Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 07:37:33 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: Re: advice sought: bird feeders in apartment complex MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/14/2002 7:07:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, dcr@ASTRO.UMD.EDU writes: > As a preventative measure > regarding pest control, we kindly ask that residents refrain from feeding > birds, squirrels or any wildlife on the property." I was hoping to solicit > opinions from this knowledgable group about whether this is a reasonable > request. > Derek, The pest control that the management company is talking about regards the control of rats, not birds. Many homeowners/apartment dwellers who feed birds will use a standard mixed type bird seed available from the grocery store, which has a rather large percentage of "waste" seed in it (ie; red millet, flax, cracked corn, etc.) which birds find disagreeable and which they kick/peck out of the feeder and onto the ground. This in turn will attract rats, especially around apartments where they live. If you are using a high quality bird seed, (try all black oil sunflower seed) you should have no problem with rodents, as the birds will eat it all, and waste on the ground will be eliminated. Also, you should be cleaning up beneath the feeders regularly, to get rid of bird feces which can also attract rats. Even following these procedures, you will likely have to give up bird feeding rather than face the wrath of the management company, who can levy fines or worse... Rick Sussman Ashton,MD warblerick@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================