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King’s Cross patio mice

bikbeatrisbikbeatris Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hi everyone! I need some advice, please. I live near King’s Cross station in London at a building on the basement. I grew up in a oversee farm and love plants and animals. I have a bird feeder at my small patio, and since 1 month ago one cute mouse is coming to eat the sunflower. Now she got a baby, very small cute baby, so there are two now 😊. The problem is the neighbour saw them and want that I call the pest control guy, but I don’t want they be killed. I love the birds a lot, but I need the mice go away, even I like them. So if a remove the bird feeder will the mice go away and find a new safe home? Thanks a lot! ☺️🌷
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  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Welcome!  Yes, the mice will go off and find accommodations closer to a new food source.. but then you are depriving the birds of their meal.  I'm not sure what to do about it.. birds are messy eaters.. and even if you removed those two mice, others will take their place as soon as the seed is available again.  
    Utah, USA.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    You could try using ‘no mess’ bird food which usually results in less food being scattered on the ground. Also you should sweep up and clear away the ground below the feeder as often as possible ... I would do it at least twice a day, with a stiff bristled broom. 

    You can also buy feeders that have a tray below to catch dropped seeds. That should help too. If there’s no food there hopefully the mice will go elsewhere. 

    But I do understand your neighbour’s worries; rats and mice can do a lot of harm in inner city areas. 

    Another way of attracting birds to your garden is to provide them with a birdbath ... for drinking as well as bathing which is important for them to keep their feathers in good condition. I find that once they know they can rely on it being there, birds will come to a birdbath of fresh water even if there is no food out ... and in central London safe pools of fresh water can be hard to find. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PyraPyra Posts: 152
    edited July 2020
    I agree with Dove about the bird bath. Also, since it's summer and food is more readily available now into autumn, it'll impact the birds less if  the food is removed, they'll find more. If it was winter it would be a problem, but not now. 

    Good luck with it! It's lovely you care so much about the wee mousie! 😂😂🐀
  • bikbeatrisbikbeatris Posts: 5
    Thanks to everyone!🌷 I am thinking to ask the local council if I can place my bird feeder in the park which is very close to my home, 5 minutes walking. Then maybe my mice will go and live there too! It would be nice if they would understand me, if I just could say: hey guys come with me, I have a new home for you all much bigger and very beautifully green! And they would follow me.. 🥰
  • bikbeatrisbikbeatris Posts: 5
    I am going to buy another feeder for me, as suggested, which has a tray underneath. I just removed my feeder, and all three birds who use to come are seating on the brick wall waiting their food. So I put it back 😬❤️❤️🦜
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    There will be a lot more than two mice, they don't have babies one at a time. Mice are everywhere in London - you can amuse yourself by looking for them in the Underground. They have been down there so long I think they are classified as a different species. Your council will not give permission for your bird feeders in the park. Even if they did someone would steal them very quickly.
  • PyraPyra Posts: 152
    Just be aware the mice might be able to climb the bird feeder. But if you keep the area tidy it should deter them. 
  • bikbeatrisbikbeatris Posts: 5
    edited July 2020
    I had tried this bath once but the birds didn’t like it. I left there for two weeks and no bird bathed in it. Is it too small? 
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited July 2020
    For now, the best solution would be to stop feeding the birds for a while, totally removing the food source for the mice. The mice will soon move on. Perhaps explain to the neighbour you have done so, because of their concerns. A little later down the line, consider tidy feeders, though it does not take a lot of spilled food to attract rodents.

    It's a shame as mice are nothing like rats in terms of being 'pests' but legally the neighbour could decide to complain to the local council who might then inspect your property and enforce pest control.


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I have used a large plastic or saucer ... about 40cms in diameter ... for a birdbath ... I put a few pebbles in it at one side so there’s a shallow area for the small birds. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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