Feed the birds?

Oo @Gymnopedie thank you! its worth a try..

Not his business
At the same time it's your garden.
Keep an eye out and only desist if he is right

I've found that rats are only interested in my bird feeders if I put suet balls out, so I don't.

I'm just starting a new garden full of plants that will provide seed, berries and habitat for the birds. I figure it will save money on buying in seed in the long run.

Another way to enjoy birds in the garden is by putting in a bird bath. We had blackbirds, robins and great tits bathing and drinking in ours yesterday - such a splashy spectacle. Surely your grumpy neighbour can't complain about a bird bath.

I spent a lot of money on some that are supposed to shut if anything weightier than a bird goes on it, and the furry little fuckers have still found a way by hanging upside down by their hind feet 😫 although it does slow them down.

I’ve never seen a rat thank everything that’s holy. We have blackbirds and pigeons hanging around for spillages

Unless it’s a communal garden I wouldn’t take mine down

No just cat biscuits. Even if I didn't know that I'd bankrupt myself feeding them mealworms with the amount my hedgehogs eat!

You could just plant some good bushes that have berries on that birds like and take care of your trees. Also robins tend to hang around the same place so once you have them visiting they will keep coming as long as you have some berries.

To deter rats keep bins clean and emptied and keep the outside tidy including sheds. Rats are everywhere but untidy bins with bits of food on the floor are appealing.

id hang the feeders where you can view them but is restricted by your neighbour or put the food eg in the grass than an actual feeder etc

Sadly I gave up feeding the birds last year as, despite trying everything reasonable, rats still came. And there's no such thing as one rat. Birds are messy feeders and the seed spreads around whatever you use.

We have lots of natural food around here - berries, insects etc - so they aren't noticeably starving, plus neighbours feed them so they can have the rats instead.

The one bonus is the dramatic drop in squirrels in the garden!

Were destroying their habitat so feeding birds is advisable regardless of the season. Anyone that doesn't like it can fuck off

To feed the robins should the tray be on the ground?

I hope you don't give mealworms to hedgehogs. They cause calcium deficiency.

I live on the outskirts of a small city and didn't mind the squirrels but the rats in our local area have got out of control in the past few years so we did have to stop.

Shame, as it also encouraged hedgehogs.

Rats are everywhere. They are attracted by water and only stay if there is a food supply and somewhere undisturbed and untidy to shelter, so tackle any areas where water or rubbish collects (and check your neighbour is as well).

Feed the birds over a paved area and sweep up what is left on the floor. The better quality bird food creates less mess as it tends to contains less cheap filler that the birds won’t eat. If you specifically want to attract robins, put out a tray of mealworms in the morning and bring in what is left at dusk.

We have never had rats and we have fed the birds for years! Ignore your neighbour. It's none of his business.

@Jellykat

You want one of these. To deter the rats climbing up place it below the level of the food and upside down (so that it's a bowl rather than a lampshade).

I love feeding and watching the birds, especially the daily arrival of a big Woodpecker.

My son got me a 'bird feeding station' for Christmas, however theres a bastard rat that can climb up the pole to the feeders! Currently trying to work out a way of stopping him.. unfortunately unlike @DillDanding i dont have a DS with a gun.

I'd say go for it OP, however be ready for the possible rodents!

I used to feed the birds every winter sadly I can no longer afford to

Poor squirrels need to eat too. 😀

as the neighbour complained about bird shit in her garden.

WTAF?!

Ignore the idiot, OP. I've had this and I live in a small country village too. I wonder why people choose to live in the country if they think there's something strange about feeding the birds 😡

My husband is an obsessive bird feeder, but we are besieged by squirrels and rats as a result. I can see both sides.

Our son shoots the rats, which keeps on top of them.

The neighbour has no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do in your own garden. In my experience he's absolutely correct about the rats though.

if you put cayenne pepper on bird food, then the squirrels and rats won't eat it. Birds can't taste the spiciness but mammals can. you can buy a hot pepper spray also to protect young plants etc from squirrels.

but i'd just ignore the grumpy old man. If he mentions it, just say "thanks for the comment but I've arranged my garden the way that I like it."

YANBU and not all food will attract rats.

If I put suet out for the birds then we get a rat coming under the fence (our garden backs onto some wild land). If I use sunflower seeds the rat isn't remotely interested. We do get a little mouse coming to tidy up any dropped seeds though!

Look for a type of bird feeder as suggested. A neighbour put mealworms out for birds. They fell off the bird table and moles came up to eat them. His wife couldn’t wait to tell us 🤣