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Get a cat. The rodents will move out when they smell CAT even at a level you cannot. Keep the bird feed in a metal can. Use mouse and rat traps in the garage. Keep the bird feeder and perches above cat level. Provide a secure elevated water source for the birds. Water is the limiting environmental factor for birds in most places.
Get a cat. The rodents will move out when they smell CAT even at a level you cannot. Keep the bird feed in a metal can. Use mouse and rat traps in the garage. Keep the bird feeder and perches above cat level. Provide a secure elevated water source for the birds. Water is the limiting environmental factor for birds in most places.
Thank you for the tips! Would a dog have the same effect or does it have to be a cat. I know dogs can't catch the critters but will they get scared away if they see/smell/hear a dog? I like other people's cats, but I don't like the idea of owning one. Cats make me nervous with their meowing, scratching, hiding, and slinking around I'm sorry if I offended any cat owners. We used to have a Basset Hound until he died 2 years ago and that's when the rodent problems started up (around the same time I began the bird feeders).
Please tell me another dog will solve the problem-I'm trying to get my husband to agree on another one
You can borrow my Jack Russell Terrier. He'll chase rabbits, mice and probably chipmunks if given half the chance! The scent of a dog might work. You could put some dog hair in pantyhose and hang it in the general vicinity. I know that works to stop weasles from chewing the wires in the car!
We got a Mole Stop which is a green plastic thing that you put in the ground and it vibrates every so often. It is supposed to simulate a mole in distress that warns the other moles away from danger. It has worked pretty well. We used to have lots of moles and now we don't. You can get it at Home Depot. The batteries are supposed to last for about 2 years.
if you feed wildbirds you will attract Owls that only hunt at night-Owls will eat moles/voles/mice. Crows and blue jays will protect your birdfeeders from hawks. I would like to suggest please keep your cats in the house for the health and safety of wildlife and humans as well as your cats, owls were created to control rodent population, cats could get diseases and die from rodents,besides they wont eat the rodents.fyi crows do not kill birds,on a rare occasion during nesting season a crow might grab a baby bird,it is well worth it to have crows and bluejays in your yard if you are a birder. please do not get a cat and allow it to roam,it kills birds for sport ( doesin't eat the law protected song birds) plus you take the chance of having issues with neigbors once you allow your cat to roam freely. Your birdfeeder wont be very active when the birds know a cat is around. change location of your birdfeeders far away from the house, mix gravel up in your planting beds,they cant tunnel through small gravel rocks this deters them as well. Moth balls work extremly well too.
My neighbor solved his problems with a .22. Even though we are in the city limits he uses a low power load that barely emits more than a small pop. He is always aware of the background he is shooting into.
Buy a small HavaHeart live trap. Bait it with the chippies fav. food. I suggest something sticky placed right on the trigger- rice crispy treats worked well when we had a pack rat years ago. The 5 gallon bucket trap works wonders also. I used it for voles. I burried a 5 gal bucket and filled the bottom of it with seeds crackers & bread. It had a lid with a small opening hole in the center of the lid (this way if they try to jump up the sides, they shouldn't be able to get out). I put a log over the top of the bucket set, sprinkled more food around the out side, and within days started catching the little rodents. They could then be easily dispatched or released. Be sure to check any traps often though, you wouldn't want any critter to sit in a trap too long and get stressed out or dehydrated
If you have a mole problem i have heard that putting tobasco sauce in there runs will drive them out???
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I'm sorry if I offended any cat owners. We used to have a Basset Hound until he died 2 years ago and that's when the rodent problems started up (around the same time I began the bird feeders). 
The scent of a dog might work. You could put some dog hair in pantyhose and hang it in the general vicinity. I know that works to stop weasles from chewing the wires in the car!
Moles
