Do ground feeding birds take Rat Poison? (1 Viewer)

[Davey Leigh]

Does anyone know if ground feeding garden birds (e.g. Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch) will feed on Rat Poison (Wayfarin) We live next to a railway line and our neighbors keep chickens. Every 6 months or so pest control baits the railway embankment and under sheds. When the snow melted this morning I was horrified to see the blue poison pellets strewn all across the lawn right under my feeders where the birds mentioned above typically hoover up the fallen scraps!! Do you think the birds would eat this stuff?

Davey

 

[Joe1980]

I would think that any bird that would scavenge like a rat would, may eat or at least taste it. That's disheartening. I am against poisoning rodents because any hawk or owl that picks up a baited mouse or rat is going to ingest the poison also. Its a shame, but I doubt you could get anything done about it. I would clean up any poison you do find though.

 

[Davey Leigh]

Yes i thought as much myself. Its a big problem as the rats always return because new individuals always move in from further up the railway embankment to re colonize as there is always a food supply provided by the feed my neighbors give their chickens (and the bird food that drops from my feeders!). My garden is only 5yrds by 25yrds but i've seen up to 8 rats at once milling about. If anyone has any suggestions I would be eager to hear...

 

[Zukn]

I know many will hate this answer, A Cat. Cats are much more likely to hunt terrestrial prey than avian and their scent is a detterent, however if poison is being used nearby this may not be advisable. Borrowing a ferret once a week and letting it run round, once again scent is the deterrent. AN annoying Jack Russel Terrier you don't mind eating poisoned rats? For a change noise is deterent.
Otherwise I'm out of ideas except it's daily cleanup by you and your chicken loving neighbor to deny the rats a food source.

 

[vintagechick]

One way to scare away mammals like raccoons and rats (and maybe squirrels?) is to put the urine of their predators out.

The thought is that the smell of the predator's urine will convince animals to leave. I went to a sporting goods store and they had a whole collection of bottles of animal urine for hunters to use. :eek!: I bought some coyote urine but haven't had to use it yet. (Our resident raccoon moved elsewhere. I think my dog annoyed it into leaving.) The suggestion I read said to put some on a rag and hang it in a little net bag from the tree (or a bird feeder). You need to hang it where the rain won't hit it or it will dilute it.

It might be worth a try.

CindyB

 

[welove2travel]

Take pictures of the posion in your yard and send them a letter saying you will write to the paper and let everyone know they are making yards unsafe for children to play in. That might be the best approach, bad PR is not something any company can afford.

 

[etudiant]

It is bad practice to just throw the poison pellets loosely on the open ground, as they dissolve and leach into the water. The workers may not have been properly trained for this job or were not given the right kit.
The normal standard is to put out bait stations, covered plastic boxes with rat sized access holes. The bait is protected inside and replaced as consumed.
Here in NYC we have had cases of hawk nestlings dying because too much anticoagulant in their blood, because their food includes many poisoned rats that are easy pickings for the parents. The NYC Parks Department has switched to a less dangerous poison as a result of public outcry over this.

 

[Davey Leigh]

Pest Control put the poison in bags along the embankment and under sheds etc. but I think a Squirrel pulled one out and shook it all over our lawn, so we can't really blame the Ratman. Anyhow its all cleared up now.
Thanks all for your suggestions, Predator Urine sounds the best option if I can get hold of some.

Davey

 

[Stewart J.]

Blackbirds take the bait, we had a small Rat problem in spring this year, used tubes filled with bait unfortunately whilst gardening one was knocked somehow and rat poison spilt. It was only when wondering what a Blackbird had found to eat I realised. :C