Feeding the birds

consultant31

Have posted this previously in the wrong section, so hope this is the right one

My Mum (80 years old) has always enjoyed feeding and watching the birds from her dining room window - even more so since Dad passed away last year.

Unfortunately, we have recently seen a rat eating the seed and she has reluctantly stopped feeding the birds. We have had the council out to set out poison which I presume has worked, but I'm afraid if she starts feeding the birds again, the rats will come back.

It is her main pleasure and I would love to be able to find a way that she could still continue feeding them (the birds, not the rats).

Could someone give me any ideas on a birdtable which might be 'rat-proof'. It does seem that the birds throw the seed about quite a bit as there is strange plant life growing round the bottom of where the old birdtable stood.

safesound

Okay I've spoken to DH (pest control tech) and he says it depends on your set up, ie. how are you feeding the birds? He doesn't think you can buy them commercially but you can modify what you already have to help with the problem. If you use a stand alone bird table then you need to place a large cone under the feeding table (A) to catch the seeds that get kicked overboard, and one facing down (B) to stop the little blighters climbing the pole and chewing threw the top cone to get at the discarded food.


Or if you use a hanging table/mesh tube the you need to suspend a large cone/bowl/plant pot underneath to catch the seeds and a smaller cone on the suspension wire to stop the rats shimmying down the chain to the table from above.


HTH

consultant31

Oh wow safesound, thanks very much for that, I'm so impressed

Now all I need to do is try to find the discarded collar thingy the dog had to wear after a minor op - that should be perfect as a cone to catch the bits. See I would never have thought of that without your help.

Thanks again :T

safesound

No problem.
DH says his biggest bugbear when doing council calls (he works in a private company but they cover council calls when they get really busy) is people who feed the birds, and refuse to stop even when they have a major rat problem :eek:
I wonder if I could market these modifications to them :money:

consultant31

:rotfl: I'm sure you could, there must be others who have the same problem!

I have printed off your excellent drawings and I'm going to give it a go over the next week or two.