Stocking your birdfeeders is the kindest act a gardener can do in autumn to help birds struggling to find food, but it does carry the risk of attracting rats. Rats are opportunistic and will enter gardens if food is easy to reach, often due to spilled seeds or low-hanging feeders that cater to ground-feeding birds like robins.
It is important to not have poison or traps near a birdfeeder as it will obviously harm wildlife, but Rob Gale, an expert from Wiggly Wigglers, has shared there is a natural way to stop rats stealing from a birdfeeder. Rob said: “A great natural deterrent is chilli. Birds don’t taste it, but rats and squirrels hate it.”
It might sound bizarre, but birds are immune to capsaicin, a hot compound in chilli powder so they can eat spice without it harming them.
Rats, on the other hand, have very sensitive senses and are easily overwhelmed by strong or spicy scents.
It will cause rats a lot of discomfort if they try to eat spicy birdseeds, but the scent alone is usually enough to deter them, as they usually associate unusual smells with danger.
Using spices is a humane way to keep rats, as well as squirrels and mice, away from your birdfeeders so you can keep feeding local birds without worrying about pests
How to use chilli powder to keep rats away from birdfeeders
Before you begin, make sure you are using plain chilli powder that does not contain garlic, salt, or any other added seasonings. Birds are very sensitive to salt, and too much of it can harm or even kill them.
All you need to do is add two teaspoons of chilli powder per 500g of bird seed. Make sure to mix it thoroughly into the mix so every seed is coated.
Then, all you need to do is fill your bird feed like you normally would, and refill after it has rained, as the water can wash off the chilli powder.
Your birdfeeder should stay free of any thieving rodents so you can enjoy having birds chirping in your garden without worrying about rats scurrying around.
However, make sure you are also keeping your garden clean and clearing up any spilled seeds daily as any easy food source will attract rats and mice.