SAW is asking Arlingtonians to remove their bird feeders this summer and keep them down through at least November 15th to protect our birds in order to reduce the town’s rat activity. Going forward, we’d like folks to take down feeders beginning in mid-April through mid-November. Studies have shown that homes that have bird feeders on the property are significantly more likely to have active rat burrows nearby than ones that do not. Even if you do not put down rat poison to deal with the rats that come to your yard attracted by your feeder, your neighbors often do. SAW regularly fields complaints from concerned Arlington residents who have one neighbor with feeders and another using rat poison to deal with the rodents the feeders attract. That rat poison, in turn, is killing off our birds of prey in Arlington, including our owls, hawks, and even our bald eagles, not to mention our foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, and even some of our companion animals.
Please read up more on why we should reconsider bird feeders during warmer weather seasons, and tips/tricks for keeps rats away from feeders when the occasion calls for them by visiting SAW’s “Forgo the Feeder” campaign page. You will also find photographs of the diverse range of birds that still frequent feeder-free yards!
