Would a bird go into rat bait box? (1 Viewer)

[OzzieB]

Recently on two different occasions I saw a blackbird pecking at a rat bait sachet on our patio. Pest control guy who baited the box says a blackbird was seen going into the bait box and coming out with the sachet - something he said he has never heard of before. I don't think a bird would go into a dark place, where it cannot flap it's wings if it needs to get away quickly, then find a sachet 'around the corner' where they are placed in bait boxes and pull it out backwards. I suspect a neighbour is removing the sachets from the bait box as he moans about us feeding birds. Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[Farnboro John]

Recently on two different occasions I saw a blackbird pecking at a rat bait sachet on our patio. Pest control guy who baited the box says a blackbird was seen going into the bait box and coming out with the sachet - something he said he has never heard of before. I don't think a bird would go into a dark place, where it cannot flap it's wings if it needs to get away quickly, then find a sachet 'around the corner' where they are placed in bait boxes and pull it out backwards. I suspect a neighbour is removing the sachets from the bait box as he moans about us feeding birds. Any comments would be appreciated.

Put a trailcam over it and if you spot your neighbour in your garden removing the bait sachets, let him know you have the evidence that he is committing an offence by deliberately misusing poisons and putting non-target species at risk. I should think that's a reasonably serious offence.

John

 

[stevo]

Plus the offence of trespass.

 

[nartreb]

Plenty of birds are unafraid of dark, confined spaces. Some nest in holes in trees, or inside the walls of buildings, etc. Others will enter such spaces while searching for food - insects, mice, or eggs or nestlings. Crows like to eat nestlings.

 

[Lincolnshire Rob]

Just seen blackbird enter bait box and remove sachet with bait retaining bar attached.
I had seen sachets on path by box and was watching for rat. Think bird might have been clearing it for nesting place.
Have now removed bait box.