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Oct 2016
4:46pm, 24 Oct 2016
19,413 posts
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Red Squirrel
I love birdy pics
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Oct 2016
4:56pm, 24 Oct 2016
13,379 posts
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Wriggling Snake
Goosanders are my favourite things around here (peak Forest canal and Mersey river)....I might take a camera out one day.
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Oct 2016
8:44am, 26 Oct 2016
99 posts
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bonners
I'm sure this is probably a good place to start to get advice. I have a small garden, a couple of hanging feeders a couple with seeds and one with peanuts. I also have a ground feeder with an adjustable cage on top. I also have a shed with up until yesterday mice living under it.
Well unfortunately the mice have been a victim of their own success as they've been increasing the size of the entrance and I was watching the feeders yesterday morning to see a rather large female rat sat in the ground feeder and then going under the shed where it would appear to have bloodily evicted the mice and set up home, so lots of little rats will no doubt be on the way shortly.
So, I immediately changed the size of the gaps on the ground feeder which unfortunately means only the sparrows and Robins can get in, the starlings and blackbirds cant. But what else can I do to get rid of the rat? I'm going to fill in the hole where it gets in, but do I have to stop feeding the birds as I presume it is the seed that is attracting them? Would be gutted if that was the case as I love feeding the birds even though I only get sparrows and starlings generally.
Any advice gratefully received as I'm sure I'm not the first bird lover to come across this. I would prefer humane solutions as we used to have pet rats so I don't hate them
Apologies for the long post but wanted to give as much info as possible to look for solutions.
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Oct 2016
9:06am, 26 Oct 2016
906 posts
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ferret
My son has success with poison, sorry I know it's bad, & we've been driven to traps (too many mice in roof space) & get a couple of rats a year there. It's a difficult one, son's wife has pet rats but they don't eat the electric wires. I too would be interested in humane solutions, we live next to a farm that is permanently battling rats. Grey squirrels are my problem, worse than rats possibly - any solutions?
We've a flock of Lapwings nearby, so chuffed, up on Lambourn/Marlborough downs. Seen them 3 days running now 
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Oct 2016
9:50am, 26 Oct 2016
100 posts
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bonners
Looking at all the advice, poison and not feeding the birds seems the general advice really sad as I've spent ages building up the sparrows, feel cruel to stop feeding just as the weather is getting colder
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Oct 2016
9:59am, 26 Oct 2016
24,213 posts
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macca 53
maybe just removing the ground feeder would help (just make it more difficult for ratty to fatten herself up and she might move on to somewhere with easier pickings).
My local council still employ someone to "take care" of rat infestations (not humanely)
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Oct 2016
10:15am, 26 Oct 2016
1,736 posts
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jacdaw
I would use hanging feeders of various shapes and contents, and maybe consider emptying them at the end of the day. Sparrows are happy with seed feeders, hanging fat, peanuts, and safer off the ground. Don't ignore the rat problem though, they increase in numbrs at quite a rate in a mild winter, or worse still invade the house when it gets cold.
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Oct 2016
11:40am, 26 Oct 2016
101 posts
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bonners
Unfortunately the rats days are numbered. FiL and air rifle are visiting tomorrow From advice here and elsewhere have temporarily removed the ground feeder.
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Oct 2016
1:23pm, 26 Oct 2016
21,865 posts
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Derby Tup
Sensible approach bonners
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Oct 2016
2:02pm, 26 Oct 2016
102 posts
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bonners
Hopefully the blackbirds and Robin will still find enough to eat. I've been gradually bringing driftwood from my river walks into the garden which should be making insect friendly environment in the garden.
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