I don't want to stop feeding the birds that already come, but I need ways to keep the mess down. It also ate at another neighbors house too - kind made sense why it never wanted the food she was putting out for it, clearly it wasn't good enough! Undo. HelplineSM For Leroy's Barking #AKCDogLover #Sponsored. Most people in this country love to feed the garden birds which is promoted by RSPB but as they would suggest, limit the amount of seed you put out and perhaps try using a guardian feeder which would deter the larger birds from gaining access to perches. If you want to have birds, you will have to protect them. If your neighbor refuses to stop, the RSPCA can refer the issue to police. I would contact your council/environmental health about the rat - they may well have a word with her about feeding the pigeons.I think talking to her daughter might be a good idea too.There may be some useful information in this though, obviously, it is specific to Richmond council.I sympathise - I don't like pigeons either - in large numbers they make a hell of a mess. That's prob your best avenue is thru the health department. Thankfully, they usually drop it in the baby pool and B won't go in there after it since she is afraid of kiddie pool water. For example, we’ve had wild animals leave waste (such as poop) or die in people’s home, which attracts all kinds of bacteria and insects. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/rid-birds-neighbor-feeding-87342.html I don't think you can do anything. If you want to know how to keep pigeons away from ledges and window sills without unsightly spikes, bird coil can be a good choice. I can't imagine they'd be too happy?! Neighbors refuse to stop feeding gulls, and the mess is terrible Gulls and crows swarm the neighborhood, scattering food remnants and pelting the area with bird droppings . My dad - who is in his 60s - is very irrational and chuffing irritating, has a 'thing' about feeding the birds. Could that habituation eventually put it in danger? Bird coils work a lot like bird spikes: they’re great as pigeon deterrents but they won’t stop sparrows, starlings, and other small birds. They are massive! I feel your pain. I can talk to her daughter though so it isn't insurmountable in terms of her ancientness and irrational mind.I guess what I want to know is if you can actually do anything more than just ask someone to stop given it is a health hazard.Sadly our council cut out free pest control services so you have to pay for a visit from them which is v annoying! sorry. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kate has captured hours of video footage which shows her neighbour attracting the birds by feeding them water soaked white bread every morning and night. Even if you don’t get bit, wild animals can spread disease. If you don't care all that much, the neighbor's dog is going to eat well for awhile--- or maybe you could just give the ducks away before they all get killed. if there is a rat you should get the council out to sort it (quite a health hazard). I was alerted to this issue about a month ago when I walked outside and a piece of bread fell from the sky. If its a council house In think that they might be able to tell you to stop if its attracting vermin Rats can climb you know. However if she is ancient and irrational you may just have to put up with it. I mean bread literally fell from the sky as I walked out on my back patio. There are rats in my parent's garden and yet this does nothing to deter him. Then Hubby filled me in that the new neighbors have been feeding the birds bread and they probably dropped a piece. Adding a bird feeder to the yard is often the first step in backyard birding, but there are many valid, logical reasons to not have bird feeders at all.That doesn't mean, however, that you can't feed the birds! yeah sorry i worked with elderly for years habit to defend i'm afraid its a difficult one as she clearly enjoys feeding the birds and think she would be very sad to not do it i know how much joy my nan gets from feeding birds but understand the problem with the poo not sure what to recommend really. If you have close neighbors that run reliable feeding stations and your birds could go next door if they needed to, then maybe they wouldn't be as affected if you stopped feeding." I know I'd be fairly narked if I had to clean up pigeon poop all the time because my neighbour kept feeding the bloody things. This is page 1 of 1 (This thread has 16 messages.). Posted on Last updated: February 21, 2019 Categories monday mischief. The problem is that I feed the bird’s bird seed and the neighbors next door feed the birds stale bread products. This behavior … If your concern is with the crows, then I suggest you speak to your neighbor about it, and remind him or her that wild birds are perfectly capable of fending for themselves, crows more so than most birds, … If your neighbor is too kind hearted to stop feeding those strays, then it’s better to be feeding spayed strays than a bunch of cats in heat. That is being dropped in my yard by the birds all the time and the dogs are eating them. I’ve caught them staring up at the sky just waiting for some bread to fall. Is this a sign?” I asked. I hate pigeons!Can you not speak