How can I feed my birds without attracting mice? I until I saw the mouse the birds were enjoying the bird house?

I until I saw the mouse the birds were enjoying the bird house. A mouse has come to the back yard looking for the seed the birds drop from the bird feeder and I have taken the bird feeder away. What can I do to enjoy the birds but not encourage mice - we live in Alameda County - CA.

Asked by mzkitty5 59 months ago Similar Questions: feed birds attracting mice mouse enjoying bird house Recent Questions About: feed birds attracting mice mouse enjoying bird house Home.

Similar Questions: feed birds attracting mice mouse enjoying bird house Recent Questions About: feed birds attracting mice mouse enjoying bird house.

Use the native plants of your region to feed your birds. The birds of your region will have adapted, over thousands of years, to eating the fruits, nuts, and nectar of plants native to your area. By planting a variety of native shrubs and trees, you can enjoy their beauty while the birds use them for food and shelter.

Also, a bird bath will atract birds while not being such a rodent magnet. Find further information at the California Native Plant Society: cnps.org/cnps/nativeplants/ Also, California Audubon would be a good source: audubon-ca.org/index.html .

Of Mice and Feeders Precaution 1 - Food Storage Store your food in sealed, waterproof containers. Do not simply put the bag on a shelf in the garage. If you do, your garage will soon be infested with mice.

I buy food in 50 lb bags now, so I bought a stack of 5 gallon paint pails from the local hardware store. But even before I started buying food in bulk, I was recycling jars and plastic milk jugs for storing small quantities of bird food. Precaution 2 - Keep Food Away from Buildings I learned the hard way not to fill my feeders in the garage.

Since it is nearly impossible to fill a feeder without spilling some seed on the floor, I soon had a minor mouse infestation. I now store my food in weather proof containers outside. I am also careful to fill my feeders far away from my house and garage.

Precaution 3 - Avoid Ground Feeders Ground feeders are useful for attacting some kinds of birds (such as Chipping Sparrows), but in most cases a large platform feeder stationed near but not on the ground will do the trick just as well. I admit that I still keep one ground feeder filled with oats and barley to attract White-tailed Jackrabbits during winter months. But in order to reduce its attractiveness to mice and voles, I no longer stock it with the suet cakes rabbits (and mice) have such an affection for.

Precaution 4 - Talk To The Industry Canmore, AB, a mountain village 90 minutes to the west of where I live has recently passed a bylaw outlawing bird feeders because they attract Black Bears. This is what happens when the industry tries to ignore a problem instead of meeting it head on. Talk to the industry through your local wild bird food store.

Encourage food and feeder manufacturers to adopt a set of best practices guidelines for bird feeding entusiasts. Ask them to include a one page outline of these guidelines in every unit they sell to consumers. Ask your bird food retailer to sell weather proof storage containers and warn customers of the dangers of sloppy feeding practices.

The last thing we feeding enthusiasts want to see are bylaws outlawing feeders because they attract mice or coyotes or bears. Precaution 5 - Keep it Clean Going out to fill your feeders is only half of the job. You are not done until you have cleaned up as much of the ground waste beneath the feeders as you can.

Sources: http://weaselhead.org/articles/bird_feeding_and_mice.php .

Here's how to do it: Precaution 1 - Food Storage Store your food in sealed, waterproof containers. Do not simply put the bag on a shelf in the garage. If you do, your garage will soon be infested with mice.

I buy food in 50 lb bags now, so I bought a stack of 5 gallon paint pails from the local hardware store. But even before I started buying food in bulk, I was recycling jars and plastic milk jugs for storing small quantities of bird food. Precaution 2 - Keep Food Away from Buildings I learned the hard way not to fill my feeders in the garage.

Since it is nearly impossible to fill a feeder without spilling some seed on the floor, I soon had a minor mouse infestation. I now store my food in weather proof containers outside. I am also careful to fill my feeders far away from my house and garage.

Precaution 3 - Avoid Ground Feeders Ground feeders are useful for attacting some kinds of birds (such as Chipping Sparrows), but in most cases a large platform feeder stationed near but not on the ground will do the trick just as well. I admit that I still keep one ground feeder filled with oats and barley to attract White-tailed Jackrabbits during winter months. But in order to reduce its attractiveness to mice and voles, I no longer stock it with the suet cakes rabbits (and mice) have such an affection for.

Precaution 4 - Talk To The Industry Canmore, AB, a mountain village 90 minutes to the west of where I live has recently passed a bylaw outlawing bird feeders because they attract Black Bears. This is what happens when the industry tries to ignore a problem instead of meeting it head on. Talk to the industry through your local wild bird food store.

Encourage food and feeder manufacturers to adopt a set of best practices guidelines for bird feeding entusiasts. Ask them to include a one page outline of these guidelines in every unit they sell to consumers. Ask your bird food retailer to sell weather proof storage containers and warn customers of the dangers of sloppy feeding practices.

The last thing we feeding enthusiasts want to see are bylaws outlawing feeders because they attract mice or coyotes or bears. Precaution 5 - Keep it Clean Going out to fill your feeders is only half of the job. You are not done until you have cleaned up as much of the ground waste beneath the feeders as you can.

With more North Americans feeding wild birds today than ever before in history, it makes sense that we pay attention to these details and take care to adopt a set of best practice guidelines now. It is only a matter of time until people less appreciative of nature than we are raise holy hell with City Hall demanding a crackdown on a popular backyard hobby that has the unfortunate side effect of attracting mice. Sources: http://weaselhead.org/articles/bird_feeding_and_mice.php .

1 pseudotsuga, regarding your answer "Use the native plants of your region to feed your birds. ":Thank you so much for your thoughtful message. I love to garden and Iove the birds that come to visit.

I want a conservatory in the backyard too so I can sit out their all year long. Thank your for suggesting the natural approach. Great Day -Alyssia .

Pseudotsuga, regarding your answer "Use the native plants of your region to feed your birds. ":Thank you so much for your thoughtful message. I love to garden and Iove the birds that come to visit.

I want a conservatory in the backyard too so I can sit out their all year long. Thank your for suggesting the natural approach. Great Day -Alyssia.

We have 3 large bird feeders and we can not keep them filled. We thought what hungry birds" "If you have mice in more than one house, do you have mice in your hice?

We have 3 large bird feeders and we can not keep them filled. We thought what hungry birds.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.