Before we head right into how to get rid of rats, it’s important to know some basic facts about your problem. You can’t defeat your enemy if you don’t know them, right? Good-to-know Rat Facts: Some feed types can become clogged more easily than others in this feeder, meaning it will need to be shaken or dumped Metal, particularly stainless or galvanized steel, are the best options so long as they’re guaranteed not to rust or corrode. I’m going to say this right at the start: beware the use of poisons. This should be your last resort if nothing else is working. I know it seems like an easy fix to a big problem, but using poison to get rid of rodents could lead to bigger problems down the road.

Rats can dig several feet deep and jump up to eight feet high. They are also expert climbers and can access your coop or run from above if it’s not protected. To protect the coop use hardware cloth on the floor, and also to cover any ventilation areas, and existing holes. Most rats can squeeze through a space as small as a quarter, so be thorough as you search for holes and cover even the small ones in hardware cloth, or stuff them with steel wool. It's good to be generous, but it doesn't do to be too generous with your bird food – especially if you want to protect your bird feeder from rats and squirrels. You can also use an electric style trap, sometimes called rat zappers.. This trap is more expensive but considered a more humane option, and less messy to clean up than the classic snap traps.If rats have chewed holes into your coop or underneath it, fill the holes with steel wool and cover them with hardware cloth or wire mesh. Fill any holes in the soil around your coop as well, as rats love to tunnel. Be adamant about filling holes, if they make new ones the next day, fill those too. Let me start by saying this is incredibly hard to do. When it comes to rats, if there’s a will there’s a way. Not all locations work: You can set ten traps, and some will not be touched, while others will catch time after time. What seems like the best location doesn’t always work.

So, now that you know how to protect your bird feeder from rats and squirrels, it's time to get out there and feed the birds (tuppence a bag!) and help them make it through the cold winter months ahead. Rats love to travel along the edges of walls as it feels safer. This is the best place to put your traps. Any veterinarian you speak to will be able to tell you about family pets that have been poisoned by eating a poisoned rat or mouse. Try different baits: while there are some things rats find irresistible (list further below) sometimes it’s better to use the SAME food that they have been used to feeding on. The run in question was perfect for the trial as there have been a number of rooks dropping in for breakfast after I had put the feeders out in the mornings. I was taking the feeders in because I had spotted mouse droppings on the ground near my feeders. Perfect timing I would say to test out a Grandpa’s Feeder! Settingup the feeder

Any drawbacks?

They are known to be carriers of a number of horrific things such as fleas, mites, plague, salmonella, hantavirus and hemorrhagic fever. Now, if you’re like us, and your lazy good-for-nothing cat would rather play with rats than hunt them, move onto the next step. Set traps If you can’t get rid of rats on your own, you need more help than I can give you. I’m a big fan of doing things myself, and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. But sometimes you have to throw in the towel and bow down to your new rat overlords. Thomas adds that you should also 'ensure you clean any feeders regularly to prevent disease' and deter nightime scavengers. FAQs Do we need to feed birds in winter?

If your coop is made of wood or has a dirt floor, you’re likely to get rats chewing or digging their way into your coop at night. If you have the option to build the coop from scratch, build it up off the ground at least a foot to make it harder for rats to hide and enter the coop. Alternately, make your coop floor out of poured cement.

Poultry feed is expensive and even a modest amount of feed being wasted daily will soon add up over the course of a month, not to mention the associated risk of disease when rats or wild birds are involved.