Compost Discussion Thread (Merged Threads)

orainsear

Best to keep it standing on open ground rather than slabs - the worms need to get in you see....

I had this problem too, but got round it by using some 'chicken wire' type material - not the thin stuff that has a hexagonal pattern but the more sturdy wire which is made up from lots of little squares - rats can't chew through or push the wire away. Placed on the ground and cut to slightly larger than the compost bin size, and folded the edge up over the bottom of the bin.

No more rats.

Also you could try setting a ratrap or putting some poison down?

Ted_Hutchinson

We live in the country and after harvest they always come calling and really do head for the compost, if it working properly it's nice and warm in there.
I use rat poison. If you go to an agricultural merchants you can get a big tub of it and it seems to keep fairly well.

You may find that the local council charge for visits and the charge is more than the cost of the bait so have a ring round first to find out how much they are going to charge and how much a big tub of poison is.
The advantage of the council is that they have a range of options for poisins that may not be available for domestic buyers so if it's a repeating problem it may be better to get the council as they will know which poisons they have got used to in your area.

My regular readers will know I always like to find a vitamin d connection where there is one and there is one here see Vitamin d as Rat Poison. but you will see from this that All known poisonings of adults with vitamin D3 reflect misuse on an industrial scale. Huge excesses of vitamin D3 have been added in error to milk, or to a food supplement. There are two reports of households where industrial concentrates of vitamin D3 were mistaken for cooking oil.

comicmankev

Thanks for the responses. We do live in the country, but just can't beleive they managed to rip the door off!
Our neighbours had rats under their pond last year, but got the council in to sort that.

Do they eat the worms?

I do not put cooked food or meat in there, and it has been fine for a couple of years.

annie123

orainsear.. do have loads of worms, when I am digging the garden I put them in the compost bin. I also have a wormery, great fun...if you like worms, which I do!.

comicmankev....Dont rats get everywhere...pleased we cant see them here in London, must be loads of the b*****s here!!!

alanobrien

comicmankev wrote:

Thanks for the responses. We do live in the country, but just can't beleive they managed to rip the door off!
Our neighbours had rats under their pond last year, but got the council in to sort that.

Do they eat the worms?

I do not put cooked food or meat in there, and it has been fine for a couple of years.

Those things will eat just about anything.
They seem to be attracted by the heat more than anything.
we had one in our compost bin last year, it was curled up asleep on the top when my better half decided to put some stuff in the bin.

We introduced it to the cat and never saw it again

Dustykitten

I had the same problem this time last year and like the others said it is the heat that attracts them. We had the rat man out from the council - very informative and nice he was too. He told us to stop putting bread on the lawn for the birds as rats love bread and to put the bin on thick wire mesh. He poisoned them with some blue stuff and it worked a treat - one dead rat in next doors drain and one in our compost - he said to not use that batch of compost on the veggie plot in case of traces of poison. I hope does not put you off composting DK

catz747

Does a compost bin have to sit on grass or soil? Or can it sit on concrete / patio?

Nile

Hello cordial

I'll move your thread to the 'Greenfingered' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

superdog_3

catz747 wrote:

Does a compost bin have to sit on grass or soil? Or can it sit on concrete / patio?

Hello. Best to put C.bin on grass as you need the organisms in soil to create the compost (so I have been told)

catz747

I haven't got that much grass, it might look silly. :eek: I was hoping to find some sort of not too tall composting device. The free one from the council looks like about the size of a dalek :rotfl: