bird feeders and rats

[suzy]

hi there ,i havw a small garden and have been feeding the birds fo some time however ive had to stop because of rats. can anyone sugest any good feeders for seed and nuts thank you sue:)

[Esmo]

Have a look at these.

http://www.thegardenersshop.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=266

[70007]

hi there ,i havw a small garden and have been feeding the birds fo some time however ive had to stop because of rats. can anyone sugest any good feeders for seed and nuts thank you sue:)

I have the same problem.

What I have done is tie those round plastic saucers you can buy to put underneath plant pots, on the bottom of my feeders. I make two small holes in the plastic just wider than the width of each feeder, thread an old (or new if you prefer) shoelace through the lowest feeder holes possible via the base of the saucer and tie as tight as possible at the bottom.

This is perhaps easier for wire peanut feeders, but with a bit of persuasion the same principle can be used for port seed feeders.

The only small drawback that I have found is that other birds can use the saucers as a perch to make getting seeds easier (and I have seen a collared dove try it, with not too much success).

The main advantage is that when incompetent house sparrows try pretending they are great tits and pull black sunflower seeds out of the port and then drop them because they cannot hang on and eat at the same time, the seeds land in the tray and not on the ground. Blue and coal tits then take them out of the tray.

You may have to make a third small hole for drainage if you find water in the saucer tray, but I have nearly cured my rat problem by restricting their ground food supply to almost nil.

You should be able to get 5 or 10 packs of these saucer/trays at garden centres in various sizes. The ones I use are about 4 or 5 inches in diameter.

[Jimbo]

Or you could buy feeder trays that come with threaded attachers that screw into the bottom of your feeder(s).

Jimbo

[70007]

Really? I did not know that.

However, they would not work for my feeders which have about a one inch indent in the bottom. When I first thought of this, I imagined the bottoms would be flat and I could just superglue them, but initially was surprised to find that not to be the case.

I think they are made this way so that seeds fall towards the bottom ports and do not collect at the base where they would go mouldy.

Are these threaded feeders at the top of the price range?

[Jimbo]

Hi 70007,

As far as I know the feeders I mentioned aren't at the top of the price range, in fact all the feeders I've got have the threads and I have a mix of metal Defenders and the much cheaper plastic type.

Re. the one inch indent. The trays have the same indent which fits snugly into the indent on the feeder, if you feel with your finger at the bottom of your feeder you'll probably feel the threaded hole.

Jimbo.

[Jimbo]

Re. above, "The trays have the same indent which fits snugly into the" should read;

the indent on the tray fits snugly *onto* the feeder.

See link. http://www.birdfood.co.uk/products.php?area_id=2&nav_id=44

Jimbo.