birds ... mice

[prawncracker]

I have an urban garden in which I tried last year to encourage birds to come to by planting trees and with hanging bird feeders and the like. It was working for a while but building work right next to me seems to have scared them all away. I thought they were eating the food secretly anyway because the feeders were emptying. But one early morning I saw some very acrobatic mice scaling the bird feeders and filling their mouse tummies. Very cute, however, what do you think i should do? Is there anything i can plant that will encourage the birds. Rowan trees or something like that?

And what of the mice? The mice are living my shed. So far I have not had the heart to kill them, at least they are not in the house, but I have taken their free larder (undecanted bird food) and bedding (dust sheets) away. Should I stop being so softhearted and slaughter them before they invade my house and my neighbours?

[Milims]

Sorry to be a harbinger of doom - but are you sure they are mice? Rats have a field day with bird feeders - and it only takes a few crumbs from the peanuts to create very healthy rats! The problem then is you can end up with a visit from your local environmental heath officer - which could result in prosecution. Another good reason for not feeding the birds is that they become complacent - they don't bother to look for food elsewhere and stop being so alert to the dangers in their environment - why should they when kind people provide them with a buffet - sadly the birds end up becoming a buffet for birds of prey. Lastly, bird feeders don't get washed and they end up being covered in nasties like e-coli which the birds ingest with their food and it kills them. I don't mean to sound harsh, but having worked in Env Health I have first hand experience of the unpleaseantness that feeding the birds can bring. I'd say that if you want to encourage birds to your garden it's much better to do it naturally - with the things you plant, so that they can do their birdy thing in their birdy way not in the way we humans want them to.

[evelyn]

I have planted Rowan and Hawthorn trees and i have Holly bushes and other shrubs that have berrys, the birdys seem happy with them although they do have to keep an eye out for my moggys.

As for the mice/ rats, sorry hun but it has to be the end for them, ring your local environment oncall Monday morning and get them delt with, it is the only way.

Eve

[Rosendula]

Milims, You obviously know what you're talking about on this subject and have confirmed some of the things I had wondered about (my parents buy sacks full of bird food, then go mad if squirrels go near and shoot them They have been reported on more than one occasion to the RSPCA but it doesn't stop them).

Anyway, my question is whether bird baths are OK or do they pose problems too?

[MKG]

Bird feeding stations and birdbaths should be placed within fairly easy reach of trees or bushes so that the birdies have a fighting chance of escape should the local sparrowhawk come floating by. On the other hand, sparrowhawks have to eat too.

I like mice.

[prawncracker]

rats ... oh dear that puts a whole different slant on this. It was house mice i spotted climbing impressively up the fence but even mentioning rats makes me squirm. We had field mice before the JCBs moved in next door, sweet little ginger creatures with big eyes, but it was brown house mice i spotted ... or baby rats ... oh dear!

let the slaughter commence.