In message , Phil L
writes
JennyC wrote:
:: Hi
::
:: We have a regular tiny mouse come to visit and to nibble on
:: several fat balls, in nets which hang on a small (rhus) tree
:: outside on the patio.
::
:: He is not problem and it's fun to watch him/her feeding at night.
::
:: However we seem to have his/her big brother coming round as well
:: :~(

Rats predate on mice so don't be surprised if the mouse isn't seen again :-(

:: Caught a quick glimpse of a small rat (young?) the other day in
:: the flower bed. And the fat balls seem to disappear whole.
:: yesterday was proof when I went out to find the nylon net still on
:: its branch but it had been bitten open and the ball was gone !
::
:: Any ideas on what to do. I don't want ratty getting ideas about
:: coming indoors!

Rats will make the most of any situation and the only way to deter them will
deter the mouse too, unless you use a wire feeder which the birds can peck
at and maybe the mouse could get a small nibble, but the rat won't be able
to gnaw through it as quickly, not to say he won't try and you can expect to
replace it once he does....once they have discovered a food source they
never forget it.


Rats, given enough time, will chew through anything, wire included. So
make sure it's pretty tough.

We have a few birds in our garden (blue/great tits, the usual). But
stocking the bird table with nuts and bread etc just got us 4 squirrels
robbing the nuts and magpies and pigeons robbing the bread. Never saw
the tits on the nuts at all, even when the squirrels were nowhere to be
seen. Given up in the end, the squirrels were just destroying the
feeders anyway.

--
Mike Buckley
RD350LC2
http://www.toastyhamster.org
BONY#38