Bird feeding is a popular hobby that allows people to enjoy viewing beautiful birds up close. However, bird feeders also attract unwanted visitors – rats. Rats can quickly become a nuisance as they steal birdseed, scare birds away, and try to nest nearby. Fortunately, there are effective ways to deter rats and protect your bird feeders. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the best tips and techniques to keep pesky rats from invading your bird sanctuary.
Understanding Rat Behavior
To stop rats, you must first understand their behavior Rats are highly intelligent, social rodents that live in colonies They are omnivores and will eat almost anything, especially high calorie foods like seeds and nuts. Rats have poor eyesight but excellent senses of smell, taste, touch and hearing. They are most active at night and follow the same paths when foraging. Rats are great climbers and can jump over 3 feet high from a standstill. Knowing these traits will help you outsmart them.
Why Keep Rats Away From Bird Feeders
There are good reasons to prevent rats from accessing your bird feeders
- Rats will gorge on the birdseed, leaving nothing for your feathered friends
- They can transmit diseases to birds through contaminated food or droppings
- Rats may prey on baby birds or eggs if bird houses are nearby
- As they keep returning to the feeders for food, rats will try to establish nests nearby and could then invade your home
- Rats can cause property damage by chewing and burrowing
For health, safety and tidy yards, it’s critical to deter rats from bird feeding areas.
10 Tips to Rat-Proof Bird Feeders
Here are the top methods to prevent rat infestations at your bird sanctuary
1. Eliminate Food Spillage
Rats hone in on fallen seeds below feeders. Limit spillage by:
- Using seed catch trays
- Selecting quality “no mess” birdseed
- Regularly sweeping debris
Keep the ground bare under feeders. Rats dislike traversing open areas.
2. Choose the Right Feeder Designs
Use tube or hopper feeders with weight sensitive perches that close access to rats. Avoid open platform feeders easily accessed by rats.
3. Install Feeder Baffles
Baffles act as physical barriers to block rats. Place baffles:
- Above feeders to prevent aerial attacks
- Below feeders to stop climbing
Smooth plastic or metal baffles work best.
4. Position Feeders in the Open
Place feeders at least 10 feet from trees, fences, walls, deck posts or other climbing aids. Rats can leap 4 feet horizontally. Give them no jumping point.
5. Use a Slick Metal Pole
Rats struggle climbing smooth metal. Avoid wood poles they can scale and PVC pipes they can chew through.
6. Remove Vegetation as Cover
Rats dislike traversing open ground. Eliminate hiding spots by:
- Trimming back encroaching tree branches
- Keeping the lawn mowed
- Removing dense brush around feeders
7. Use Repellents
Natural scents rats detest include peppermint, chili powder, garlic, eucalyptus and predator urine. Spray these near feeders.
8. Try Spicy Birdseed
Coat seed with capsaicin extracts or mix in spicy peppers. Rats avoid “hot” foods but birds are unaffected.
9. Secure Your Birdseed Supply
Store seed in chew-proof containers, preferably metal. Only fill feeders with enough for a day.
10. Be Prepared to Trap
If rats persist, be ready to trap them humanely and release far away. Avoid poisons that also kill beneficial wildlife.
With knowledge of rat behavior and smart prevention techniques, you can successfully protect your bird feeders. Eliminate food spillage, use deterrents, limit vegetation and monitor for signs of rats. Most importantly, be vigilant and take action at the first sight of rats. Follow these tips to keep your feathered friends happily fed and eliminate unwelcome freeloading rodents from your yard. Your birds will thank you for providing them a safe, relaxing sanctuary to enjoy.
Keep Rodents Off Feeders
- Hot Pepper suet or Hot Pepper-treated seed. Birds will not be affected by these foods, but they are highly distasteful to mammals. Hot Pepper suet cakes, cylinders, balls, and nuggets are easily substituted for other flavors, while you can also offer loose seed in a hot pepper form. See our selection of Hot Pepper foods in our online store.
- Nyjer for finches. Nyjer is a tiny seed which goldfinches will crack open to eat the edible interior; squirrels and rats are generally not interested in this seed. We have heard of occasional instances of exploratory animals damaging mesh finch socks; we recommend solid tube feeders with feeding ports specifically sized for Nyjer to prevent this. Note that Nyjer feeders only appeal to certain bird species and often have reduced activity during the summer months.
- Hummingbird nectar
For Seed and Nut Feeders, Block Rodent Access:
- A freestanding pole with a baffle (a metal disc or cylinder) will block climbing animals. A multi-armed pole as shown below allows to offer several foods of any kind, all protected by a single baffle.
- A hanging dome baffle will protect a feeder hanging in a tree, or perhaps hanging under a beam or pergola.
- Weight-sensitive feeders shut out rodents. See examples of these feeders, as well as the baffle techniques described here, on our Defeating Squirrels page.
- Most window feeders are safe from rodents, as long as placed a few feet away from any climbable walls, tree branches, etc.
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Pole Baffle |
Dome Baffle |
Weight-sensitive Feeder |
Compared to athletic squirrels with 10 feet jumping ranges, rodents are relatively easy to block. Pole-mounted or dome baffles protect existing feeders, while difficult-to-baffle locations such as deck rail-mounted feeders can still be made inaccessible with weight-sensitive feeders such as the Squirrel Buster series.
How to deter Rats and Mice from your Birdfeeder
FAQ
How do I rat proof my bird feeder?
- A freestanding pole with a baffle (a metal disc or cylinder) will block climbing animals. …
- A hanging dome baffle will protect a feeder hanging in a tree, or perhaps hanging under a beam or pergola.
- Weight-sensitive feeders shut out rodents.
How to get rid of rats without harming birds?
If you have nuisance rats outdoors, use poison-free baits like RatX that include corn gluten meal or cob. Rats cannot digest corn, so it dehydrates them and eventually they die. There is no secondary poisoning risk for birds of prey, people, or pets.
Will rats leave if I stop feeding birds?
If after limiting feed you are still noticing rats, try taking your bird feeders down for 60 days. This should disrupt the rats’ reproductive cycle and force them away. Unfortunately, rats cannot be kept out of your backyard.