Birdfeeders and Mice

3 years ago

I have a Squirrelbuster and suet feeder hanging outside my kitchen window. I love having them there, but my old, unsealed garage isn't far away and I've had a terrible problem with mice -- to the point that they were eating up my car!!

So now I have a new car and I'm trying to figure out how to solve the mice problem without getting rid of my feeders, which are the obvious problem.

Here's what I have so far:

1) Snaptraps seem to be considered the most humane and efficient way to get rid of existing mice, which I'm not crazy about, but even if I did at least initially use them, with the consistent supply of bird food, I'd have to consistently have traps and I don't want to do that long-term.

2) Feeders are over concrete, so I can sweep up fallen seed at dusk every night, BUT mice climb along fence and/or up house to get to feeders, so even tho that may be somewhat of a deterrent, it's really not going to be a great deterrent.

3) Put trays under feeders so seed doesn't fall. Would lessen my sweeping, but ... see #2.

4) Put cayenne pepper in birdseed. My dogs will often eat seed under feeders, so I wouldn't want them to eat the pepper.

5) Put peppermint oil soaked cotton balls in car, and spray peppermint solution under hood. Easy enough, but in my last car, mice were in the headliner, in the felt on the back side of the hood, nesting on the cabin filter, inside the seats, etc., so I wonder if there could ever be enough peppermint. And, yes, I've used dryer sheets, but same issue, and dryer sheets don't work very long.

6) Relocate feeders away from house. If I did this, I couldn't see them as easily, so that would be a bummer. But, also, there is nowhere I can put them that the seed won't drop and grow beneath them. And, my lot is small, so mice will still be fairly close to the garage.

7) Seal garage. This will be a project, but is on the list for next summer.

I have cats, so I don't have any mice in my house.

Has anyone ever successfully had a birdfeeder and eliminated mice? Does anyone have a suggestion other than those above?

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Comments (9)

Pat Z5or6 SEMich
3 years ago
Mice only get in my garage when I am being messy with cleaning up dropped birdseed. My garbage cans are in my garage but they are too tall and closed for anything to get in them. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out why mice would rather eat a car than anything else that might be in a garage, so I need time to think about an answer, MizAnne.
catherinet (5IN)
3 years ago
I initially quit feeding the birds in our back yard for a couple reasons.......First, the coons would come at night and get into fights over what had dropped. Secondly, it also attracts chipmunks and red squirrels......which can end up in our crawlspace. We set traps just inside the crawl space. I absolutely hate doing that, but we were getting them in the house/kitchen/in the walls. The chipmunks and mice dig tunnels in the area. One time we discovered a rat in our basement. It must have been attracted to the tunnels and birdseed from the other animals.

So now I just throw seed out in the driveway, but only in winter.

I'm thinking for you, the only thing you might do is buy the seed that makes no mess (no shells), in conjunction with putting a tray under your feeder so nothing falls to the ground. The no mess birdseed is pretty expensive I think.....but it might be worth it for you.

Put the smelliest dryer sheets in your car and all through your garage. Can you put your cats in there occasionally? Maybe put their used kitty litter box out there to scare the mice. Also......get a fake owl and put it in your garage. Change it's position fairly often. Maybe even have a motion sensing light. We don't have a garage and I'm always complaining about it.........but then I think of all the wildlife that might get in there, since we live in the woods.

Anyhow.......try any and all of these suggestions and let us know how it goes. I had good luck with the dryer sheets and the fake owl in the shed I have my golf cart in. They can't stand that strong perfume smell. And the cheapest ones have the strongest smell!

Good luck!
User thanked catherinet (5IN)
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Have you talked to your neighbor? Why are people so hesitant to approach a neighbor about something like this? I'd talk with them in a friendly manner, explain what the squirrels are doing and that they could actually do damage to the building. Tell them you appreciate them wanting to feed and watch birds, but that their feeders are attracting squirrels and other rodents to the apartment. I would NOT suggest a "squirrel proof " feeder, which won't solve your problem at all. Tell them that birds need clean, fresh water more than they need birds seed (absolutely true) and that a little bird bath would attract a lot of birds for viewing (also true). Perhaps they can consider a hummingbird feeder? Suggest that as a solution. If you find them uncooperative to your FRIENDLY and NONCONFRONTATIONAL approach, then make a personal visit to management to tell them of the problem of the rodents (a better word than cute little squirrels). Mice and rats love bird seed, too, as do racoons. Emphasize the rodent problem, not that your plants are being damaged.
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Wow I found this site trying to find out if rats will eat clover! I was trying to find a tray for my 2 girls as to cats killing birds yes t happens we have bird feeders and I never see cats but I have watched Hawks swoop down and steal a bird every couple days, but hey they have to eat to! Also raccoons will kill birds as well as they climb the trees at night and eat the eggs. Lol a cat that is well fed will be less likely to try and kill a bird, we had a barn cat that would kill mice, rats, raccoons and he always brought the dead animal for a piece of raw bacon to my grandfather! In 22 years he never brought a bird. He could have cared less about the birds the ones who are interested in birds are hungry cats, my grandmother had a canary I have a cat and he would just go lay by the sun and could have cared less about the bird! Had a dog who literally killed several birds....nature has a way of taking care of its own! However man kind is the most destructive of all creatures!
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Pat Z5or6 SEMich
3 years ago
catherinet, i'm considering not feeding for your same reasons, but nothing has come into the house yet. thank you for your comments about this.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
3 years ago
P.S. Happy new year, catherinet.
catherinet (5IN)
3 years ago
Happy New Year to you too Pat!
User
Original Author
3 years ago
Pat, many car parts are made with soy these days, and the mice find them delicious.

Catherine, great ideas, some of which I haven't thought of or tried. TY very much!!
Embothrium
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Recently I paid over $7000 for closing of rat holes, replacement of rat soiled insulation and ground cloth in 2 attics and crawl space because the couple I bought this place from last fall was running garbage can sized amounts of bird seed through 2 pole mounted feeders with small trays = bird seed constantly on the ground around them.

The pest control operator making the original assessment said there were tunnels under the foundation that probably opened out at the bases of the feeders.

If you want to help wild birds plant locally native plants that will provide food and shelter. In addition to attracting nuisance mammals direct feeding of wild birds sets up a disease transmission situation by causing unnatural congregations of birds.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
3 years ago
Wish that didn't make so much sense, but I'm not there yet.
socks
2 years ago
I'm all for snap traps, but from a very sad experience I can tell you they can also catch birds. I'd love to feed the birds, but the rats and mice and squirrels are rampant here and it would be a real problem.

Birdfeeders and Mice

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Pat Z5or6 SEMich

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