Page 5 | To carry on feeding the birds even though rats have appeared in our garden?

ahe2 · 2025-04-26T19:28:52+00:00

Not sure what to do about this. We love feeding the birds. My DC have learned the names of so many birds because of this and while I don’t exactly believe robins are the souls of our loved ones … well … maybe I want to think it’s something to do with being watched over. The problem is we now have rats. I’ve seen a baby one and an adult so I think there’s probably a nest. Part of me thinks rats are everywhere. We live cruelly, it’s a big garden with a large hedge leading into open meadows and woodland so there will be rats. We had rabbits a couple of years ago which I loved and we have a squirrel which I’ve no problem with. So … On the other hand the thought of rats on my children’s play equipment and possibly spreading disease is unpleasant. What would you do? Is there any way we can continue feeding the birds but discourage the rats?

QuaintShaker · 27/04/2025 00:21

Violinist64 · 26/04/2025 23:23

Rats are not sweet. They are filthy, disgusting creatures, who carry a whole raft of really nasty diseases. I agree that they are cunning and intelligent. I would not want them anywhere near my garden, especially with young children. They bite and go for the throat - enough to kill a child.

@ahe2, l would stop feeding the birds at this time of year, get pest control to deal with the existing rats and plant lavender bushes as these are supposed to deter rats.

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"Sweetness" is in the eye of the beholder.

A threatened and cornered rat with no means of escape might bite, but they certainly do not "go for the throat", nor are they capable of killing a human (even a small child) with the force of their bite alone.

There have been a handful of confirmed reports, throughout modern history, of starving rats killing small babies that have been left with them, unattended, for lengthy periods. Rats are omnivores but their preference is to eat vegetables and grains. They only occasionally prey on any animals, when they don't have other available food sources, and it is vanishing rare that they'd attempt to prey on a small human (we're likely talking 1 rat in every few hundred billion). Compare that to the ~25,000 humans killed by dogs every year...

ClareBlue · 27/04/2025 00:21

Decking is a particular problem. As is our slatted sheds. Food falls down from feeding goats along with hay and you have a warm bed and a food source. Add a nearby stream for a good drink and that's why we have an army of cats out on patrol. I saw a big guy the other day and I'm not denying he looked more concerned about being seen than I did about seeing him. I would leave them be outside if they didn't nore everything. Again, not their fault, as they need to do it for their teeth.

QuaintShaker · 27/04/2025 00:27

ClareBlue · 27/04/2025 00:10

But the whole issue is that the bird food is attracting them to a human habitation and supporting their breeding. If you saw one in the garden passing by then no issue. That's not the case here. The activity of providing a food source is supporting their breeding and survival and that us an issue.

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Yes, hence I've consistently said to remove the food source, or at least find a way to isolate it from the rats. Provided that's done, and the situation does not massively deteriorate, I do not think the OP needs to be particularly concerned about her or her children catching diseases. The current risk of that is akin to the risk of them being killed by lightning. She should take pro-active steps but there's no need for anyone to freak out at this point.

Damsonjam1 · 27/04/2025 00:37

We sorted rat problem by only feeding sunflower hearts (from a squirrel proof bird feeder). With other bird feed the birds would spill the bits they didn't want onto the ground below, which the rats (nesting in neighbour's garden) would then eat. The sunflower hearts are more expensive but no waste and no rats. I also blocked off the rat runs under the fence with bricks and pebbles.

QuaintShaker · 27/04/2025 01:01

Damsonjam1 · 27/04/2025 00:37

We sorted rat problem by only feeding sunflower hearts (from a squirrel proof bird feeder). With other bird feed the birds would spill the bits they didn't want onto the ground below, which the rats (nesting in neighbour's garden) would then eat. The sunflower hearts are more expensive but no waste and no rats. I also blocked off the rat runs under the fence with bricks and pebbles.

This seems to be a good shout, if you do want to carry on feeding.

If that rat can't access the feeder (and if somethingis squirrel-proof, it will be rat-proof), then the remaining potential problem is wastage, and it sounds as thought a lot of bird seed mixes contain seeds that lots of birds won't touch.

Perhaps put an old sheet on the floor, under the feeder, for the day. That'll help you determine if some seeds are still making their way to ground level.

