Those danged rats! Might spraying Pam on the pole help (if it's metal)? I
share your doubts re: jumping from a bush--I could be wrong but I don't
think rats are big jumpers.

I have wood rats out here. They shop around on the ground but don't go up to
the metal-pole-mounted feeder.

I'd think a flat baffle would have to be wider (from the point where it
joins the pole) than the rat is long and be most effective if made of metal,
plexiglass, or something else that's hard to grip, with the fasteners
(potential grip areas) above the guard --or maybe a plain old predator guard
would do the trick (www.nestbox.com/images/baffle.gif)


From: "Stewart Wechsler" <ecostewart at quidnunc.net>
Reply-To: ecostewart at quidnunc.net
To: <sucarmel at comcast.net>, <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: rat in suet feeder
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 12:42:04 -0700

Susan,

Sounds like a young rat - Norway or possibly Black. Juveniles are out and
about before they reach full size.

You might think of it as an owl feeder.

Stewart Wechsler
West Seattle
mailto:ecostewart at quidnunc.net
-----Original Message-----
From: TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu
[mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of Susan Carmel
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 9:40 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: rat in suet feeder


Tweeters,
Yesterday afternoon I saw that a rat was snacking in my suet feeder.
I'm
assuming it was a rat--not large enough to be a Norway rat, but too large to
be a mouse. ( I think!) It was your basic medium gray rat color, whiter
feet, hairless tail, large ears, large eyes, pointy snoot. The feeder is one
of those caged, squirrel-proof ones, hanging on a pole about 6 feet high.
I'm wondering if I need to take down my feeder, or if a squirrel baffle
would do the trick. There is a bush nearby that it could conceivably have
jumped from, if that's something rats do, though I've never seen a squirrel
even attempt that.. I guess I'm also wondering if I have to take immediate
action based on one rat sighting.
Any ID help and info will be appreciated....
Susan Carmel
NE Seattle
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