How to keep the Rats away from the bird feeders? by BirdFeederist

Rats are one of the primary reasons for many people, which prevents them from feeding the birds because many people think that bird feeders are the main reason for the rats in their garden. But the people need to make sure that the bird feeders and the feeding birds are not responsible for the rate in their backyard.

The number of rats in your garden actually due to the different bad ways of your bird feeding. The rats are usually attracted to your garden when you feed the birds in improper ways. Moreover, many other useless things can also be responsible for the rats in your garden.

Different ways to keep the rats away

You can feed the birds in your garden with proper ways to keep clean your garden from the rats. Let’s see the different ways to keep the rats away from the bird feeders.

1. Use the right kind of bird feeders

You need to use the right kind of feeders in your garden, which can protect the seeds from the rats. You can use the tray like feeders for this purpose. But the squirrel proof feeders can be the most suitable for this purpose because it’s hard to get the seeds from these feeders. These feeders are usually made up of metal material, and it’s difficult for the rats to get the seeds from these feeders.

2. Keep the ground clean

Some people spread the seeds on the ground as well to attract the maximum number of birds in the garden. But you need to make sure that this way can also attract the rats as well. So if you are observing the rats in your area, don’t use this way to attract the rats in the garden. Mainly, don’t spread the seeds under the bird feeder. Sometimes birds spread the seeds under the feeders, make sure to keep clean the ground under the feeder to prevent from rats. For this purpose, you can also buy a seed catching tray for your feeder, which automatically stops the seeds and shells from spreading under the feeder.

3. Clear the feeder around spaces

The feeder around spaces can be one of another reason for the rats on your feeder. Because rats are a good climber and can easily climb on the polls and tree stems as well. So make sure to keep clean the feeder around space from the stems and polls. Moreover, the rats can also jump from a high building, so make sure to protect your feeder from above as well. A rate can also jump horizontally for a few feet. You need to make sure that the feeder is at a proper height from the ground.

4. Less friendly garden

Make sure your garden is less friendly for the rats. Rats usually like the hidden locations, dark corners, and holes in the garden. Moreover, they are also attracted to the garden, which has the plants which contain their favorite seeds. So make sure your garden doesn’t provide any kind of their favorite plants, hidden locations, and holes. Try to build a garden that is less friendly to the rats.

5. Don’t use the incorrect seeds

Make sure to don’t use the incorrect seeds in the feeder because this can be responsible for the maximum attractions of the rats. Because sometimes people use smaller seeds as compared to the feeder ports, which can be the one main reason for the maximum seeds spreading through the ports. Whichever birds you want to feed, you need to buy the feeder accordingly. For example, if you are looking for Niger seeds, you need to buy a feeder with small holes. Moreover, try to use the seeds which the rats don’t like to eat.

6. Peppermint smell          

This is the one main method people usually used in their gardens to keep the rats away from the feeders. Rats don’t like the smell of the peppermint. People typically use peppermint oil for this purpose. They spray out their garden with this oil to prevent the rats and many other unwanted audiences as well. Whatever spray you are using, make sure this is not bad for the birds you want to attract.

7. Use rats Trap

Using the rat’s trap is another way to protect the feeders from rats. If you think nothing is working for you, this can be an excellent way to keep the rats away. You can use this special traps on the different ways of your feeder. Some people also use the electric shock method for the quick death of the rats. You can also get the help of any professional for both these purposes. But whatever technique you are using for trapping the rats, make sure it will not affect the birds you want to attract.

What kind of baffles keeps the rats away from bird feeders?

People also use different kinds of baffles to keep the rats away from the feeders. These baffles usually have a specific design that prevents the rats from reaching the bird feeder. Let’s see a different kind of baffles.

• The first one is the tubular baffle. This baffle is like a drain-pipe around the pole. This baffle is perfect for the feeder poles. These tubular baffles are very slippery and smooth, so the rats are unable to cross them to reach the bird feeders.
• The second one is the Dome baffle, which is like the upside-down bowl. This baffle is usually used above the feeder to protect it from rats. This can also use below the feeder, so the rats climb up the pole will meet the inner side of the baffle.

Conclusion                                                       

From all the above discussion, we can conclude that the rats are one of the main discouraging factors for the birds. But there are different ways which can keep the rats away from the bird feeders. You just need to focus on these ways to keep away the rats from your feeder and garden as well.