
The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.But you can experiment with the techniques mentioned in this article to prevent mice in your yard. They have better expertise and experience and quickly get rid of the mice problem.Ī bird feeder has disadvantages, but whether you want one is a personal choice. You can hire professionals if you are not comfortable doing it alone.

If none of those solutions mentioned above are working for you, then it’s time to get down and dirty! You can set traps around the yard that will capture the rodents in your yard. Keeping mice away from your bird feeder will be a huge challenge! Spray this mix in all the problem areas, including your house’s foundation, deck, and the lower part of your bird feeder. Mix peppermint oil and water in a 1:10 or 1:20 ratio in a sprayer. Otherwise, you can spray peppermint oil in your yard, especially around the feeding area. Mice and rats hate the smell of strong mint. This is one of the most tried and tested methods and also the most successful one.

Keep the trees and bushes trimmed so that mice won’t be able to hide underneath them.Place your feeder far away, at least 30 feet away from any cover or shelter.Keep your yard and garden properly landscaped with very short grass.Keep the area under the feeder open without any ground cover.It also makes them defenseless to predators like cats, hawks, and other larger animals. Mice like to sneak around, so an open ground is not ideal for them. Put them inside metal or glass containers and keep them inside your house. So never store them in your yard or anywhere mice can access them. We have talked about protecting your feeder, but what about the sack of seed supply? You must be aware that mice can chew through bags of seed supply in no time. You can look for a hot pepper seed mix, hot pepper suet, or even add hot pepper oil to the seeds, making it less appealing to the other animals. Rodents have sensitive noses and cannot tolerate spices such as hot peppers, whereas birds don’t seem to be affected by spices. We would also recommend one made of metal instead of a fabric thistle feeder since mice can chew through it to see what’s inside. So if you don’t mind limiting the variety of birds in your yard, this is an excellent option to prevent rodents.Īnd if you are thinking of trying out this technique, get a thistle feeder instead of a regular one. Mice and most rodents aren’t big fans of thistle seeds, but neither are all birds. Offer your birds seeds that mice aren’t interested in You can place your feeder on a pole but use a smooth metal pole instead of a wooden pole since a smooth surface will make it harder for them to gain footing and climb.Ĥ. So hanging a feeder from a tree will not keep the mice away. They can again jump horizontally for a few feet. They can leap from heights (as high as two stories) and land on the ground without getting hurt. Similarly, they can also access rough surfaces such as brick and stone. Mice are good climbers climbing through trees and wooden poles is as easy as running on the ground. Since mice, rats, and squirrels have similar weights, you can buy a weight-sensitive feeder like the Squirrel buster. Getting a hopper style or tube feeder or a squirrel-proof feeder can prevent mice infestation around the bird feeder. Choose a feeder made out of a stronger metal that is tougher to chew through. Tossing seeds into a container is an open invitation to mice and rats. This method is the key to minimizing mice entry into your garden or yard. To prevent this, clean your ground by sweeping the area (especially under the feeder) daily. Split seeds, shells, and other titbits under the feeders attract mice and rats. These messy eaters can cause a mess underneath the feeders.
Feeder mice how to#
How To Maintain Your Bird Feeder And Minimize Attracting Miceīirds love to rummage through their food, tossing around seeds and picking up the ones they like.