to your council and ask that they ask her to stop? :), My Mum loved your comment about the Cat, she had a Cat one time and discovered that a neighbor was taking pictures of her cat as it sat in front of his fireplace after having his dinner there! Take photos of flocks of birds ruining your garden. Don’t feed Strays. Natural Food: As you would expect, birds are attracted to natural food sources. She may very well be a busybody, but when you ask her to not come to your yard and move your feeders, take the opportunity to find out why she doesn't like you feeding the birds. Do people no longer care about protecting others? Drives my mother and probably the neighbours utterly bonkers.Our solution has been to limit his feeding regime and buy him a shiny new feeder with a table thing to catch some of the seed that falls. A pest control man that I spoke to said that if you feed birds you have to accept that ypu're feeding rats too! Understanding why bird feeders aren't always desirable can help birders better plan to opt for natural food sources that will entice even more birds than a simple feeding station. My elderly neighbour puts bird feed out and it is causing a big problem with loads of pigeons hanging around on my house (and more importantly sh*ing everwhere) It is also probably contributing to the presence of a rat - the feed gets knocked off the table onto the ground and I have seen said rat foraging around at the base of the bird … ?I find that statement absolutely over the top. How annoying!!! A broad range of techniques is available to deal with nuisance caused by birds. But I can’t have my dogs staring at the sky all day long. Feeding of birds in one Miramar community ruffling feathers, pitting neighbor against neighbor ... Chamberlain says he’s not going to stop feeding the ducks. You know, the bitchy neighbor that makes the senior citizens stop feeding the birds. You should set up a video camera to capture them looking as a piece of bed gently thuds to the ground! Contact the RSPCA, as 'Feeding native birds is strongly discouraged as it can lead to health problems or even death for the birds'. However, other cute animals like ducks, birds, rabbits, mice, foxes, and raccoons are wildlife and should not be fed or rescued. Posted on: Fri, 06/21/2002 - 2:27am. I walked outside and a piece of bread fell from the sky and then Leroy ate it.”. It is affecting you. The exact restrictions on bird feeders can vary for each community. Maybe they will see this and I’ll never have to make that walk next door and be that neighbor…. :). BIG pieces of stale bread products. To mind that DSS wants to have children so they can go to the wedding? Place feeders twelve feet from a brush pile, evergreen tree, or bush. They constantly fly in … Encourage neighborhood birdfeeding. in Advice. This is pretty simple. I wish our neighbours would feed the neighbourhoods' cats a little extra so they get so fat they can't squeeze into our house through the windows anymore *Waggy tail*. Either way, I have to have a talk with my neighbor, but I have to be gentle. That is being dropped in my yard by the birds all the time and the dogs are eating them. You have my greatest sympathies Alison as I went through all this a couple of years ago & my neighbour complained to the landlord!! To use this feature subscribe to Mumsnet Premium - get first access to new features see fewer ads, and support Mumsnet. My neighbor won\'t stop feeding peanuts to the squirrels! Although, it's pretty cool that the dogs think manna is falling from heaven just for them! We moved our bird feeder away from the house after we saw a rat on our patio feeding from the seeds that had fallen on the ground. So my thought is that either some of the birds are just totally uncoordinated and weren’t properly taught how to carry things in their beak by their mother, or the pieces of bread that my neighbor is feeding them are just too darn big for their tiny little mouths. They will also do a fabulous job of running off other stray cats who are trying to muscle in. You could then ask the rat man to go to speak to your neighbour and explain the problem, perhaps. My Brown Newfies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com | Trellis Framework by Mediavine, What I Did This Week While You Were Gone And I Was Home, Making The Call To The AKC GoodDog! Yesterday I found a stale hamburger bun top. “Seriously. “What do think it means when bread falls from the sky? Involve your local animal control or animal shelter if you have questions. No worries Bubbla - I worked with old people for a while too so understand the defensiveness thing. He leaves big open dishes of food out and it attracts loads of pigeons. They may send an officer to check it out. Do the Dogs know you're gonna stop 'snack time'? petalique. Florida isn't a landscape that commonly comes to mind when one imagines a harsh winter habitat. Summary. Maybe you can feed them chocolate and send them home all wired....they might get the jist. Do you have kids running around? Even if you nieghbour stopped feeding them you cant stop the birds from defacating in your garden as they will go as and where they please.As for the rats you are never more then 20 feet away from a rat(unless you are on an