Any way to feed birds without attracting RATS?

[Anonymous]

I am so devastated and also creeped out.
We have a lovely cardinal couple and many other little birds and a couple of squirrels we like(d) to feed roasted sunflower seeds. The cardinals have been coming for years.
I used to toss the seed out on the patio but then one day last month we saw a big fat rat.
So we moved the feeding up to the back porch, in a big saucer. I never left it out after dark.
Today I went to the glass door to the porch and saw the #&$@ rat! I don't know how it knew to look there.
I scrubbed the porch with bleach and soap, rinsed it, obviously can't put the saucer back.
DH is going to be very upset. This will be a fight because he likes to put out seed for his cardinals.
I don't know what we could do.
But obviously a huge rat at the back door is impossible to risk.

[Anonymous]

Birds are sky vermin.

Stop feeding them.

Or, get some outdoor cats.

[Anonymous]

Hanging feeders won't work?

[Anonymous]

Seeds spill especially with squirrels

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Or, get some outdoor cats.

Then you get the brain worms.

[Anonymous]

OP, nope, seeds will attract all vermin not just squirrels. Will also attract varmints like coons, possums, skunks, etc.

You could use bird feeders but some will still spill. The cylinder feeders with a tray at the bottom to catch spills is your best option, and hang them high on poles with squirrel guards.

[Anonymous]

What about suet in hanging cages ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Or, get some outdoor cats.

Then you get the brain worms.

You better not have dogs (they get toxoplasmosis, too!)

[Anonymous]

A high hanging squirrel proof feeder and hulled (shell-less) seeds will help a lot. But nothing is fool proof. And squirrels are terribly destructive to your home.

Try a bird bath instead. They need liquid water year round, especially on cold dry days. Change the water daily.

[Anonymous]

Sadly this is why we stopped putting out birdfeeders although we loved them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sadly this is why we stopped putting out birdfeeders although we loved them.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[Anonymous]

Put in plants that will provide food for birds year-round.

[Anonymous]

OP we do have some of those but we loved the interaction and watching them close up.

[Anonymous]

Instead of putting out seed, provide habitat for them. Bushes and trees. They like our hollies and I think they might eat those berries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put in plants that will provide food for birds year-round.

That’s what I have done and it’s beautiful to see the birds feeding through the garden bed.