This genius bird feeding solution is what I've been looking for to keep rodents out of my garden
I was tired of the scraps of seeds and bird feed falling to the ground for the pests to be attracted to but this fixes everything
I don't know about you, but I was getting pretty frustrated with the amount of mess my bird feeder was creating and, more importantly, the amount of unwanted pests that mess was attracting. But I didn't want to lose my feathered visitors, so what could I do?
Having kept up to date with the RSPB's summer bird feeding advice, I was consistent in putting out small amounts of dried mealworms through the hotter months. However, with the bird feeder I was using, I found that most of the worms ended up on the floor below, and that was becoming a rather unsightly mess as well as an open buffet to rodents.
I still want to attract birds to my garden, especially with the winter months being a hard time for them to find food, but what could I do to avoid those pesky rodents? Well, I came upon this fantastic solution, and I just had to share it.
This summer and early autumn, I found myself wondering how I was going to continue welcoming birds in my garden but at the same time deter rats from visiting it. With so much bird food ending up on the ground, and the recent advice against larger flat-top tables, I was a bit stuck with what to do.
"An update on how the hanging basket under the bird feeder has looked throughout the summer. It manages to catch anything the birds drop when they are on the feeder," explains Rebecca Ayres, Instagram user @selfinsufficiency.
"But this peanut feeder isn't ideal for mealworms, but they still clear up after themselves, even from amongst the flowers," she adds.
"The hanging basket is still keeping my veranda clear of food droppings and, therefore, rodents," Rebecca points out.
Of course, with anything, there are some downsides. As Rebecca mentions, the type of feeder you place above the hanging basket can limit what size and type of bird food you can put in it. However, after a quick search online, there are a few different cage options that work well with fat balls, mealworms or peanuts.
This is overall a great solution to a common bird feeder mistake and will keep the majority of the mess off the floor and away from unwanted garden visitors.
This is also a great way to help keep squirrels out of your garden, as they are less likely to be able to reach your hanging baskets, and the awkward placement will hopefully discourage them altogether.
