Talkback: Feeding the birds - Talkback

13/11/2008 at 09:10

Poor little mouse. The profusion of ctas in my areas bugs the life out of me. Endless destruction of borders, faeces in the soil, dead birds. I cannot fathom why people (especially wildlife enthusiasts!!) keep these dreadful animals as house pets and then inflict them on their neighbours. And turn a blind eye to the destruction they cause to proper wildlife.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/11/2008 at 22:31

There's room for us all?? Not for the poor mouse and the birds! I'd have birds in my garden any day (and mice outdoors too!) but cats? No thanks. Keep them in the house if you want house pets. Harrumph.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/11/2008 at 14:24

‘Proper wildlife’ indeed. Nature isn’t Chiswick in macrocosm, you know. You could keep all of the cats indoors, and the ‘proper wildlife’ would all still be brutalising and mutilating each other - not playing nicely together.

Gardeners' World Web User

15/11/2008 at 12:05

Feeding the birds how can I feed the birds and not the rats?? We loved to feed the birds and were greatly enriched from their visits. But had give up when we were feeding rats they took over. help

Gardeners' World Web User

21/11/2008 at 21:13

Reply to Clive Rusby. Unfortunately rats are extremely common and able to exploit any food they can find, human or bird. I've always thought that casually discarding huge amounts of broken bread, seeds, or nuts on the ground is the best way to encourage rats, and does little for any other wildlife. The biologist in me thinks that if there is food enough for rats to scavenge off the ground, there is probably already food enough out there for birds — berries, seeds and insects. It is when snow covers the ground that birds are less able to forage so only then d we need to put out anything for our fine feathered friends. If you want to attract birds to a feeder to enjoy their antics and watch them close up I suggest a very minimal amount of seed/fat mix in a tiny plastic flowerpot or other container and hang it close to the kitchen window. Refill it regularly with small amounts. Spillage will be kept to a minimum to is less likely to attract rats, but the birds will learn to examine it regularly. Worth a try? Good luck.

Gardeners' World Web User

22/11/2008 at 16:06

We too have unfortunatly been feeding a rat whilst feeding the birds. I do not want to stop as I have done it for so long, and enjoy watching them.I also do the local bird watch survey.By the way, rattie is now no more !!

Gardeners' World Web User

11/01/2009 at 21:40

It is breaking my heart not being able to feed the birds because of the rats. As I am typing this I have a beautiful male cardinal (they're regular visitors to our feeders)sitting in a tree outside my window waiting for safflower seed I would throw on the ground.(bad mistake). Have ordered a "natural" rat deterrent. Will see if it works. I believe it is fox urine to sprinkle in and under house and around garden. Supposedly rats will flee the area. We'll see.

Gardeners' World Web User

26/01/2009 at 09:22

I feed the birds in feeders and have made firm friends with a Robin that sits right next to me whilst I go about my gardening.. My neighbours, throw everything for the birds on the floor and i have had mice in the house and now in the loft.. so be very careful! On the earlier subject of cats, I had so much cat mess on my garden at one point it was unreal, and I got so fed up with clearing it away,it was disgusting, then a stray cat picked me out as a new owner and I've had no further mess on my garden at all since his arrival into our home 7 months ago. Don't just blame cats for killing birds, a sparrowhawk around my area has killed at least 20 birds on my garden in the last year and thats what I have witnessed! Nature can be cruel, thats life I'm afraid.

Gardeners' World Web User

26/01/2009 at 21:29

Reply to Sassy Sarah. I too don't care for people who throw bucketloads of old bread out onto the lawn. They might as well be setting up a rat-breeding farm. However, some like blackbirds are ground feeders and prefer to dig about in the grass for their takings. I think the key is 'just enough, but no more'. When it's freezing cold (not just a bit parky) or there is snow on the ground, fair enough, but mostly we can let the birds find their natural food.

