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Re: Pests at feeders

From:

Bob Hartman

Reply-To:

Bob Hartman

Date:

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:26:21 -0400

I was told by an exterminator that black-oil sunflower seeds are 
particularly attractive to rats.  However, even without those, I still 
have to have baited traps put out occasionally (by the same exterminator).

	Bob Hartman
	Colesville


Jason Waanders wrote:
> My feeding experience is more limited than Fran's, but I would guess 
> that the attractiveness of the feeders to rats will partly depend on 
> what you're putting in them.  Assuming the feeders are not directly 
> accessible to the rats, the rats are probably depending on the birds to 
> scatter seed on the ground.  Seed mixes are bad because some birds 
> (especially House Sparrows, which are messy eaters anyway) will scatter 
> large amounts of the seeds they don't like while picking out the ones 
> they do like.  Non-mixed seed with low waste is the best bet, and I'm 
> sure there's some seeds rats don't like as much--safflower, maybe?  In 
> my case, my feeders are only a few feet from my neighbors' yards, so I 
> avoid feeding entirely in summer, when rats seem to be most active.  I 
> don't know if any of this is new info for someone who's been feeding for 
> 14 years, though!
> 
> If the rats have moved in for the first time after 14 prior years of 
> feeding, I'd guess there's a good chance they've got other food sources, 
> so even taking away the feeders may not cause them to leave.
> 
> Jason Waanders
> NW DC
> jwaandersATstarpower.net
> 
>