I recently found a rat lurking beneath my bird feeder and discovered a nest nearby. I'm really hesitant to use rat poison because I don't want to accidentally harm the local wildlife, like squirrels or birds. My neighbor mentioned that there are so many rats around, it might not even be worth the effort to try to get rid of them. Is there a humane way to deal with this issue? Perhaps planting something like mint that rats dislike?
3 Answers
You might want to try a squirrel baffle for your bird feeder. We had a similar problem, and once we installed one, the rat issue cleared up pretty quickly. I really recommend giving that a go!
You could consider attracting barn owls to your area. We had a huge rat problem until some owls moved in, and now we rarely see any rat signs around. Just make sure your neighbors aren't using poison, as that could harm the owls too. It's really exciting to have them around!
If you're looking for a more creative solution, have you thought about using a Cat Distribution System? It sounds silly, but having a cat around can help keep rats at bay without harming other wildlife!