Neighbour excessively feeding birds

gettingtheresometime

Thinking of loaves of bread daily together with fat balls etc & you get the picture.

It has caused an issue with bird droppings but the problem is now escalated as rats are present in the garden. Pest control came out but they didn't hold much hope of success especially as the neighbour refuses to stop the feeding.

It's got to the stage where the homeowner know wants to leave the property as she feels that's the only solution, given the neighbour's refusal to cut back on the major contributory factor.

Is there any thing else we can try to stop the feeding before such a drastic step is taken?

suki1964

Contact Environmental Health at the council

G_M

You don't want pest control.They just set traps and kill pests. As long as the feeding continues, the pests will continue to breed and be present.


You need to stop the food source. That is Environmental Health who can take enforcement action.

Davesnave

For Environmental Health to act they'll need evidence, so start keeping a diary of rat sightings and try to video them when they appear in numbers. They'll have ways of backing that up with their own findings, but every little helps.

Just having an EHO visit might be enough to give the neighbour pause to reconsider their over-provision. However, it may be a sign of a well-known condition, 'batty old person syndrome,' and that's incurable.

DaftyDuck

... time cures that one!

sillyhilly

I sympathise - I have a similar issue.

Look around your entire house and block and holes / access points for the rats. Anything that you can fit a pencil in can technically be used as access for rodents. At least having done that, you'll be able to restrict them from inside the property!

Also, I went the nuclear option and put traps down. I also put some poison down too, although if there are any pets / children around, be careful, as they should be in safer bait boxes.

Overall though, prepare for a long slog. We sorted out our infestation, but we still hear to odd one clawing at the cavity walls...

Grenage

Education is also an option, if the neighbour is open to discussion (probably not).


We have a ton of birds in our garden due to a fat ball and sunflower feeders. The neighbour has a pigeon loft, so that doesn't help. We once had a rat on the fat feeder; the neighbour puts down poison if he sees any, but I bought an air rifle and stopped stocking the fat balls for a few months. Sunflower hearts generally leave no mess on the floor.

No issues for over a year - you can have your cake and eat it if you're sensible.

gettingtheresometime

Davesnave wrote: »

For Environmental Health to act they'll need evidence, so start keeping a diary of rat sightings and try to video them when they appear in numbers. They'll have ways of backing that up with their own findings, but every little helps.

Just having an EHO visit might be enough to give the neighbour pause to reconsider their over-provision. However, it may be a sign of a well-known condition, 'batty old person syndrome,' and that's incurable.

Unfortunately it's not a batty old person that's doing it .....well unless you call someone in their 50's old......it's an elderly relative that is on the receiving end of the resultant bird's mess / rats.


They haven't complained to the neighbours beforehand simply because they didn't want to fall out as in other respects they're good neighbours but rats are a different matter.


I'll contact EH and see what action needs to be taken.


Thanks everyone.

gettingtheresometime

Grenage wrote: »

No issues for over a year - you can have your cake and eat it if you're sensible.

Unfortunately I dont' think the neighbour is.

Davesnave

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

Unfortunately it's not a batty old person that's doing it .....well unless you call someone in their 50's old.......

Um, no, seeing them on the street, I probably wouldn't call them 'old,' as it sounds like I may have 15 years or so more on the clock! Mind you, you're only as old as you feel and behave.

We grow a lot of plants for the birds, but restrict feeding them to the times when they benefit. Water is the most important thing to most of our wild visitors at this time of year.

coffeehound

Some manner of bird scarers in the garden might at least reduce the droppings. Scarecrow? Owl-on-a-stick? A wacky arm waving inflatable tube man might even keep the birds out of next doors garden, too.