GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Feeding birds

Baz[_6_] · 18-12-2012, 01:41 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote in news:5rn0d898pgiv7u9bhte4hsmhti2di081r0@
4ax.com:

On Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:09:54 GMT, Baz wrote:

I am very pleased that we have a nice bird population in the garden now
that we have managed to sort out some nice feed for them.
Snag is that I can see evidence of rats. The birds are messy eaters and
drop lots of suff the rat can scavenge.
Anyone else have this problem? What to do?

Thanks
Baz

I have large 15" plant pot saucers mounted on the top of poles under
the hanging feeders so that any waste drops into those .Other birds
such as Pigeons,Blackbirds,Thrushes who are normally ground feeders
like to feed in them and eat what would be wasted.
The occasional rat does learn to climb the pole and walk upside down
to gain access to the saucer. While it does so it is quite vulnerable
to being shot with an air rifle so that is one method if the position
of the feeder and your personal morals allow such an action to be
done safely.
Choosing the right feed mix is important as well,some of the multi
mixes while cheaper often contain things that a lot of birds will just
throw out and you end up supplying food for rats.
Might pay to get something more expensive but better targeted at the
species you want to feed.
Dealing with the rats themselves again come down to how you feel about
killing things which is what you have to do.
First you have to find the Nests, I use a security camera with night
IR lighting to see what comes in the garden and it's ideal for seeing
where the rats go.

Poison, various types some of which cannot be used outside buildings
and even those that are allowed should be used in a proper bait box to
ensure other animals cannot get to it. There is always the risk that
a poisoned rat will be eating by an owl etc so that is something to
consider as is the type of poison. Some rats get immunities. One here
actually burrowed into a shed and then chewed into the tub of poison
sachets because it liked the taste so much. A change of type seems to
have finally stopped it.
Traps ,old fashioned neck breaker very effective if placed on run and
the rat takes the bait,ignore the myth of cheese . Peanut Butter or
Chocolate is more attractive. Result is messy so how squeamish are
you?
Cage traps which catch them live. Will you be able to deal with them?
technically it is illegal to release them. The RSPCA has brought cases
against people drowning them so that leaves shooting from close range.
Not all cages make this easy and watch out for ricochets,a lower power
air pistol is easier than an air rifle doing this I have found, but I
haven't used this method for a while.
Best places to find the real poisons and traps are agricultural
suppliers rather than elsewhere.

Ferrets and Terriers can also be effective but not practical for most
people.

Get a professional in . Can work out expensive ,If you are feeding
birds and get rid of a batch of rats then some more will come along
later,best learn how to deal with them yourself.
Same really applies if you have a compost heap.

To be honest it's a problem that you manage rather than eliminate.
I'm fortunate in that all the rats here are from fields and have never
fed on Human waste or been in a sewer so as Rats go they are probably
fairly clean so I'm not too paronoid about seeing them being down the
garden providing they arn't near the house or in the main sheds. I
have found that killing them when small by sticking a hose down the
burrows for a day ,letting the local cats run free who deal with a few
which only leaves a couple who reach the large stage to be dealt with
every so often. Just getting over the Autumn batch now which came in
from the harvested fields.

G.Harman

Thanks G.Harman, a lot of info to absorb and I will go through it all.
Thanks again

Baz