aeroplane or in a high rise flat) as they live in sewers.If you follow basic hygine rules especicially before preparing food or eating then there should not be a problem.Bird poo is a great fertilizer.We share the earth with other wildlife and everything has a right to live and eat. I really don't want to upset her but then again I'm sick of my house having pigeon poop on it and also concerned about the health risks of pigeon poo in our garden and a rat too (albeit the rat is not solely her fault).Am I being unreasonable to ask her to stop feeding the bloooooody birds?! Solution 2 was to buy him some of those insect habitat things for bees and ladybirds and encourage that 'hobby' instead I can't say it is 100 percent success all round but then one man's hapiness and all that... To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. people should mind their own business m,y neighbor harassed me over and over telling me to take down my bird feeders and stop feeding the squirrels i can do whatever i want in my own yard even if i stopped feeding them they come anyways they live in the field behind the church across the street she acts like its some big panic thing i now call her theenemy she tends to forget … It was worse when we had the rabbit. 12 Answers. If the birds' presence is not an issue for you, suggest to your neighbour they attract birds to their garden in other ways: Plant locally native shrubs to encourage nectar-feeding birds. No matter what her age I think any sensible person would know that surely feeding a large ammount of pigeons may cause problems for neighbours. i dont see that asking her to stop feeding birds that it will help unless you are in close contact of pigeon poo its not such an danger and will not stop birds from sitting on your roof either rats would more likely be after the rubbish and wouldnt be down to bird feed as they are lurking anyway she is elderly and takes comfort in feeding her birds i dont like the word ancient or irrational as elderly and set in her ways would be better she is still human after all and were all going to get old and id like to be reffered to nicer than that. As further protection, place chicken wire or thorny branches around ground-level feeders. Not only are they unpredictable and potentially dangerous (yes, crows can be dangerous) but it disrupts their natural feeding patterns and makes them dependent on the food they get from non-wild sources. Please stop feeding them! Surely it's a health hazard? They’re getting fat and they’re tormenting Leroy and they get fed at their home 2 doors down, in the white house with the grey door. Sorry LoopyLou but yes you can definately be stopped from feeding them if it is causing a nuisance to others. A phone call followed by a letter followed by a personal visit from them resulted in my being informed that they would not stop me from feeding the birds but to cut down on amount of feeders so that Wood Pigeons & Collared Doves (aka the main … Ok not sure this is the right section but here goes. His garden backs onto ours and is like a midden. Find your closest rehabilitation website to learn what you should do when these animals look abandoned or hungry. I do also care though about my house being covered in pigeon poo and it making the garden unpleasant for ds. If you are attracting stray cats to your yard by leaving … The birds are dropping stale bread products in my yard all the time and the dogs are eating it. See here and also here. How to attract birds to your garden (PDF 1.4MB) Provide a sheltered bird bath or nest box safe from predators and pets, rather than food. I don’t want my dogs eating stale and perhaps even moldy bread products. Perhaps if you could get her involved in a friendly way with the family, she would be more helpful. Sure, the neighbor shouldn't have gone to your property and disturbed your things (feeder). Once spayed, the feral cats will settle down and stop marking their territory. Yeh it is a difficult one as I don't intentionally want to make her unhappy. I do care about not upsetting her unduly. Restrictions may only be in place at certain times of year, such as allowing feeding in the winter but not in the summer when pests are more rampant, or the … Please stop feeding the cats that have been hanging around. Others agree with me who know her. Do what is right for you, your family, your neighbors, as well as the squirrels themselves. It seems like they really like feeding the birds and I bet they think of them whenever they have bread that is just about to go stale and I bet they have a bag filled with stale bread sitting by the back door just waiting to be tossed to the birds. Ok not sure this is the right section but here goes.My elderly neighbour puts bird feed out and it is causing a big problem with loads of pigeons hanging around on my house (and more importantly sh*ing everwhere) It is also probably contributing to the presence of a rat - the feed gets knocked off the table onto the ground and I have seen said rat foraging around at the base of the bird table.Is there anything I can do to stop this? They need a fence that they can't get over or under. But many people who feed birds are elderly, so councils can be reluctant to take action as it can generate bad