"keith ;-)" wrote
Jenny, you want to give your local councils pest control team a call.I don't
do Rats or Mice they are vermin & WILL come into your house.
snip
Thanks Keith,England,UK.

I know what you mean Keith, but I really want to avoid poison if possible.

We have a canal running along the back of the house, so there are probably
masses of rats out there. There is also a strip of 'no-man's-land's which is
full of wildlife (mice, buds, hedgehog) This is all in the middle of the city
and it seems a pity to destroy them.

We've lived here for 10 years and this is the first time we've seen rodents
nicking the birdfeed. Weird because its a very mild winter, so its not as if
they are starving !

I'm going to try Sacha's 'tree collar' which sounds the perfect solution.
Jenny