Birdseed is not only popular with birds. Mice come to the bird feeder and find paradise in your garden. With the right tips, you can protect the birdhouse from rats and mice.
Table of Contents
recognize mice
If you want to feed the birds around the house and garden in winter, you should be on the lookout for an imminent plague of mice. Various signs indicate that the rodents used the birdseed:
- Mouse droppings by the aviary
- suspicious noises
- Traces around the bird house
- Birds no longer come to the aviary
- Bird seed is quickly gone
Securing bird seed effectively
Various measures are suitable to ensure that you do not attract the rodents. The following tips will help you to keep mice and co. away.
Regular cleaning
If the food is attracting a family of mice to the nest site, regular cleaning can help. It is often the leftover food on the floor that draws the mouse’s attention to the paradisiacal conditions. Sweeping up leftover food every day is recommended. In addition, you should not feed the birds in the garden from the ground. Various wild animals then besiege the garden. In the long term, these often push into the house.
site selection
With the right location, you can limit the risk of the food attracting the mouse to the feeding spot. At best, the dwelling of the birds is freely visible. Mice like to hide in dark bushes or hedges to protect themselves from natural predators like cats. If necessary, it is sufficient to change the location of the bird house. Hanging birdhouses from trees is not a 100% effective remedy. The small rodents even climb trees when the birdseed lures them. Hanging bird houses are more suitable. However, you should be careful that the leftover food on the floor does not attract the rodents.
limit the amount of food
Limiting leftover food can help prevent wildlife from being attracted to the garden. The amount of food decides whether the nocturnal rodents come to the house of the birds. If the feathered animals destroy the birdseed during the day, there is no incentive.
camera surveillance
If there are no signs of a family of mice in the garden, a wildlife camera can be worthwhile. Thanks to the sensor, the camera records all the animals that frolic in the garden at night. It is often surprising for home and garden owners who comes to visit during the night. Early detection can make it easier to drive away mice and co. Over time, the rodents spread more and more.
build a moat
If the local conditions permit, you can build a kind of moat around the feeding place. This moat can prevent rodents from entering.
wrap wire mesh
Another way to protect the birdhouse from rodents is a wire mesh. This procedure is suitable for birdhouses that are located on trees. Wrap the wire netting around the tree to make it impassable for rodents.
The last resort
When there is no more food in the garden, the rodents often disappear on their own. If necessary, essential oils can help to drive the mice away from the aviary with an acrid smell.
frequently asked Questions
The mouse is generally regarded as a passable climber. Even bird houses on the tree are not too far, so that the mouse can get to the food.
If the mouse eats the birds’ food, it’s your own problem. There is only a reporting requirement for a rat infestation on the property. As the owner of a property, you have an obligation to take the appropriate measures to ensure that the rats disappear from the property.
A mouse rarely comes alone. Rather, it is whole groups that settle with the leftover food. Preferably prevent the infestation effectively.
