Tips to keep rats away from bird feeders and out of your yard

Keeping rats and mice out of your garden involves taking a multi-faceted approach beginning with no-mess bird seed and a high-quality bird feeding pole. Ensure no birdseed stays on the ground overnight and encourage natural predators like snakes, foxes, owls and other raptors that will help control them. Try to reduce the birds’ dependency on bird feeders by using trees, shrubs and flowers that provide natural food for the birds.