Hedgehog food and rats

[Pedagog]

Hi all another silly question from me.

If I put hedgehog food out, will I attract rats. I ask as we have rats in the past ( I think they live under next doors decking ) around our compost bins.

[healfdan]

This will always be a problem. In attracting one species with ground feed you are inviting other visitors to dine at your expense. Your feeding station could attract mice, rats, foxes and even squirrels if they live in the vicinity. And where do you go from there....repellents, traps, pest control?
Healfdan

[Pedagog]

I was thinking more about upsetting the neighbours

[healfdan]

Nice sentiment. I only wish my neighbour showed the same consideration and stopped throwing out bread for a flock of gulls at 6am every morning. At least rats and mice are quiet.
Healfdan

[Pedagog]

Originally Posted by healfdan

Nice sentiment. I only wish my neighbour showed the same consideration and stopped throwing out bread for a flock of gulls at 6am every morning. At least rats and mice are quiet.
Healfdan

Reason being we did until recently have livestock (goats, chickens and ducks), and so every rat sighting in a 5 mile area was down to my animals, despite the fact that I know rats were living under my neighbours decking before we moved in, and it was the other neighbours who had to get rentakill out to the mouse infestation in their house.

Thankfully we don't get many gulls round here.

[dampflippers]

You could put water out without being accused of feeding rats. (Please can everyone who reads this put water out as there have been alot of hedgehog deaths this year due to dehydration.)

Wood mice visit my feeding station, but they don't eat the dried hedgehog food but they do eat the mealworms, sultanas and birdseed.
I haven't recorded any rats, and the fox doesn't eat it. (I have a stealth cam)

I did have rats which visited my compost heap. In order to avoid problems with neighbours I'm afraid I did place break back traps on top of the compost in the bin where I knew hedgehogs couldn't get. (I put them in the back field so they stayed in the food chain). I thought of using liv traps, but then I couldn't think of anywhere to take them.

Definitely don't put poison down, or let your neighbours because it will kill hedgehogs too, and a young one could get into one of those poison tubes.

For more advice, try this forum:
Hedgehogs

[Pedagog]

Originally Posted by dampflippers

You could put water out without being accused of feeding rats. (Please can everyone who reads this put water out as there have been alot of hedgehog deaths this year due to dehydration.)

Wood mice visit my feeding station, but they don't eat the dried hedgehog food but they do eat the mealworms, sultanas and birdseed.
I haven't recorded any rats, and the fox doesn't eat it. (I have a stealth cam)

I did have rats which visited my compost heap. In order to avoid problems with neighbours I'm afraid I did place break back traps on top of the compost in the bin where I knew hedgehogs couldn't get. (I put them in the back field so they stayed in the food chain). I thought of using liv traps, but then I couldn't think of anywhere to take them.

Definitely don't put poison down, or let your neighbours because it will kill hedgehogs too, and a young one could get into one of those poison tubes.

For more advice, try this forum:
Hedgehogs

Thank you for that, We have water out at various heights and locations around the garden, to cater for any mammels and birds that need a drink.
There is food (including mealworms and seeds) for the birds, I have started builing a hedgehog feeder so will take the plunge and hope that rats don't start feeeding from it.

I don't use any poisons as I have pets and children (my own and minded) using the garden.