publicity. No I don't see that you can do anything other than ask her to stop, and explain why. "From dawn to about 8.30am and in the afternoon from 3.30pm to say 5.30-6.00pm depending on how many times she feeds the birds," says Kate. Birds can quickly fly twelve feet to reach the safe cover, yet predators cannot use it to hide within striking range of the feeder. The ball's in your court. The problem is that I feed the bird’s bird seed and the neighbors next door feed the birds stale bread products. The neighbor isn't going to train or control the dog. you should call your local animal control or even the non-emergency number for the police and inquire as to the rules ... some places it is illegal to … Feeding birds definitely does attract rats. Rooo how pawsome, food raining from the sky! I think you are being unreasonable.If feeding the birds makes her happy then why are you being rude about her unless you hate seeing people happy.Would you be reacting in the same way if chaffinches or woodpeckers came into the garden? Feeding a bird might also lead it to trust people. #1. Possibly you could get her to tell you and your family about the birds that visit. Some HOAs ban all bird feeders, while others may only restrict seed feeders while permitting nectar feeders for hummingbirds or orioles. Well since then I realized that it hasn’t been just one piece. Does the bird migrate to a region where it’s not well understood, or where it’s hunted? :) If not, perhaps you can encourage them to feed the birds - um, you know - BIRD SEED? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sometimes we see whole cakes thrown up there as well don't think her family like her baking much We are on the flight path to her house and every single day I am having to clean seagull shart off the garden chairs, the patio, washing on the line has to be re-washed and the kids toys are always pebble dashed with … Right now I'm just putting out cracked corn since all I get are mourning doves and sparrows anyway, and I'm not trying to attract more birds lest I get in more trouble. :), LOL, can't wait to hear if you've spoken with the neighbors yet! Take pictures/video of rats eating seed on the ground. My neighbor’s tenants are feeding the birds. In what way am I being rude to her?And what on earth justifies you saying I hate seeing people happy? He doesn't use his garden. Share your children's drawings of post-lockdown travel wishes - £200 voucher & £100 of Thomas toys to win, Calling all parents: please take our survey - £100 voucher to win, Ask the Food Standards Agency experts your questions about food allergies and intolerances, to stop my ancient neighbour feeding the birds as there are loads of pigeons shitting on my house and garden, Talk widget showing discussions of the day & trending threads, Subscribe to Mumsnet emails direct to your inbox. However, if you see rats in your neighbour’s garden more than once and in numbers more than one you should definitely talk to … These include: 1. noise deterrents, like recordings of the bird’s own alarm calls or loud bangs 2. using a scarecrow 3. using netting or bird-spikes (‘proofing’) to prevent birds landing or accessing areas where they’re known to cause problems 4. restricting access to food – for example, by cleaning up food spills immediately and keeping rubbish in secure bins My neighbors free-feed their dogs outside and the birds are always dropping it in the yard, along with the bread someone else leaves out for them. A resolution: Most neighbors don't mind neighbors feeding birds, says Dimant. we have rats that run through our garden to get into the garden next door. Gary you need to contact your local council Environmental Health Officer, they have the powers to stop your neighbour feeding the Pigeons and also prosecute if they do not stop, as their droppings are a health hazard and will attract more vermin. If there is a compromise that would be great but I don't know what it could be.I might have a general 'oh aren't the pigeons a nightmare' conversation and see what happens first/ her reaction but sadly it probably won't make any difference no matter what I say.Wabetta - I'm still surprised at your rather ridiculous statement. Seriously...do they have kids? My neighbor insists on throwing lumps of bread on her garage roof. Personally if they have gone I don't see why you can't feed the birds but it seems that your neighbour is on the lookout for you doing that, I would give it a rest for a while.. Which is fine, I feed the birds too. Rats are on the increase so I'd definitley get that problem sorted asap.Feeding birds is fine, so long as it doesn't affect anybody else. Ok bubblagirl I see your point re ancient versus elderly but this lady really is very irrational - I would be saying that if she was 20 not in her eighties. I don’t know how the dogs missed it but when I went to pick it up it was nice and hard. She is ancient and rather irrational and emotionally fragile. The problem begins when too many birds and squirrels hang around the feeding structures. To reiterate, if you or your neighbour are leaving food for birds and squirrels it is very likely that some rats will come to see what’s going on as well! My neighbor’s tenants are feeding the birds.