If you notice your bird feeder is attracting an unwanted infestation of rats, squirrels and other pests, experts recommend making just one simple change to keep them at bay
Lifestyle Almha Murphy Audience Writer 07:00, 24 Apr 2025
Bird feeders are a fantastic way to keep feathery friends flocking back to your garden – but they’re also a magnet for rats. Luckily, just one tweak to your feeder can keep the ravenous rodents at bay.
If you enjoy hearing the twittering of finches and robins in your garden, you’ll likely have set up a bird feeder. Having a plentiful supply of treats keeps these birds coming back for more and encourages them to build nests in your garden. In particular, they love feasting on high-fat foods like suet, seeds and nuts. Unfortunately, so do many rodents, including the dreaded rat.
Aside from their frightening appearance, attracting rats to your garden can come with a whole host of problems. They have insatiable appetites and will chew through plants and veg you might have growing in your garden.
Their burrowing behaviour can also lead to severe structural damage, as they gnaw through materials like wood and electrical wiring to create nests and to dig tunnels. Terrifyingly, they can even tear their way through your floorboards.
READ MORE: Gardeners urged to feed birds with exact mix to stop pigeons wading in
Worse still, these buck-toothed creatures are hotbeds for all kinds of disease. These include rat-bite fever, hantavirus and leptospirosis, all of which can make humans dangerously ill.
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They’re not the only unwanted visitors that bird feeders can attract, either. They also lure in cats and foxes who also like to prey on birds – meaning you could be putting them in unintended danger.
However, this can be easily rectified. As previously reported by The Mirror, experts told Ideal Homes that the main mistake that gardeners make when setting up bird feeders is purchasing one that is the wrong shape. Depending on the bird feeder, it can make it easy for predators like foxes, rats and squirrels to access the food. Especially given that many of these animals are great climbers.
If you notice that your garden birds don’t seem to be getting enough of the food you’re leaving out, you can try buying a feeder that’s squirrel and rodent-proof. Thomas Hibbert from the Wildlife Trust advised: "If food is really hard to find in your area you could offer some seeds or suet in a squirrel-proof feeder".
You should look out for "weight-activated, caged, and domed" feeders, as these make it harder for pests to sneak in due to their shape. The one downside is that these can get pricey.
If you want to avoid spending extra money, there are some other steps you can take to keep rats and other unwanted creatures away. These involve making changes to the food you're using instead of the feeder.
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One effective tip is to include some unwanted ingredients into your bird feed mix. For example, birds love sunflower and niger seeds, but squirrels will find these off-putting.
Equally, you can also add one or two items that rodents find foul-smelling. Cayenne pepper, peppermint and garlic are all innocuous scents that will drive rats and other pests away.
