do Wild birds attract rats?

[mrme3257]

Ive began feeding wild birds in my backyard which is in a housing estate and i put food on the sheds on the ground anywhere the birds can get at but my mother has been giving out that birds attract rats so im asking you do birds attract rats?

ive seen robins little finches wrens and even a pigeon in my backyard feeding

[Deleted]

The birds don't attract rats, the food does. There isn't much you can do but the rats wont be gone even if you stop feeding the birds. There are rats everywhere, you just wont see them if you stop putting food out, they will just get it somewhere else, possibly from your house. The way I look at it is if they get food outside they will have less reason to get inside the house.

[mrme3257]

Yeah I suppose but being a teenager I am im still gonna keep feeding the birds whether theres rats around or not.

[Deleted]

good, wild birds need all the help they can get. If everyone stopped feeding them there would be a lot of starving birds.

[marleen4]

I agree with you both, and feeding birds is a nice thing to do, especially in winter. Would it help to hang the food in a container or bird feeder using wire? You can hang this from a tree or the roof overhang of a shed. Rats will struggle to come down wire, where the birds can fly! I saw some nice looking bird feeders in a pet shop today, they would also be easy enough to make yourself!

Good on you for looking after the local birds!!!

[skysmum]

I used to feed the birds until sadly i had a rat problem, the pest control man said to stop . There is no way i would encourage rats anywhere near my aviary because they will chew into a shed with no problem. As Marleen said it may be an idea to feed them in one place and in the evening clear any left food away, that way you will have the best of both worlds .