I had a lovely population of birds going and they brought me a ton of joy and, as sad as it sounds, some purpose to my otherwise boring life. Recently, I spotted one big and three smaller rats hanging around the feeders in broad daylight. I tried every suggestion I found online, but the rats kept coming every day at midday.
Yesterday, my partner and I made the hard decision to remove the feeders for good because we live in a rented house and I'm worried we might get evicted if neighbours complain about rats (can this actually happen?).
This morning, I heard the birds singing and waiting around for food that will never come and it was breaking my heart. I'm worried they will now struggle to find food because from what I know, nobody on my road has bird feeders. I have huge bags of birdfood left and I doubt I'll be able to restart feeding birds anytime soon. My partner is reluctant and says I really shouldn't. I know birds are wild animals and aren't our pets, but I feel really sad about the whole situation.
I guess I just needed a vent. But do you think I should restart feeding the birds when I no longer see the rats? How long would it take for them to move on? Will rats start coming to the house now that I stopped putting feeders out? Are there any ways I can attract birds without feeding them?
I think generally 4-6 weeks is recommended to halt feeding for. Sad as your situation is, at least there is currently ample natural food for your feathered friends to eat