Bird Feed Tips and Cautions

Forum Archives

 

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Garden Spider

Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor

Posted: Dec-22-2004 at 10:54am

I still haven't put up feeders again--we had such a rat problem for a while. One of our neighbors let the ivy and blackberry grow in her backyard, and it was the perfect haven for rats. They'd come out to eat the spilled seed from the feeder. So I quit feeding birds. Now that that neighbor is gone, and a new set of people move in, who seem interested in keeping the house and yard up, I'd like to start feeding again.

 

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Lisa A

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Dec-22-2004 at 11:54am

Barb, you bring up a good point to consider when feeding birds. Portland's vermin control folks will list several things to remove or avoid when dealing with a rat problem. Removing ivy is one of them (they love to nest in this). Removing bird feeders is another because the spilled seed brings rats into the yard.

Most birding experts recommend cleaning up spilled seed regularly, not just to control pest population but also to practice good hygience and to protect birds. Spilled seed can spoil, making the birds ill, and ground feeding birds make easier targets for neighborhood cats.

There are seed traps or nets for placing below feeders but I don't know how well they work. Has anyone use these? I'd love to hear feedback and comments. TIA!

I use some feeders but not many. I prefer to use plants, particularly native plants, to provide food for the birds.

 

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Garden Spider

Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor

Posted: Dec-23-2004 at 8:17pm

I tried a seed tray under the feeder to catch the spilled seed, but the birds flung the seeds beyond the edges of the tray. Also, when it rained, the tray just filled with water, and was hard to remove to dump the water out. There may be better designs out there than what I bought (I do remember it was a cheap one). I eventually just took it off--it was more trouble than the spilled seed.

I agree that natural food is better than feeders.

I do remember watching a cat stalk a flicker, at our house in SeaTac. The flicker walked into the jungle of Rhododendrons and Magnolias in the front yard, pausing now and then to poke into the ground for food. The cat followed, belly to the ground, stalking. Both disappeared from my sight. In a few seconds, I heard "MEEOOWWWRRR!", and the cat came running out as fast as it could. The flicker strolled out a moment later, still poking at the ground now and then, unhurt and unruffled and unconcerned. Moral: Never pounce on a bird that has a built-in jackhammer.

Barb