I am Heart Broken

lovesallanimals · ‎03-11-2010

One of my favorite things that I look forward to is feeding the birds. I have a few bird houses up and so many bird, all kinds, come to my feeder. I love to actually catch when a mother bird is feeding her baby on my deck. Well, that has come to an unfortunate end for me. The other day I saw a rat (yes a rat!) on the ground where some seeds had fallen. I immediately went on Amazon and ordered rat poison. Balls and pellets meant for the outside. A few days went by and then when I looked out the window the rat was actually on the bird feeder - I truly almost had a heart attack. I had no choice but to remove the feeder. Now I only have beautiful stained glass water bowls so at least they get some water. Have not seen the rat since. I read that mice/rats find bird seed the best food ever. Does anyone else have to deal with this?

bikerbabe · ‎03-09-2010

Please no rat poison. Local wildlife die horrible deaths from it, hemorrhaging to death. Outside cats, fox, hawks… a long list.

The rat eats the poison, the wildlife eat the rat. ☹️

It needs to be banned.

threecees · ‎09-22-2017

I have my bird feeder out for many years.

I usually see my cardinals every day.

Had many squirrels taking advantage of the birdfeeder.

Had a bear in our yard several years back. Then I moved the bird feeder.

No more problems.

Too bad now your little birdies can not have any more meals.

Be careful with rat poison, an unfortunate other animal may digest it.

Once you take away the feeder you shouldn't see any rats.

We rescue cats · ‎01-25-2023

In speaking with exterminators I was told that there is such a thing as "First generation only" anticoagulants but I'm not sure that trust them. Supposedly they kill only the animal that eats the bait, if an owl or other animal consumes the mouse or rat it will not kill them. BUT my issue is that even if that is true, what about the innocent chippie or squirrel?

I would remove the feeder for a while, the rat will move on. I went thru this several years ago and I felt like you do. I thought about rat proof feeders but the seed will still spill on the ground and the mice will get it there.

Lynn-Critter Lover!
(especially cats!)

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

Bird feeders are as much rodent feeders as anything else. Best to enjoy birds from a distance. Set out a bird bath if you must; rodents might sip from it but generally leave them alone.

shoesnbags · ‎03-10-2010

@lovesallanimals wrote:
One of my favorite things that I look forward to is feeding the birds. I have a few bird houses up and so many bird, all kinds, come to my feeder. I love to actually catch when a mother bird is feeding her baby on my deck. Well, that has come to an unfortunate end for me. The other day I saw a rat (yes a rat!) on the ground where some seeds had fallen. I immediately went on Amazon and ordered rat poison. Balls and pellets meant for the outside. A few days went by and then when I looked out the window the rat was actually on the bird feeder - I truly almost had a heart attack. I had no choice but to remove the feeder. Now I only have beautiful stained glass water bowls so at least they get some water. Have not seen the rat since. I read that mice/rats find bird seed the best food ever. Does anyone else have to deal with this?

Yes! Years ago I used to feed the birds and so enjoyed watching them from my kitchen window. But we also had a rat problem - suburban location, canal a block away. From time to time a rat would get into the attic or in the walls. Awful. I also saw one on the patio a couple of times in broad daylight.

Finally an exterminator told me about the birdseed/rat connection. Duh!! I stopped feeding the birds and never saw another rat. It's been years now.

My son and DIL just installed a BirdBuddy feeder with camera in their Michigan backyard and added me to the camera feed. So I'm looking forward to a little bit of cross country bird watching, minus the rats.

"Breathe in, breathe out, move on." Jimmy Buffett

Dragonflyveb · ‎04-29-2015

I have sunflower, meal worm, peanut feeders in my yard. My seed feeder is squirrel proof, based on a bar that shuts the feeder for anything heavier than a cardinal. Peanuts are in a hanging cage that rodents can't fit through or climb up.

My yard is a serious chipmunk magnet though. Can't blame them, it's free food, but they are seriously destructive. I used the bucket of death method for a couple years, but this summer, I switched to a rat/chipmunk trap (too small for squirrels). Kills them instantly. I hate to do it, but they tunnel under the sidewalk and foundation. I use the bait in my garage for the mice that wander in. I'd leave them be if they didn't chew on the copper wires and carry disease.

Still, hate killing the critters!
dragonfly

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Dragonflyveb , I have one of those feeders and the squirrels still manage to get food out of them. They hang upside down and even if it closes, it seems they get their little fingers in there to get the seed out. I even have Slinky's on the Shepherd's Hook that holds the feeder.

I have the chipmunks too. Never had any rats though. I've heard the same complaint about compost piles/bins, but I've never had a rodent problem there either. And they don't stink either. Now, if you opeed the lid and stuck your nose in there, it might not smell so great, but I don't even smell it when I walk by.

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

We have been feeding the birds and whoever else shows up for several years.

We go through 40 pounds of bird seed a week, plus 20 pounds of meal worms and 20 pounds of sunflower dehulled kernels. Plus we put out suet year round too.

We have quite a group all year. This was the first year that we saw a dead rat in the street in front of our house. Never saw any evidence of a rat before. So my husband aimed the backyard cameras to make sure we capture all activity around the bird feeders 24/7.

We used to have a fox that made his den in the yard of a house 2 doors up. Maybe the fox kept the rat away. But this year we still have 2 bunnies hanging around. We are shocked the poor bunnies generally don't last this long. So we suspect the fox is no longer around.

Now I will be making sure that no rats hang out at the bird feeders.

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

Actually, I prefer rats over the black bear that got my feeder just off my back deck---and then got my hummingbird feeder that was about 5 ft away from my slider doors that just happened to be open with just the screen door closed!!! Talk about a heart attack!!! but wouldn't spread poison around---just take down the feeder----