BF Newsroom
Well-known member
A couple from Kidlington, Oxfordshire, could be evicted from an almshouse after complaints that bird feeding caused a rat infestation.
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Bird feeding couple face eviction (BBC News) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BF Newsroom
- Start date
Issues like this are a lot more common place now. :C
More, and more people are seen as 'a problem' only because they like birds. Why because other non-birding people cannot see past the end of their own 'insular' noses. They just enjoy causing problems for the sake of causing problems. :C
I have always fed birds, and there has never been any type rat infestation at all. I think it is the storing of the foodstuffs that is more important when not in use. Other simple things like not placing too much food, and leave it lying about.
I just wish people would mind their own business simple as that. Birding, and enjoying birds is a hobby and it will remain that way like it or not. :t:
Regards
Kathy
x
More, and more people are seen as 'a problem' only because they like birds. Why because other non-birding people cannot see past the end of their own 'insular' noses. They just enjoy causing problems for the sake of causing problems. :C
I have always fed birds, and there has never been any type rat infestation at all. I think it is the storing of the foodstuffs that is more important when not in use. Other simple things like not placing too much food, and leave it lying about.
I just wish people would mind their own business simple as that. Birding, and enjoying birds is a hobby and it will remain that way like it or not. :t:
Regards
Kathy
x
Twite
Well-known member
Re. Your ‘insular’ comment. Is your them (non-birding people) and us attitude not a case of ‘pot calling kettle black’?
Just to mark my ground here. I feed birds.
Now to the core of the issue. If the people feeding the birds are careless in the selection of feeding areas (on the ground) or putting out too much food or food unsuitable for birds, and if this practice is attracting rats or other vermin, I don’t think any of us would be happy to have them as neighbours either. Would you?
It’s unlikely that anybody is objecting to them having one or two peanut feeders and one or two suet feeders, and if there were, it’s extremely unlikely that any landlord/authority would uphold such a petty complaint. No it possibly a case of careless, and too much feeding. Somewhere between this and no feeding at all, it was likely there was a position of compromise.
Ms Brown, 64, said: “The trustees have stated very clearly on many occasions they are evicting us because we have attracted an infestation of rats by our bird feeding,’ (Oxford Mail 21st October 2009)
This means they had many occasions to heed their landlord/authorities warnings and extricate themselves from their predicament, and they didn’t.
Finally. I’m guessing (and I may be wrong) that you know absolutely nothing about the (wicked, evil, non birding) neighbours. Maybe they really just have a problem with rats.
Twite.
hi Henry
That is what I was thinking.
This is my 'last' posted interpretation that the ajoining neigbours are worried about a rat infestation rather than the Rats being there at all in the first place.
It is very easy to ring up the environmental people and say my neighbours are feeding the birds, and I am worried about a Rat infestation happening to me in my home
Maybe there is not a current rat infestation going on in the area at all and that it is being envisaged instead.
I have owned horses in the past and we has to put the horses feedstuff into metal bins as the Rats would gnaw through any timber storage boxes, even if it was 4 inches thick. Believe me you would really know if you had Rats or not for sure!
Regards
Kathy
x
Last edited:
Long-tailed tit
New member
You're only getting one side of the story in the press release. There were rats - photographed on the bird feeder, and causing damage in an out-house. The Council inspected, said that feeding had to be reduced to avoid the RISK of infestation, and threatened the Charity with enforcement action if feeding didn't stop. If the Charity hadn't asked all the residents to stop (not just this couple), the Charity would have been prosecuted. The Charity had previously asked them to use tree-feeders only, and stop ground-based feeders, but they wouldn't consider it.
When she says there is no evidence of infestation, this is literally true, because rats have not permanently infested the site, but they were present, and the Council genuinely threatened enforcement.
The real issue throughout has been less to do with rats, or bird-feeding, but will people co-operate in a shared garden to ensure that their landlord isn't prosecuted. There are more red herrings than rats in the story that the papers have got hold of. Otherwise, the court would not have enforced the eviction.
When she says there is no evidence of infestation, this is literally true, because rats have not permanently infested the site, but they were present, and the Council genuinely threatened enforcement.
The real issue throughout has been less to do with rats, or bird-feeding, but will people co-operate in a shared garden to ensure that their landlord isn't prosecuted. There are more red herrings than rats in the story that the papers have got hold of. Otherwise, the court would not have enforced the eviction.
Welcome to BirdForum.
Long-tailed tit
New member
Twite
Well-known member
The facts as they stand are, these people had the opportunity to avoid this situation and they didn’t bother their arses.
What is the point of your crass comment? It’s unfair to the people who do a difficult job in the interests of public health, and that includes yours.
If you’re not prepared to come on this thread, and defend with a rational argument, these people who couldn’t give a toss about authority. Why bother?
Twite
