A gardener has described how his bird feeder attracted rats, leading to a dead rat covered in maggots in his garden. Alex Evans, Deputy Audience Editor, writes about his experience and why he had to stop feeding birds.
The Problem with Garden Bird Feeders
Evans explains that the stench was unbearable when he opened his patio doors to top up the bird feeder. He discovered a large, dead rat covered with wiggling maggots at the bottom of his garden. The rat had been attracted by spilled bird seed and mealworms.
Evans had been following RSPB guidelines, using an upright feeder and suet and mealworms, which are approved for summer feeding. However, he admits he was not tidy, allowing some feed to spill onto the grass. The RSPB encourages ground feeding, but even a small amount of spillage can attract rats.
RSPB Guidelines and Unintended Consequences
Evans had abandoned using a flat bird table because the RSPB raised concerns about disease spread. He also stopped using birdseed after warnings that seeds in summer could carry risks. He switched to suet and mealworms in an upright feeder, but the rats still came for the spilled food.
He also kept a giant bag of seed in his greenhouse, which was chewed into by rats. The dead rat on his lawn was likely killed by a fox or cat while stealing bird seed.
Alternative Solutions for Feeding Birds
Evans plans to store bird feed indoors in a thick plastic container and top up the feeder indoors. He may also swap his mesh feeder for a plastic one to prevent spillage. In the meantime, he is focusing on feeding birds naturally by planting redcurrants and other plants that birds can eat from directly, as recommended by experts like Gardeners World.
He concludes that planting a garden for birds to eat from naturally is the best approach to avoid unwelcome visitors like rats.
