I love optimistic people! Where would we be without them!
Rats especially like compost heaps in the winter. Often they move out in the spring.
I do hope nobody is putting bread or fat in a compost heap in the first place, but rats will live on uncooked vegetables too. They're partial to a carrot etc, etc.
On the other hand, W-O, a pessimist is merely a well informed optimist. Apart from that, a rat in the heap is too common to eradicate by us mortals. I find tunnels i the compo-bin every year, and it's not only rattus rattus that inhabits the bins. It's voles, shrews, slugs, a few snails and insects, all part of the tapestry of nature. If everything that is not to our approval or convenience, is eradicated, then our gardens would be a very sterile place !
Last year, I threw a load of spent wine making sludge on the heap, and a few days later, actually found several very hung over rats, tame as can be, lounging around the heap, too drunk to move. I thought that it was better to leave them learn their lesson by this rather than give 'em a good thwack with the flat of a spade or chop with an edge cutter !
Hello every 1 - I totally identify with the rat in compost bin problem. My late husband raised the bin a bit n did the chicken wire thing but the rats still found a way in. My son wees on the binl but the male ferrimone theory didnt hold up. I also keep my eye on the bird feeders 4 fear of seeing 1 sneak up. The feeders hang on a large avery which I bought 4 2 stray domestic rabbits. The rats wud eat the rabbit food so they had 2 go. We were worried that the rats wud kill them. A few wks b4 my hubby died he woz havin a drink in r raised container shed when he spottf a rat tip toeing past the avery. Under the Carling influence & with a bit of a wobble on he shot the fat daddy RIGHT between its eyes. God bless u Brian x At Christmas I treated myself 2 a rotating off the ground bin. No sign of rat activity - Alena
Agree with most of comments and agree with rats thriving on raw vegetables.
Just notice, for example, how the windfalls vanish.I have seen them dragging them round the garden to their "homes"
Had some apples stored in the garage and the little blighters were using them as a rat supermarket. Once they even chewed their way out when shut in by chewing the door frame.
They do not seems to bother my three worm composting items, though they are full of vegetables etc from the kitchen.
Some of my compost bins have been holed by them to allow the rats in.
I got a Green Johanna composter from my Council at a very reasonable rate. It' on a plastic base with small airholes and I've always had it on concrete or tarmac. Lots of worms and things (including slugs) but no sign of rats. I've also built a wooden slatted one that is specifically supposed to be for wildlife in which I only put garden waste--no kitchen scraps at all. I was hoping for hedgehogs, slow worms and the like but all I've seen is one brown rat. I'm guessing it's the proximity of the bird feeder. I keep trying to move the feeders around. I find in all the wildlife garden sites, the things to do to make your garden more hedgehog friendly are exactly the things they tell you Not to do to prevent rats.
We have to keep on eye on rats in our compost constantly. I shoot them with absolutely no feeling of guilt. Though I love wildlife rats are just bad news for us and our neighbours so I feel it is the responsible thing to do. Otherwise it is no composting which is unthinkable with a veg plot and wildlife to consider.
One way to discourage rats from compost is to get it really hot with a good mix of materials if they are available, rats won't be comfortable with a very warm compost heap but it will encourage slow worms.
Rats are an unpleasant fact of life today. Is it something like there is a rat within 3 ft. of anyone. I found some windfalls carefully stored around the engine of my car once. Only a rat could have done that. Probably had a taste for baked apple for dessert.
They are vermin and carry disease so I have no hesitation in using rat poison, my neighbours have chickens and where there are chickens there are rats. I never put cooked leftovers on the compost which attracts them. I keep bird food etc in plastic buckets with lids to discourage as they will find anything like that.
This country would probably sink under a pile of discarded take away meals and thrown down unfinished fish and chips, school lunches and sandwiche so they do have some use.
My Uncle had rats in his compost bin and our neighbour had rats on their bird feeder. They put down rat poison and unfortunately ended up poisoning their dog. I hope no one here uses rat poison because my cat catches any that appear and I don't want him eating a poisoned one. Since I've had the cat, haven't seen any rats or mice but dead ones, or soon to be dead ones! There are loads of slugs though.
As JOYCE says, our ultimate enemy or enema, says it is human waste and litter, throwing away cooked foods anywhere, is what attracts the rats. If we humans disposed of our so called waste, more responsibly and wasted less, there would be less for the rats to be attracted to.
