Catch the spill
Duncraft Super Seed Tray
A 10½ in metal tray that fits under any Duncraft tube feeder and stops seed reaching the ground.
Rats and mice at the bird feeder
Rats come for seed that spills or sits out overnight. Hang feeders at least 4 ft up and 8 ft from branches and fences, fill only what the birds finish in a day, catch the spill with a tray, and take seed in at night, when rats are most active.
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A wide catcher on the pole
Birds Choice Seed Catcher Platform Feeder, Medium
A 20 x 15.5 in tray with draining screens under a hanging feeder; the screens lift out to clean.
A feeder that closes
Brome Squirrel Buster Standard
The shroud closes under a squirrel’s weight; 1.3 lb, four ports, and it comes apart by hand.
A commission never decides the picks. How we choose.
7 more feeders
Brome · Seed feeder
Squirrel Buster Classic
- Holds 2.4 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
- Comes apart to clean
A tall 2.4 lb squirrel-resistant tube, at a lower price than the Plus, if you do not need to adjust the spring.
Keep in mind: The spring is not adjustable, so you cannot tune it for heavier birds.
Duncraft · Seed feeder
Squirrel Blocker Feeder
- Holds 1.5 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
Clinging birds feed through an outer grid squirrels cannot reach through; no springs or batteries.
Keep in mind: The grid also keeps out cardinals and other big birds.
Brome · Platform feeder
BirdsUP Seed Catcher Tray
- Comes apart to clean
Catches what falls from the feeder above and feeds the ground birds on a tray instead.
Keep in mind: Needs Brome’s BirdsUP Single Pole.
Duncraft · Seed feeder
Classic Nyjer Tube Feeder with Tray
- Holds 1.5 lb
Goldfinches on eight nyjer ports, with a tray that catches the spill.
Keep in mind: Empty and dry the tray after rain: wet nyjer spoils quickly.
Brome · Seed tray
Tube Collection Seed Tray
- Comes apart to clean
Catching the seed a Brome Tube feeder drops, so more birds can feed.
Keep in mind: Fits only Brome’s Tube 100, 150 and 200, not its squirrel-proof feeders.
Duncraft · Seed tray
Seed Tray, Small
- 7½ in tray
A smaller landing tray under a Duncraft single tube.
Keep in mind: Fits Duncraft single tube feeders, not caged feeders.
Nature's Way · Seed feeder
Squirrel Shield Advantage Cage Feeder
- Holds 3.2 qt
- Squirrel-resistant
- Comes apart to clean
Two defenses in one feeder where squirrels raid: a cage, and a shield that drops over the ports under a squirrel’s weight.
Keep in mind: Nature’s Way does not give the size of the cage openings, so check that the birds you want can get in.
Why rats come
Rats travel along fence tops and wires looking for food, and bird seed is one of their favorites. Seed spills from every feeder and cannot all be cleaned up, and rats are good climbers that reach feeders hung in trees, Public Health – Seattle & King County notes: if you feed birds, expect more rats near the house. Mice, chipmunks and squirrels come for the same seed, and predators follow them, MassWildlife adds.
Hang it out of reach
Hang feeders at least 4 ft off the ground and 8 ft from branches, fences or anything else a rat could jump from. A squirrel-proof feeder with a tray under it and a baffle on the pole keeps both the climbers and the spill in check.
Use a smooth metal pole rather than a tree or a wooden post: rats and squirrels climb bark and rough wood with ease, and a feeder hanging from a branch is within reach of anything that climbs. Where a wooden post is all you have, the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management suggests wrapping it in overlapping aluminum flashing so climbers cannot grip it, with a baffle at least 4 ft up.
Hot-pepper seed
Seed coated with hot pepper (capsaicin) puts off rats, mice and squirrels while birds keep eating it. Mammals reject food with just a few parts per million of capsaicin, while birds show no sign of feeling its burn even at concentrations far hotter than any chili, repellent researcher Russ Mason explains on the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. It is not foolproof: some hungry squirrels and rats eat it anyway.
Buy seed or suet sold already coated rather than shaking pepper powder over your own seed: loose powder can blow into birds’ eyes, and into yours when you fill the feeder.
Fill less, and never overnight
Fill the feeder with no more than the birds empty in a day, and leave no seed out overnight, when rats are most active. Choose food your birds actually eat: mixes heavy in filler seeds end up on the ground. Rake up spilled seed and hulls, and keep stored seed in a metal can with a tight lid.
If they keep coming
Take the feeders down for a few weeks and clear the ground under them, so the rats move on. Some places make it the property owner’s job to keep rats from finding food, as King County does, and MassWildlife now asks residents to give up seed feeders altogether in favor of native plants and a bird bath.