We feed the birds and have done for years. In the other house, we moved from 15 yrs back we had a nut feeder hanging on the end of an old fishing rod slung from a branch of an apple tree, but the squirrels would walk the very thin and wobbly rod and hang upside down and empty it - but not after I greaed the rod hee hee.

We haven't seen squirrels in our current garden for a long time although we have a big copse at the back, but now they are here and walking up the standard bird feeder steel pole - but not after I greased it hee hee. Great fun to watch them, very puzzled and trying to dust the grease off their bellies.

This morning they tried and failed while pigeons, collared doves, jackdaws, woodpeckers, blue tits, great tits, a bullfinch, green finch, sparrows.... and now horror of horrors a RAT!!

We knew they were around, the neighbours have chickens, there is a dog kennel next door and one lady would put food out for foxes but has now stopped. They are bit too close to the house and we don't want them and their families to become regulars, so it might be the end of the bird feeders.

I have two rat traps which I had when they ventured in some years back. So I will bait them with peanut butter and poison and see what happens but am not confident.

I don't mix them, the butter is in the trap which is inside a large purpose made black box, I got them from a Rentokill pal. The bait is in the passage way, but I see what you mean thanks. I have gone through 3 different poisons over the previous time. I will try a different approach like you suggest, but they are clever beggars.

I did borrow an air rifle once, but the windows aren't handy for waiting and aiming, so I hid outside for ages, but they are not regular so gave it back.

with mates like that.............

I suspend a can of kit e kat on a chain, pierce a hole from the lid
through the side just below the rim, add a couple of holes through
the bottom (start small) so it just oozes out for a taster not feed.
Hang it somewhere you can be comfortable with you rifle, and at
a height that will make them stretch. Then shoot them!
Use a cardboard box with a simple X on it, aiming at the same point
every time, fire at least five shots until you know where the pellets go
in relation to your sights.

You two have lost me now