UNFORTUNATELY we seem incapable of accepting responsibility for our foolishness. So, either clean up, waste less and reap the rewards, or go under your own pile of crud.
Thanks folks for all your advice. Have seen the dreaded signs for the first time in 9 years of living here. Will be drenching my 2 compost bins tonight when I get home. From my over full water buts! Would have used the snappy traps actually in the bins, as we have a nosy dog. But hubby & I are going to empty them, use the good compost on the front garden, and empty the rest into the council green waste as we are in the process of selling.
Posts
I love optimistic people! Where would we be without them!
Rats especially like compost heaps in the winter. Often they move out in the spring.
I do hope nobody is putting bread or fat in a compost heap in the first place, but rats will live on uncooked vegetables too. They're partial to a carrot etc, etc.
Last year, I threw a load of spent wine making sludge on the heap, and a few days later, actually found several very hung over rats, tame as can be, lounging around the heap, too drunk to move. I thought that it was better to leave them learn their lesson by this rather than give 'em a good thwack with the flat of a spade or chop with an edge cutter !
Agree with most of comments and agree with rats thriving on raw vegetables.
Just notice, for example, how the windfalls vanish.I have seen them dragging them round the garden to their "homes"
Had some apples stored in the garage and the little blighters were using them as a rat supermarket. Once they even chewed their way out when shut in by chewing the door frame.
They do not seems to bother my three worm composting items, though they are full of vegetables etc from the kitchen.
Some of my compost bins have been holed by them to allow the rats in.
Perhaps a Jack R is the answer.
I got a Green Johanna composter from my Council at a very reasonable rate. It' on a plastic base with small airholes and I've always had it on concrete or tarmac. Lots of worms and things (including slugs) but no sign of rats. I've also built a wooden slatted one that is specifically supposed to be for wildlife in which I only put garden waste--no kitchen scraps at all. I was hoping for hedgehogs, slow worms and the like but all I've seen is one brown rat. I'm guessing it's the proximity of the bird feeder. I keep trying to move the feeders around. I find in all the wildlife garden sites, the things to do to make your garden more hedgehog friendly are exactly the things they tell you Not to do to prevent rats.
We have to keep on eye on rats in our compost constantly. I shoot them with absolutely no feeling of guilt. Though I love wildlife rats are just bad news for us and our neighbours so I feel it is the responsible thing to do. Otherwise it is no composting which is unthinkable with a veg plot and wildlife to consider.
One way to discourage rats from compost is to get it really hot with a good mix of materials if they are available, rats won't be comfortable with a very warm compost heap but it will encourage slow worms.
Rats are an unpleasant fact of life today. Is it something like there is a rat within 3 ft. of anyone. I found some windfalls carefully stored around the engine of my car once. Only a rat could have done that. Probably had a taste for baked apple for dessert.
They are vermin and carry disease so I have no hesitation in using rat poison, my neighbours have chickens and where there are chickens there are rats. I never put cooked leftovers on the compost which attracts them. I keep bird food etc in plastic buckets with lids to discourage as they will find anything like that.
This country would probably sink under a pile of discarded take away meals and thrown down unfinished fish and chips, school lunches and sandwiche so they do have some use.
My Uncle had rats in his compost bin and our neighbour had rats on their bird feeder. They put down rat poison and unfortunately ended up poisoning their dog. I hope no one here uses rat poison because my cat catches any that appear and I don't want him eating a poisoned one. Since I've had the cat, haven't seen any rats or mice but dead ones, or soon to be dead ones! There are loads of slugs though.
As JOYCE says, our ultimate enemy or enema, says it is human waste and litter, throwing away cooked foods anywhere, is what attracts the rats. If we humans disposed of our so called waste, more responsibly and wasted less, there would be less for the rats to be attracted to.
UNFORTUNATELY we seem incapable of accepting responsibility for our foolishness. So, either clean up, waste less and reap the rewards, or go under your own pile of crud.
Thanks folks for all your advice. Have seen the dreaded signs for the first time in 9 years of living here. Will be drenching my 2 compost bins tonight when I get home. From my over full water buts! Would have used the snappy traps actually in the bins, as we have a nosy dog. But hubby & I are going to empty them, use the good compost on the front garden, and empty the rest into the council green waste as we are in the process of selling.