Bird seed and dog poop can attract rats
For all the bird and animal (dog) lovers, a word of caution. Feeding the birds and not picking up (in a timely manner) after your dogs can bringt RATS. Lots of them!
Years ago, as painful as it was, I stopped feeding the birds, and just lately have not been filling the back yard compost tumbler because we’ve had a rat problem in our area off Sconticut Neck Road and still do.
We see bird seeds flying from the feeders when being used, but what we may not realize is that not cleaning up after our pets as soon as possible (even in winter) contributes to a growing rat problem. A local pest control person said to me that rats love dog “poop.” It’s all protein, he said!
An interesting fact is the common rat can have up to five litters a year, which is bad enough. But while the original female is having more litters all her previous litters are having litters of their own. So, exponentiallyl, that’s a lot of rats!
We have a town bylaw that says not picking up after our dogs on town owner property can get the owner a $100 fine.
It’s not liek we can hire a Pied Piper of Hamlin to tune all our rats out of town. We all have do to our part.
Sallie Johnson, Fairhaven
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