Barrel turning compost bins are a thing, but I only hear about the difficulties of using them - how heavy and unwieldy they are. It would be good to hear if there is anyone on the forum who uses them and actually turns them regularly.
'Carry disease' I can understand as a concern, though I also question this as a practical concern - I have never personally met anyone suffering from rat vector diseases.
...but I do wonder about 'generally undesirable' - if I pause and consider, what is it that I'm personally thinking and feeling? I know that I can be concerned about damage to cables or chewed bags, for example, or worried about a damaging infestation in our home. But I also wonder whether I'm not being unconsciously driven by an aversion to wildness, and by my greater emotional comfort with domesticated animals.
For me, I suspect I will eventually resolve this dilemma by getting a barrel composter, but in a way, that seems a shame - falling into an approach which gives an unrealistic impression of being 'safe' 'clean' 'contained' rather than accepting the reality that life and ecology is connected, messy, ambiguous.
I haven't watched the video yet but I was amused by the implications of the rest. I'm not as comfortable with domesticated animals in my garden as @matthewcaminer imagines. The modest herd of heifers did untold damage to the pond and the goats scared my elderly neighbour half to death. I'm happier with the usual wildlife. It's such a mistake to speculate on other people's feelings and motivations, especially when you don't know what you are talking about. Rats are a threat to well-being, not a reflection of one's inner desire, or otherwise, for order and control.
@Posy Matthew hasn't made any comments to you or about you. Stephen wasn't commenting on your situation either, but just generally reflecting. It's a mistake to take anything on a forum too personally.
@matthewcaminer welcome to the forum. I hope we can help you navigate a solution.
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For some context, Bruce, in the video runs the RED gardens project in Ireland (Research, Education and Development ecology) and the plots of sited far from housing and is specifically interested in expermenting and assessing eco/biodiversity approaches to growing food. His interest and tolerance of rats in his compost will not be for everyone. His seven food gardens extend over a large plot, and he accepts that, given the large quanity of food he produces, there will be pests around. For him the question is more how to adapt to this most efficiently, given limited resources, whilst producing a good harvest for his efforts.
In very densely populated town areas, like mine in north London near a very ratty park with unlimited food supplies, or in some farming areas, it's not that reasonable, perhaps, to state "we will have no rats". A zero tolerance approach, in some places, will lead to a great deal of frustration with little result (much like with mice, slugs, pigeons, mosquitoes etc). I think it's potentially more useful to target actions such that, for example, there are no rats in or near the house and no visible rats' nests in your garden.
I'm not saying that Weils' disease isn't horrible, but there are around 50 cases a year, which is very low, and mostly down to water based activities, as Fairy says.
@Posy Matthew hasn't made any comments to you or about you. Stephen wasn't commenting on your situation either, but just generally reflecting. It's a mistake to take anything on a forum too personally.
@matthewcaminer welcome to the forum. I hope we can help you navigate a solution.
Such is
Thank you @Fire - I'm not sure what happened there, but I was not making any comments about anybody else's preferences or tastes... just seeking information! The perils of social media!
Thank you @Fire - I'm not sure what happened there, but I was not making any comments about anybody else's preferences or tastes... just seeking information! The perils of social media!
I see that. Please don't be put off by fiery tempers or misunderstandings.
I'm not fiery, @Fire and I'm not taking things personally, but there is no need for psychobabble in gardening - at least, not in my opinion. 'Greater emotional comfort' in domestic animals? Have you talked to Hosta about cats? I just felt a bit put out about the assumptions being made without any justification, as if rats should be regarded as friends by the less inhibited!
I'm not fiery, @Fire and I'm not taking things personally, but there is no need for psychobabble in gardening - at least, not in my opinion. 'Greater emotional comfort' in domestic animals? Have you talked to Hosta about cats? I just felt a bit put out about the assumptions being made without any justification, as if rats should be regarded as friends by the less inhibited!
I'm not sure I said those things: I know only too well how sensitive the subject of other people's pets is and I wouldn't presume to comment! Must have been someone else.
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It's such a mistake to speculate on other people's feelings and motivations, especially when you don't know what you are talking about. Rats are a threat to well-being, not a reflection of one's inner desire, or otherwise, for order and control.
I see that. Please don't be put off by fiery tempers or misunderstandings.