Does bird food attract rats and mice? (1 Viewer)

[Will K]

...I'm guessing the answer is 'yes', but that there are things we can do to avoid attracting them.

Here is the situation I am worried about: I have a birdfeeder on a first floor window box, stocked with RSPB brand bird food (not food scraps). Its small enough to host blue tits and other small garden birds, without accommodating greedy crows, etc. However, I'm a little concerned that the falling crumbs will attract some more unwelcome visitors. Since most edible debris falls onto the sloping roof below, its hard to clean up regularly.

This is the only place I can situate this feeder, at the moment, but is it an unwise setup? I'm looking for confirmation of an intuitive "yes", and suggestions to avoid attracting rats with wildlife feeders, generally.

Thanks!

 

[davewalters]

Can't really help but Brown Rat & Wood Mice are always attracted to our tables. We are quite rural though and never had this problem with less rural properties. I say problem because I refuse to kill them. We just stop feeding when the neighbours notice. They almost never come into the house although I did have a Wood mouse eating my hair whilst in bed in January,

 

[Bubbs]

I feed the birds in a suburban garden and I have several rats that live under next doors decking. I feed the birds on the flat table but I can no longer have hanging feeders because of spillage. I also can no longer put anpples out for the Blackbirds as rats find them a real treat. Happily I have trapped several of the rats in traps set during the dark hours. I just have to remember to take them in before bedtime.

 

[Euan Buchan]

It can do a few years ago a Rat turned up in my garden eating scraps then eventually moving to my feeders luckily we managed to get rid of it.

 

[THE_FERN]

Rats are everywhere. If they find your spilt food they'll certainly eat it. Same for house mice---even outdoors. A highlight of trips to my local London park is to watch the rats eating the food people feed the ducks. Often in broad daylight near people's feet. If you don't want this to happen you have to take preventative measures.

 

[Will K]

I live in a suburban area where, luckily, rats are not very in evidence. But I'm sure they're there, somewhere.

We get loads of foxes though. Last year, the young ones even come up to the door to beg for food. Maybe they help to keep the rats down.

 

[Scott98]

rats, mice, chipmunks, racoons, bears, etc. I had stop hanging suet feeders because there'd be a visitor in the yard every time I let my dogs out at night. I've let my current property turn into a wildflower meadow and I prefer this to feeders.

The mice still come, they love the seeds in the meadow, but they also attract owls and hawks so that increases the fun. 3 years ago the mice shut down my air conditioning by eating through the wires. The following year, they climbed up to the 3rd story roof and chewed their way into the attic. Within a few days, the innards of the house were completely overrun by mice - every wall and ceiling. 25+ moved in at once.

I had wildlife removal contractors come, they spent an afternoon going over every inch of the house and roof to seal gaps with metal screens, so far so good, the mice are staying outside.

 

[Will K]

rats, mice, chipmunks, racoons, bears, etc.

Wow!

If bears became interested in my feeder, I think we'd really have a problem.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I would worry more about attracting free roaming cats that carry rabies and the toxoplasma gondii parasitic protozon. In the United States by far the most cases of rabies transmission is from cat bites, about 4x what it is from dogs or wild animals. Toxoplasma gondii enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain of humans. Mothers who are infected while pregnant are 2.7 times more likely to have children that develop schizophrenia later in life. Pregnant women should avoid cats as much as alcohol to protect their fetuses.

 

[etudiant]

...I'm guessing the answer is 'yes', but that there are things we can do to avoid attracting them.

Here is the situation I am worried about: I have a birdfeeder on a first floor window box, stocked with RSPB brand bird food (not food scraps). Its small enough to host blue tits and other small garden birds, without accommodating greedy crows, etc. However, I'm a little concerned that the falling crumbs will attract some more unwelcome visitors. Since most edible debris falls onto the sloping roof below, its hard to clean up regularly.

This is the only place I can situate this feeder, at the moment, but is it an unwise setup? I'm looking for confirmation of an intuitive "yes", and suggestions to avoid attracting rats with wildlife feeders, generally.

Thanks!

If it is possible to attach a seed tray to your feeder, it will greatly reduce the spillage. Admittedly, it may also invite pigeons to take up near permanent residence.
Also, shelled seeds (sunflower hearts) are much less messy and not much more costly per calorie delivered to the bird.
The sad truth though is that rats are always with us. The hope is that with minimal spillage you would not make their preferred site list.