Bird feeder questions

[CaraRose]

I'd like to stick a few feeders in our yard this year. Unfortunately my brother and sister-in-law had issues last year with rats around their property (not IN the property, thankfully, but they had a large nest in their bushes), and the squirrels knocking the seed all over the ground and in their bushes may have played a role in attracting the ratties.

So my parents freaked out when I said I wanted to stick a few feeders up. Anyone know what kinds might have less of a ground mess?

[mjs1973]

I have a few feeders in my yard and the mess is huge. Personally, I don't mind it. I figure that once the grass starts to grow, and it gets mowed a few times, the mess is gone. My wife on the other hand can't stand it. She has actually vacuumed the mess out of the yard before.

We have never had a problem with rats. We will have moles or shrews burrowing around under the snow below the feeders in the winter but that's about it. I feed almost exclusively with black oil sunflower seeds. I decided that when I first put them up that I wasn't going to do anything to deter the squirrels. I figure they need to eat too. Now I'm starting to rethink that...

I use to feed a lot of the Niger seed but I didn't buy any of that this winter do to cost. It also makes a mess, but the seeds are so fine compared to the sunflower seeds that it's not as bad.

Suet doesn't seem to make a mess at all and it's easy to make yourself. Peanuts are kind of expensive, but again, you don't seem to have the mess like you do with sunflower seeds. Safflower seeds are good too but are more expensive as well. Squirrels don't seem to be big fans of them either.

I don't buy any of the mixes with millet in them. I don't think anything eats that stuff.

If you put a try below the feeder to catch what is spilled, it will help a lot with the mess.

[OldClicker]

I haven't tried it, but feeding sunflower seed hearts is suppose to be clean because everything is edible. – TF

[billy320]

I had the same problem, the rats were probably there way before anyone started feeding the birds. Try this site

http://www.wbu.com/products/birdfeeders.html

[Grandpaw]

Try a humming bird feeder, they don't spill anything, Jeff LOL

[Singletracklovr]

Thistle works great for small birds. I have 6 up year round.
Squirrels hate them and don't even bother the feeders so I would think rats would also.
They sell a type that is treated so they will not grow if they get in the ground.