Loading…

Neighbor told me my sunflower seeds were attracting rats and I finally listened | Backyard Birdwatchers - Guest Forum

Neighbor told me my sunflower seeds were attracting rats and I finally listened

Had a couple bags of black oil sunflower seeds that I was dumping straight on the ground under the feeder. Mrs. Garcia from next door pointed out she saw a rat digging around at dawn. Switched to a tray feeder with a catch pan and started putting out just enough for the day, about 3/4 cup each morning. Has anyone else had to change their setup because of rodents?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_white424mo ago

oh man, i had the same problem last summer except it was with a platform feeder i had hanging from a tree. the squirrels were one thing, but then i saw a rat running along the fence line one morning and realized i had basically set up a rat buffet. i switched to a weight sensitive feeder that closes when anything heavier than a chipmunk lands on it and cut way back on the amount i put out. also moved the feeder way further from the fence and house. now i just put out like half a cup at sunrise and whatever's gone by noon doesn't get refilled til next day. took about two weeks but the rats moved on.

michaels954mo ago

you mean you actually saw a RAT running along the fence line? oh man @tyler_white42 that is my actual nightmare. i would have lost it, i freak out just seeing a mouse in the garage. that weight sensitive feeder idea is genius though, i never even knew those existed. i think i'm gonna have to look into one because i'm pretty sure the regular birds around here are already spoiled enough, they don't need to compete with the rodents anyway. i bet the rats were like "free buffet thanks guys" and just moved in. your whole routine sounds way more controlled now, i might copy that exact plan.