Rat proof container for bird food? (not a big dustbin)

elljay

I store mine in a metal dustbin with a tight lid but keep it outside. Never had a problem.  Some good ideas on here though.  

Albermarle

GardenBirdWatcher said:

KittenChops said:

We've been keeping it in the big plastic lidded containers that we bought it in, but a couple of these have been chewed through in the last couple of days.

I've always found the plastic containers the feed comes in to be very flimsy and more often than not they crack during delivery or when I try to open them, so I'm not surprised they've been chewed through.

I've kept all of my feed (mixture of the plastic tubs, bags and individually wrapped suet blocks) in a large heavy duty storage box from B&Q for a few years with no problems and I know we have mice and rats getting into the outbuilding it is stored in.

I can't remember exactly which one I got, but it's something similar to this https://www.diy.com/departments/strata-heavy-duty-black-60l-plastic-stackable-storage-box-lid/5021711050080_BQ.prd

I am a bit surprised about that, as I had a fishing box, which is a cube with a hinged lid that you put your fishing stuff in, and you can sit on it when fishing.

It is made from thick hard plastic and the rats still managed to bite a hole out of the side, as they could smell some fishing bait pellets inside.

Slinky

We had a rat (s) gnaw through a seemingly very thick plastic box when our garage was insecure when we had building work going on.

GardenBirdWatcher

I must have been lucky so far, possibly because the feed is inside containers in the box and they haven't smelled it. I guess it's time to start looking for other options before it happens.

twopenny

You can get small dustbins, some quiet tiny.

Bread bins charity shops or junk/reclamation yards. But I'm thinking the rats could lift the lid so as my great aunt did with chicken feedput a brick on top.

Metal kitchen bins, pedal bins. Some very slim but tall.  Or small. They won't be able to get in with something heavy on top.