Squirrels, pigeons and rats at the feeder

“Squirrel-proof” is a shop phrase. The pages we opened do not include a test of any guard, and we have not watched a squirrel on one. What follows is what the RSPB and the BTO actually say, plus the limit of what we will not invent.

Squirrels

The RSPB’s feeding page offers two practical ideas: a squirrel deterrent or a baffle from a shop, or plastic bottles fixed so they revolve, slipped along the pole. A baffle is a dome or a cone that sits on the pole or above a hanging feeder so a squirrel cannot climb past it. The revolving bottle is the homemade version of the same idea: the animal’s weight spins it.

They do not, on that page, describe a weight-activated perch that closes when a squirrel lands. Those feeders are widely sold. We have not opened a maker’s page for one, so this guide does not explain a mechanism, a closing weight, or a model name. If you want that type, read the maker’s own instructions and treat any “proof” claim as theirs.

Mesh still matters for nuts. The RSPB says rigid steel mesh is the only safe way to offer nuts, because birds should nibble pieces. A flimsy wire cage that a squirrel can pull apart is a different object. We have not compared cages.

On a nest box, the BTO suggests a metal plate around the entrance hole so a squirrel cannot enlarge it. They also say a perch on the front of a box gives a squirrel or a weasel a foothold, and is unnecessary. That is box advice, not feeder advice, and it is in the nest box guide.

Pigeons and other large birds

Pigeons feed comfortably on a flat surface. The RSPB now says not to use bird tables, window feeders or trays, because of disease, and that change also removes the easiest pigeon perch. A hanging tube with short ports is harder for a pigeon than a table. It will not stop a determined woodpigeon under the feeder, eating what small birds drop. The BTO says sweep or clear that waste, and move the feeder so a pile does not form. Dropped food is also what rats find.

Rats

The RSPB says cooked food can attract rats, and that you should never let uneaten food build up. Seeds and peanuts should be gone in one or two days. Suet within seven days. Mealworms on the ground should be cleared by dusk.

The BTO’s hygiene page says remove uneaten food after 24 to 48 hours, and do not throw it somewhere wildlife can still reach it. Store fresh food in a sealed container, cool and dry, so it does not sweat and go mouldy. A shed is only useful if the container is sealed and the shed is shut. Storing bird food covers that, and Garden Tool Storage is a separate site about sheds and securing them, not about bird food itself.

If rats are already coming, the honest step is to stop ground food and to pause feeding until they have moved on, then start again with less food in a hanging feeder you clear underneath. That is a practical reading of “do not let waste build up”, not a separate rule from a rat charity. We did not open a local-authority pest page.

Cats

The RSPB mentions scent around the garden: citronella, citrus peel, or a commercial cat repellent. They also say the feeder should not sit so close to a bush that a predator can wait in it, while still being close enough for a bird to dash to cover. There is no metre measurement on the page we opened, so this guide does not invent one. Where to hang a feeder.

Do baffles work on a hanging feeder?

The RSPB describes baffles, and revolving bottles on a pole. A baffle above a hanging feeder is the same idea. We have not tested one.

Will a cage feeder stop a rat?

We have not opened a cage-feeder page, so we cannot say. Rats climb. The advice we can stand behind is to remove leftover food and not to scatter it.

Should I feed if I have seen a rat?

Stop ground food and clear what is under the feeder. The RSPB and the BTO both treat leftover food as the problem to remove. Store what you keep in a sealed container.