Birds benefit from full feeders in winter, but other animals benefit from discarded food as well. These include harmful rodents such as mice or, in the worst case, rats that eat food from the aviary.

In a nutshell

  • wrong or old food is thrown out of the feeder by birds
  • do not offer compound feed
  • Clean feeding places regularly
  • Remove bird seed from the ground to prevent rodents from finding a food source
  • take structural measures to prevent birdseed from falling on the ground

causes

It is not uncommon for birds to throw grains out of the bird feeder. There are many reasons for this and, like humans, they don't like bird seed that has gone bad, for example, which they sort out. Especially grain feed that has been stored for a long time can become rancid due to the fat content of the grains.
Similar to humans, who don't like all food, winter feathered guests don't like every bird food you offer them either. Food unacceptable to them at known feeding sites is sorted out and thrown out of the aviary. So that the birds don't throw the bird food out of the house, you should offer suitable food for the bird species you encounter.

Unsuitable for bird feeders is:

  • Bread and pastries
  • Grain
  • cooked potatoes
  • cheese
  • sausage and bacon
  • butter
  • margarine

Some of these food sources are briefly tasted by individual species, but are usually removed from the bird feeder as unsuitable. What lands on the ground under the aviary attracts other animals like mice.

No compound feed

Many bird species specialize in specific food sources. If this food is contaminated by other components, they in turn throw the food components that do not belong to their diet out of the aviary. Therefore, in winter, the compound feed is often unsuitable for guests in the garden and much of it ends up on the ground, attracting harmful rodents.

Tip: Alternatively, you can set up different feeding points with individual feed in the garden. It is important to offer suitable birdseed for grain eaters and for soft feed eaters.

Clean feeding places regularly

Even if you have separate feeding stations where you offer different birdseed, the birds may throw something out of the house. Hygiene at the feeding place is therefore very important. This not only prevents you from attracting mice to the aviary, you can also prevent diseases in the birds.

For cleaning, proceed as follows:

  • Completely remove old bird seed
  • Do not throw old bird seed in the compost, but dispose of it in the residual waste
  • Thoroughly clean the bird feeder with a mild detergent or neutral soap and hot water
  • Remove dropped bird seed from the ground and also dispose of it in the residual waste

The bird feeder and the surrounding area should be cleaned at least every three weeks. If there is a high frequency of birds at the feeder, you need to shorten the cleaning intervals to one week.

Tip: Lay out old aggregate concrete slabs or boards around the feeding station in winter. It is easier to remove dropped bird seed from them.

Drive away rodents

If mice or rats have already discovered dropped bird seed and use it as a source of food, then a protracted fight against the rodents often begins. In principle, however, you should avoid traps or poisoned baits and only use them in extreme emergencies, because in the wild this can also be fatal to other animals, including birds.

To scare away mice, do the following:

  • remove existing food sources
  • stop feeding again
  • Move the birdhouse a few meters every three weeks

If you move the bird feeder by a few meters every few weeks, the birds will find the feeding place again immediately. At the same time, however, they prevent the rodents from being able to immediately find food in the same place.

Structural measures

Once the rodents have discovered a reliable source of food for themselves, they do not hesitate to enter the feeder directly. On their forays, they in turn throw bird seed out of the house, which conspecifics can find. Therefore, it is not always the fault of the birds when there is bird seed on the ground, but of the rodents themselves. It therefore makes sense to take structural measures, especially for bird feeders that are anchored to the ground. The rodents can climb up the rod and get into the house.

The bird feeder should therefore be safe from them. You can take the following precautions:

  • attach large intermediate plate to the mounting rod
  • Mount the bird feeder so that it can swing freely

An intermediate plate has the additional positive effect that most of the bird seed that is thrown down ends up on it. From there you can easily remove the bird seed that the birds spurn. However, the plate must have a diameter of at least 30 cm on all sides. Many rodents are true climbing experts and can also stretch far. If the plate is too small in diameter, they can stretch to the edge and in turn overcome the plate.

frequently asked Questions

How often should the feed be refilled?

It depends on how often the birds visit the garden. Basically, birds lose up to a third of their weight overnight and therefore need full feeders at least the next morning.

Can mice transmit diseases at the feeding place?

Most mice species do not act as disease vectors. The bank vole, which can transmit diseases to humans, and rats, which are disease carriers, are exempt from this.

Are mice more likely to be attracted to birds fed year-round?

Yes, the risk of attracting rodents with year-round feeding is greater than with winter feeding only.

Category:

Animals in the garden