Feeding birds and rats - Page 4

Shorty2U · ‎03-09-2010

Thank you for the replies and input. Yes we feel bad about not feeding the birds but don't want to have rats. That raccoon invading the home is really something! You can tell im from the city originally. I did not know about some of this about critters that has been mentioned. Heck first year we had a Fox out back! I wouldn't go on the deck all Summer and DH and laughed at me and said he could tell im from the city.

PS we have an possum out back on occasion (Last time I saw him was 4 days ago, late at night). So he didn't affect the rats not coming. Well just never thought there would be rats out here! And what do I wish I saw? Deer! And we see no deer in the yard! (we see deer while driving these back roads but none in our space). Deer I could live with! lol Rats no!

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make~ The Beatles

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

The birds around here have been on their own ever since I looked out in broad daylight and saw 2 rats under the feeder eating birdseed 2 years ago.

We have outside dogs, so rats are drawn to their food, and their poop. Our exterminator placed 3 bait stations around my house and we hide rat poison in our woodpile. My brother puts rat bait in his outbuildings and under his house, and my mom keeps rat poison in her garage.

Despite our efforts to keep rats away from our house, our trashy neighbors habits will keep rats here for years to come. If you are freaked out by seeing 3 rats during the day, you don’t even want to know what’s out there at night!

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

I quit feeding the birds because of the rats it was attracting.

missy1 · ‎03-10-2010

I like rats/mice, just not in my house.

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

@Naturesbeauty wrote:
Yep raccoons love the seed and peanuts too. We have skunks that love the peanuts too. Ahhhhh wildlife you gotta love them. We live in the big city in Southern California. Even have coyotes walking down our street in the middle of the day.

@Naturesbeauty

Sounds like Albuquerque!

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@occasionalrain wrote:
Those unwilling to coexist with wildlife should move to the city instead of choosing the country and setting about destroying the animals that live there.

Opossums are immune to rabies and eat ticks which carry Lyme disease. They are welcome in my yard as are the non-poison snakes that eat mice.

What a good idea. Oh wait! Don't cities have huge rats as big as cats, pigeons, mice and raccoons?

i don't think you can escape wildlife by moving. We are coexisting everywhere.

proudlyfromNJ · ‎05-01-2010

@Carmie wrote:
@occasionalrain wrote:
Those unwilling to coexist with wildlife should move to the city instead of choosing the country and setting about destroying the animals that live there.

Opossums are immune to rabies and eat ticks which carry Lyme disease. They are welcome in my yard as are the non-poison snakes that eat mice.
What a good idea. Oh wait! Don't cities have huge rats as big as cats, pigeons, mice and raccoons?

i don't think you can escape wildlife by moving. We are coexisting everywhere.

@Carmie . Yes, you are right. And, NYC has an influx of rabid raccoons.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@Shorty2U I don't feed birds, tons of trees around here with nuts, but rats are everywhere in the world. If DH leaves the garage door open, once overnight, a rat will get in. Getting them out is impossible, so as much as I hate it, there is bait that the exterminotor left.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@Shorty2U,

Trust me, you only think you want to see deer on your property!

Deer are far more destructive than rats. Once they find a food source on your property, you can almost set a clock as to what time they will come to eat every day and night. At first you see 1 or 2, and then it grows to 4, and then one day there’s 7. As a city girl you likely think of deer as a beautiful creature. As a country girl by birth, I see deer as big rodents; far more like the ones in your yard than you know.

By the time you have 7 deer, your flowers and shrubs are stripped, you can’t walk in the yard without stepping on mounds of deer droppings, your husband can’t mow the grass without getting ticks on him, and you even find ticks in your house, crawling on your deck, and all over your chairs in your favorite sitting area outside.

Deer carry ticks, period. Anytime you see deer up close, you will see numerous ticks on them.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

Oh, I agree about the deer. It used to be a pleasure to see the deer, but no more. We have herds of deer in my neighborhood. Some neighbors feed them and they are now almost the size of horses. I have never seen such huge deer.

On of my neighbors has a four ft rod iron fence around their property, the deer ruined a whole eight foot section of fence trying to get over it. The fence looked like a car hit it. They have a really nice vegetable garden.

Right now, my new foundation shrubs are covered completely in burlap. The deer ate a few of them down to nubs last fall. I hope they recover.

And the ticks! OMG, they are terrible. They are everywhere. My poor dogs have to be checked everytime they come in from them outside and they are always on leash.

I have a row of white pine trees between my house and the next door neighbor. They deer lay on the pine needles under the trees every night. The ticks in that are are out of control. we took down one of the trees last fall and are thinking about taking out the rest too, hoping the deer will move on.

They are beautiful to look at, but they are so destructive and dirty.