route.
· Feeders with a cage around them are resistant, although not entirely proof, and a small individual will be able to fit through. http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/BirdFeeders/M-GUARDIANS.htm
· Chili powder can be dusted onto birdfood. Birds are not bothered by the chili, but squirrels and rats cannot put up with the burning sensation, and will leave the food alone.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the replies, all.
Lloyd, as I said, I've tried chilli previously and it had no effect whatsoever, at least on squirrels - interesting to note.
I also prevent any food from falling to the floor with trays beneath the feeders.
Reluctantly I've stopped feeding the birds for the time being - I simply cannot risk rats in my home again.
I'll wait for a few weeks and then try to rig up some kind of stand-alone feeder as suggested with some kind of baffle. These creatures are so incredibly agile, though, I wouldn't put anything past them!
Cheers!
Hi Everyone,
This is also my first post, for the very same problem as Sandpipa!
Having just invested in squirrel proof feeders, having spent a fortune replacing the eaten ones I now have a new problem......
Rats, that work themselves inside the cage and are feasting merrily on the bird food. I have just caught three and having disturbed them I cannot believe their agility. They literally jump into the air and seem to fly to reach ground level. They seem to climb great heights efortlessly and I am at a loss what to do. I am not so sure that rats feeding in the day time is so unusual!
I also don't want to stop feeding the birds as I would feel so guilty not being able to explain to them why their food has vanished!
Any advice, or a rat proof feeder would be so greatly appreciated.
Rats are extremely clever and agile when it comes to food, so you have to be smarter than them - think about where your feeders are - move them away from fences, walls, overhanging trees etc, use poles to hang your feeders from, smear oil, vaseline, grease up the pole AND fit a baffle - make it as hard as you possibly can for them to get to the food - there's no such thing as a rat-proof feeder i'm afraid, the trick is stopping them from getting to the feeder in the first place and thinking about things that are likely to attract them into your garden e.g. compost heaps, litter, waste bird food etc
You might find more helpful information in this thread
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I too have had rats eating bird food in broad daylight - inside squirrel-caged feeders hung from poles covered in vaseline, guarded with home-made baffles and stuck in the middle of an open space. I can only assume they were able to leap onto the feeders. I had them move into the garage last winter, and there are so many holes in nearby hedgebanks at the moment that even though they have been baited I no longer leave my house door open for the dogs to go in and out.
I am not putting out bird food at all at the moment, though I will try again later in the year with better home-made baffles and the feeders as high as possible. I was wondering if rats could manage to get along a high "washing line" made of fishing line. Has anyone tried this? Would it need to be made visible to birds by hanging bits of silver foil or something from it?
I am already pretty careful about food on the ground because I had a previous problem with badgers. I appreciate badgers, but having large holes dug under the fence and through the hedge won't do when you have dogs and there are sheep in the neighbouring field!
Sandpipa Hello all, This is my first post, but I really need some help if anyone can provide any! Last winter I was unfortunate enough to have rats in my home for the first time - a thoroughly unpleasant experience. Although the advice from the pest controllers was to stop feeding the birds, I was very reluctant to do this - not only because of the pleasure it gives me, but because I didn't want to remove a food source the birds had come to rely on in the middle of winter. I tried to minimise the problem by having three separate feeders for nyjer seed, sunflower hearts and peanuts, by "customising" the feeders with trays underneath to catch the waste, and by siting them over a tarpaulin which I am able to sweep easily. The feeders are in an apple tree at the far end of the garden, about 15 metres from the house. I've had no further problems since until yesterday when I spotted a new unwelcome visitor - a rat in broad daylight climbing the tree trunk to reach and feast from the feeders. It's back again today. I really don't want to stop feeding the birds but I can't see an alternative now. Apart from anything else, I assume the birds will be at risk of disease passed on from the rats. Please can anyone offer any advice at all? Many thanks in advance. Sandpipa.
I have had the same problem over a number of years. I have found a Rat Proof & Squirrell proof bird feeder. basically it is a cage that allows the birds to get to the feeder (seperate but cheap) but not bigger Birds or vermin.
To reduce spillage I have cut some mesh to catch the spillage. The cost of the cage was £12:95 from the Ferndale Garden Centre in Coal Aston nr Sheffield. If you need the make I will get it for you. The thing works really well. Since using these we have had in a single morning Robins,Greenfinch, Siskin, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, House Sparrows, BullFinch, Dunnock, Wren BlueTit, Long Tailed, Great & Coal Tit plus a few very frustrated Squirrels & Pigeons
However Rats need special treatment. I would advise from experience.
By observation find out where you think the rats are living. Under sheds & decking is favourite (I did not have a problem until I installed a new patio made of decking) they absolutely love their new home.
Put bated snatch traps with snickers as bait onnear to where they run. Ensure Blackbirds cannot get to them because they will peck at the bait.
Get the council to use poison traps.
Hi Sandpipa, sorry to hear you have the rat problem, i was worried as to how i was going to get help with this problem too. our neighbouring property has been emty for over a year now, Rats have made an under ground nest there, horror struck the other day when we saw them running back and forth to our garden climbing trees and making very difficult manouvres to reach the fat ball holdersof which one is the oval coil shaped one hoding 2 at a time and kept disappearing quickly,now i know why., the other has a lid which they have tried to remove but can hold on and try to eat throuh the square wire spaces, Regulary i clean the feeding area and feeders too, i have removed all feeding appliances from one tree including peanut feeders but alas the rats are moving to the other trees. This is a big problem sandpipa and you have my sympathy here, i have a large selection of birds to my garden and already today i see confusion and fighting to get to the last feeder left. What do we do., Kezmo is right all feeding areas must be cleared at all cost and rat prevention in situ asap. environmental health advice also. It pains me to think that i cannot feed these birds who have come to my garden so faithfully to be fed but sentiment has to go and sensibility applied for the future of our birds. I belive with the help of all the good sensible people on this site some very good common sense ideas and advice can be bult on and we shall have safer feeding applications in place for our birds. I hope this gives a bit of hope Sandpipa.
Nails - I would be very interested to know the make of the rat- and squirrel-proof feeder. Thank you.
Sandpipa I have had the same problem over a number of years. I have found a Rat Proof & Squirrell proof bird feeder. basically it is a cage that allows the birds to get to the feeder (seperate but cheap) but not bigger Birds or vermin. To reduce spillage I have cut some mesh to catch the spillage. The cost of the cage was £12:95 from the Ferndale Garden Centre in Coal Aston nr Sheffield. If you need the make I will get it for you. The thing works really well. Since using these we have had in a single morning Robins,Greenfinch, Siskin, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, House Sparrows, BullFinch, Dunnock, Wren BlueTit, Long Tailed, Great & Coal Tit plus a few very frustrated Squirrels & Pigeons However Rats need special treatment. I would advise from experience. By observation find out where you think the rats are living. Under sheds & decking is favourite (I did not have a problem until I installed a new patio made of decking) they absolutely love their new home. Put bated snatch traps with snickers as bait onnear to where they run. Ensure Blackbirds cannot get to them because they will peck at the bait. Get the council to use poison traps.