Rodent Remedies
Birdfeeders are rarely to blame for attracting rats into an area.
Rats are more likely to be attracted by the odors from pet waste,
outdoor pet food bowls, inadequate waste and garbage containers, compost
bins, BBQ grills, vegetable garden waste or un-harvested fruits and nuts
from trees. To eliminate rats, deny them access to shelter. It is
important to remove potential hiding and nesting sites from around your
home, such as firewood stacks, brush and debris piles, dense shrubbery,
ground covers and ivy. Repair and/or seal openings in buildings using
durable materials, such as concrete, metal flashing, steel wool or heavy
welded wire.
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In dry climates, rats are attracted to sources of water. Remove or
repair all sources of free water around your home and yard. These
include leaking faucets and irrigation lines, water bowls for pets and
all sources of standing water. Good sanitation practices will
effectively control the ability of rats to survive. Eliminating access
to garbage, pet waste, spilled bird seed, open compost bins and
un-harvested fruits and vegetables is crucial to rodent control. Rats
are especially attracted by the odor from BBQ grills and they will eat
the residue meat scraps and fats found on them. If possible, store your
grill in a secure out building between uses and keep it clean of all
grease and food debris. The following birdfeeding practices will help
you avoid problems with rats in your yard:
- No ground feeding. Birdfood scatted
directly on the ground can be attractive to rodents.
- Select the proper food. Consider
feeding only a single type of seed in a feeder to reduce the amount
of scattered seed that reaches the ground. Sunflower chips seem to
work very well as a tidy-feeding option. Quality suet or shelled
peanuts properly placed and hung from a baffled pole will also work.
If the feeders are not hung on a baffled pole, take them indoors
each evening. Use trays under feeders to keep debris from falling to
the ground. You can also feed black oil sunflower seeds or blends
that are high in black oil sunflower seeds or chips if your feeders
are hung on a baffled pole and have a quality tray placed below
them. For ground feeding birds, use a small amount of a blend
containing millet in a tray or platform feeder.
- Don’t overfeed. Offer only as much
food as the birds will eat each day, especially millet. Make sure
the birds clean their plate everyday.
- Store seed properly. Store seed in a
metal, rodent-proof container in an area where rodents cannot reach.
- Keep feeding areas tidy. Sweep, rake
or clean up spilled seed and seed husks at least once a week. If
possible, place your feeders over a hard surface so your clean-up
will be faster and easier.
- Use the proper feeders and trays.
It’s important to select the proper feeder to attract the birds you
want. Proper trays and screens placed below feeders will eliminate
ground spillage. Consider these feeder and tray combinations:
- Advanced Pole System® (APS)
setup, with squirrel baffle, to hold feeders
- Finch or seed tube feeders with
trays
- Wooden catch-a-seed tray &
wooden hopper feeder
- Peanut feeders with tray
- Dinner Bell feeder
- Use baffles to eliminate easy
access. Using a hanging baffle above any feeder protects against
roof rats and squirrels. A pole equipped with a squirrel baffle
and set up properly (4 - 5 feet high) will stop rats from
gaining access to feeders.
- Install your APS setup in the
proper locatioin. In order to make your APS setup unreachable
for rats, you’ll need to install it at least 10 feet away from
any other object, including trees houses, etc. This distance
keeps rats from jumping on top of the feeders from trees, houses
or anything else in your yard.
- In dry climate areas, remove
sources of water. Temporarily remove any source of water which
may supply their daily requirement. You may choose to set up a
baffled birdbath option using APS and a baffle.
These Wild Birds Unlimited
products support responsible birdfeeding in creating a rat-free
sanctuary in your backyard.
Hardware & Baffles
- APS. Establish multiple
setups with squirrel baffles that are easy to relocate and
reconfigure. Deck hardware also keeps debris off deck.
- Provide water on baffled APS
setups.
- APS 14” birdbath pole mount
- WBU 14” & 20” hanging
birdbaths
- APS 20” pole-mounted
birdbath holder
- Dome baffles to prevent
access from above the feeders.
Feeders
- Eliminator feeder
- Dinner Bell feeder
- Seed tube feeder
- Small hanging tray
- Catch trays prevent
seeds and hulls from falling to the ground.
- Ground tray
Accessories
- Bird Bib: A
cone-shaped container that is mounted under tube
feeders to catch seeds and hulls.
- Seed Saucer: This
large white tray for catching seed debris can be
hung under a feeder.
- Bird Seed Catcher:
Placed on the ground below a feeder, it’s designed
to catch sunflower seeds, millet and Nyjer®
(thistle).
- Metal containers for
storing seed
- Live trap
Repellents
Cleaning Supplies
- WBU BirdCare
Brushes for cleaning feeders and birdbaths
- Garden and
vinyl gloves for use while cleaning feeders
and birdbaths.
Print Resources
-
Outwitting Mice published by Lyons Press
- WBU
Brochures
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