Bird feeders are a very welcome gift, not only to our feathered friends but to our furry friends. Roof rats (rattus-rattus) love to lay about and nibble to their heart’s content on the tidings that were meant for lovely colored birds.
Once the rats are well fed, they tend to look for a place to live that is close by, such as your home.
And if one rat enjoys your generous food donations, others will also.
Place the bird feeder a minimum of 4 feet of the ground and 8 feet from any branches, fences or any other object that the rat can use to jump on to the feeders.
Loose seed can attract rodents. By keeping the area around the feeder as clean as possible, you can prevent mice and rats from coming around.
We recommend using a seed catcher to help keep loose seed from collecting around the base of the feeders. Rats can easily chew through plastic containers. Always store bulk bird seed (and other pet food) in a metal container to eliminate rodent access.
IMPORTANT!
If you have an active rat infestation, you must remove bird seed for trapping and poisoning efforts to be successful!
If you begin to have trouble with mice or rats, call Beucher & Son Termite and Pest Control Inc. for controlling mice and rats.
We are the Rat Pro’s!
727 -388 6759
Great info including the below articles about rats and rat baits. I went ahead and re-posted to FaceBook etc because I thought it was appropriate for everyone to read. Our pets don’t always understand and may even believe it to be a toy and then swallow the bait. Great information as always.
In addition to attracting rats, overfeeding birds can also attract nuisance birds such as pigeons,crows, seagulls, and starlings. These birds are scavengers and frequently return to places where there is a reliable food source.