Cherrysoup · 27/04/2025 09:22

We had exactly this recently, saw the rat scampering around under the bird feeders, which we’d adapted to be squirrel and water proof. We stopped feeding the birds, despite there being a big colony of spuggies. I don’t think you’re meant to feed birds when they have babies, something about choking the babies, so great timing. The rats will stay if you continue feeding birds. I’ve put large rocks/bricks over the burrows. Ours was starved out and I found this the other day.

Rather than feeding, offer a water source-we have a pond/mini waterfall that isn’t too fierce so we have loads of types coming for a drink/bath. We also have a dust bath (patch of bare soil) that they use every day.

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To carry on feeding the birds even though rats have appeared in our garden?

Original poster

ahe2 · 27/04/2025 09:27

Cherrysoup · 27/04/2025 09:22

We had exactly this recently, saw the rat scampering around under the bird feeders, which we’d adapted to be squirrel and water proof. We stopped feeding the birds, despite there being a big colony of spuggies. I don’t think you’re meant to feed birds when they have babies, something about choking the babies, so great timing. The rats will stay if you continue feeding birds. I’ve put large rocks/bricks over the burrows. Ours was starved out and I found this the other day.

Rather than feeding, offer a water source-we have a pond/mini waterfall that isn’t too fierce so we have loads of types coming for a drink/bath. We also have a dust bath (patch of bare soil) that they use every day.

Edited

Bloody hell you’re a braver woman than me! I don’t know whether to be awed or repulsed. Or both!

OP posts:

Hoppinggreen · 27/04/2025 09:40

WinterFoxes · 26/04/2025 23:45

Have rat numbers increased this year? I've been putting food out for the birds for years. Only seen a rat this year. Then, same week, saw another on a path in the village.

Are rats more unhygienic than squirrels or birds? They are all over the garden and no one minds. I thought the rat we saw was very cute but DH was not impressed.

You are correct, now I think about it I have seen fewer rats this year than usual.

Bubblesgun · 27/04/2025 09:46

TheHerboriste · 26/04/2025 20:41

Whether they “need” it or not, it’s a fun hobby.

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Hobby or not, you are then encouraging the birds to stop feeding themselves in the wild. Look at the advices. It all say from
november-march you can supplement their feeding but after you have to let them
feed themselves - it s to keep the wildlife

Cherrysoup · 27/04/2025 09:48

ahe2 · 27/04/2025 09:27

Bloody hell you’re a braver woman than me! I don’t know whether to be awed or repulsed. Or both!

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It was dead. The dogs were desperate to get behind the gravel board of a fence (opposite side of the garden to the burrow). The gravel board had tipped over so I could grab it. I thought it was a squirrel until I clocked the tail! 😱🐀 I’m not brave, but I’m used to seeing rats and snakes at the yard.

BatchCookBabe · 27/04/2025 10:11

Dillshair · 26/04/2025 23:47

Also if you're found to have nests of rats in your garden and the neighbours complain to the council, you will be liable to pay for pest control which can run into hundreds, maybe thousands.

Rubbish. There will be no evidence that a neighbour feeding the birds caused rats in someone's house! As if someone will be charged 1000s of pounds to remove someone's rats, purely because they feed the birds in their garden!

Why do people insist on spreading nonsense on threads like this?!

RanchRat · 27/04/2025 13:17

We had the rat problem. At first DH would not stop feeding the birds. We got pest control to poison the poor old rats, but one year later they came back. DH stopped feeding the birds and we eventually got rid of the rats. The trouble is when winter comes and it gets cold they will want to come into your house and they are very good at breaking and entering.

WonderingWanda · 27/04/2025 13:23

I had to stop feeding the birds. We live about 100m from a stream and farm so they are nearby, just didn't want them nesting under my decking. We do still get lots of birds due to berry bushes in the winter.

Dillshair · 27/04/2025 14:01

BatchCookBabe · 27/04/2025 10:11

Rubbish. There will be no evidence that a neighbour feeding the birds caused rats in someone's house! As if someone will be charged 1000s of pounds to remove someone's rats, purely because they feed the birds in their garden!

Why do people insist on spreading nonsense on threads like this?!

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Because I worked in environmental health at the council for quite a while. If you encourage rats to nest and it starts to affect your neighbours they can place an order on the owner of the land to compel you to deal with the rat problem. If you put food on the ground it encourages rats. And it can be expensive to deal with because they breed quickly. I have a letter myself from the council asking all neighbours not to place feed on the ground because of a rat problem. We never have but our neighbour has an aviary and was doing this.