Gardeners' World Web User

23/02/2010 at 20:06

By feeding the birds I have encouraged rats and mice. I foolishly threw nuts on grass bank outside bedroom window only to wake up to find rat scoffing the lot. So kept all food contained in and around birdtable - all in containers. The feeding table itself has a cage to protect birds from squirrels/cats. This afternoon a mouse had found it's way in and was noshing fat ball I'd left out. Is there an answer? I would welcome any advice - don't want to stop feeding birds but rats and mice outside my kitchen window gives me the creeps!! Thanks a lot.

Gardeners' World Web User

01/03/2010 at 10:47

Reply to DirtyMitts If you live in a town or city, you will have mice and rats within a few metres anyway, in neighbouring gardens, in the street, local parks and yards. The basic premise is that the mice and rats, as scavengers, are taking what's left by other animals. If they are making a nuisance, it is because there is too much left, meaning that the birds are not eating it all, meaning that the birds are being given too much. Cut down on the amount you leave out. Only put out a small amount at a time, each day, rather than a large amount once a week. Good luck.

Gardeners' World Web User

28/11/2011 at 18:37

I agree with you about the perfect bird feeder, Richard. I was watching the blackbirds in my Bramley apple tree this afternoon. They were having a wonderful time. Then suddenly I caught sight of a waxwing! I've never seen one before, and was so excited. i'm sorry Chiswickian feels so antagonistic towards cats. There's room for us all.

jools3

26/06/2012 at 18:24

I live in the NE England, near fields, but am surrounded by other houses, have a 'wild garden' and was feeding the birds continuously and plentifully over the winter, with seed mix, suet balls and meal worms. In the late winter I noticed a brown rat sneaking out from a woodpile that had accumulated, and helping itself to the bits of grain and suet ball that had dropped to the ground. I actually found it quite cute, we have a devise that discourages them from the house, so didn't worry about it. But then it multiplied, and also got quite brazen, and I worried about the neighbours getting wind and calling out the rat men to put poison down. So I gave my dogs free reign and also poured strong peppermint tea liberally around, but unfortunately had left it too late. The next door neighbours, who are absolutely terrified of them, called the council and there was rat poison and a terrible atmosphere down before I could stop it. The rest of the locals (and members of the local planning department) are quite relaxed about the rats presence, they say of course you've got rats, you're near farmland! But I've had to stop feeding the birds for the time being and we redesigned the garden to remove wood piles and compost heaps, and have more open space. And haven't seen any rats for about a month. We have retained a large wild element in the garden, with a huge hawthorn tree and rose tree and hedging, and I hope to be able to start putting feed out again in the autumn. The birds are still nesting in the eves of the house, and I think we have a pigeon nest in the hawthorn! The garden has a lot of opportunity for insect life, so I'm hoping that is enough to help the birds.

I'm going to try hanging the bird feeders over some sort of trays or something to make cleaning up easier. Because I'd be feeding them in the wild garden under the hawthorn, it'll be hard to clean up the leftovers if I let them fall to the ground. I'd love any other ideas anyone has. I actually like rats, but we have to live with other people, so I'm trying to be a good neighbour too!

LORELEI

26/06/2012 at 23:03

My brother fixed an old hanging basket (empy ) under his bird feeder to stop a lot of seed falling to the ground. Works a treat.

gardeningfantic

27/06/2012 at 08:36

i feed the birds and also get rats as by a railway line.. so loads of them.. but we have an air rifle and we shoot them.. i have checked this allowed and legal..

after taking out a couple of rats we find they do not bother us for some time.. and when they do we do the same.. it is onlyway to control them.. 5 years ago we had such a larg einfestation that the poor courier delivery guy had one one up his leg and down the other side while stood at my back door.. between all of us (neighbours) we paid for the rat man to come out and deal with it.. he told hus it willstay clear for a couple of years till the pick up again.. and that we have to take them out when we first see them..so we do. never ever want to experience that again.

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