How would you deal with rats ??

[astral276]

We have a squirrel proof feeder...

I've been looking at these. Not to keep squirrels out but to keep starlings out.

I don't mind feeding the starlings, but they are the 'yobs' of the garden; squabbling and fighting with everything else and each other, scoffing everything, and pushing all the other birds away from the food. All other birds in the garden seem to get on with each other - even forming well behaved queues to take their turn feeding (apart from the blackbird pair who won't tolerate other blackbirds).

I've been put off getting one as:

A. I'm not convinced birds would effectively put themselves in a cage.
B. I don't know if they would even keep starlings out.

This is the type of thing I was looking at; a feeder with an outer cage:



Thoughts, peeps?

[meebo1]

I have one of those and the birds are happy to hop in and out even the pigeons are not to be put off

[astral276]

I have one of those and the birds are happy to hop in and out even the pigeons are not to be put off

So wouldn't stop starlings then?

I would have thought that if something the size of a pigeon can get past it that it wouldn't stop a squirrel.

[meebo1]

The one that visits us occasionally can manage to get to the food

[crafters_corner_2]

We don't get starlings any longer, but our squirrel-proof feeder is a VERY busy feeding station for goldfinches, greenfinches, bluetits etc.... The squirrel amuses us with his efforts to get to the sunflower hearts (our birds are spoilt) but it has never succeeded. The pigeons act as sweepers-up for the bits that the birds spit out. Strange that, as even though the hearts have the husks remove, they still find something to dispose of.

It is this, that would provide food for rats if they are lurking