Rats in the compost

[MarkPelican]

Personally, I've never found that chicken wire works, its difficult to fold it so the holes are small enough and (if they're determined enough) the rats will chew through the wire.

Watering certainly helps (lots of water though) as will turning the heap relatively frequently.

We had rats a couple of years ago in our compost heap (just an exposed one so it was already getting rained on). Since then I've bokashi composted everything that attracts rats and mice (potatoes, eggshell, sweetcorn) and had no problems. A benefit of bokashi is that you can also put cooked food and meat scraps into the bokashi and it all goes away.

[Jimmy]

My comment on the BBC article shows how people find rats repulsive.

I think I would burn any carcass on a bonfire, at least that way you get something back in the way of fertiliser.

Jimmy

[Nicos]

Any rats we have had to kill we've left out on top of the compost and they're gone by morning. We have owls, buzzards, corbids and foxes so one of them must be enjoying an unexpected treat.

Jimmy...those organic rats are, in effect no different from eating dormice (romans) guinea pigs( Ecuador) and more recently (UK) squirrel meat.

For meat eaters, It's the association with sewers which makes them offputting isn't it?

[Penellype]

Sewers, yes, plus the fact that they were the cause of the spread of the plague (via their fleas). There is also something extremely unpleasant about coming face to face with a large rat in the dark (which has happened to me more than once in the barn at the stables).

Just now, while cutting down the dead foliage on one of my ferns, I came across a decomposing rat carcass. I thought it was a bird at first as I was completely unaware of any rats in my garden. I've no idea where it came from, but it has clearly been there some time, identifiable to me mainly by the relatively intact tail.

[burnie]

We had a couple of Rats round our compost last year, they both died from lead ingestion, ditto six rabbits too. Didn't eat the rats, just don't fancy them, I think Baldrick put me off them in Blackadder.

[ESBkevin]

Wiels disease is caught from rats, or thier urine. Not something to encourage handling of the things dead or alive or anything they have had contact with or run accross. The expression 'never corner a rat' is also a good piece of advice, give them no out and they will attack you! But they would prefer to escape, so tie up your trouser legs before venturing into thier territory else they'll seek refuge up your leg.
It's fine to be humane with animals but rats have a bad reputation for some good reasons. Give them due respect.

[alldigging]

Have you seen the rats?

[w33blegurl]

Thanks all for the advice, I think for now I'll stick to turning the compost and also watering regularly and see how we get on! Might have to back it up with some chicken wire if needed.

I have not seen the rats in these new bins, but I saw one once in our old daleks (these new ones are modular wooden things) I have just seen the evidence of their tunnelling (definitely not mice unless they are supersized!!).

I have tried bokashi composting, but I didn't find it really worked, the stuff didn't seem to decompose and once buried it all got dug up by foxes (I'm assuming it was foxes, we have plenty around) despite the claims that it had no smell and therefore didn't attract animals..! Ditto trench composting - did a bean trench at the lottie - and had dug the stuff reasonably deep - a week later it was all over the paths having been dug up presumably by the foxes!

[MarkPelican]

Anybody seen/used one of these: Smart CaraSmartCara-Food Waste Disposal ?

Admittedly at £400 they seem extremely expensive (and not worthwhile) however, the thought of drying/grinding waste is an interesting idea.

[TrysHard]

Get one of these:

EASY SET RAT SNAP TRAP + EXTERNAL GARDEN PROTECTOR BOX - GREEN PET SAFE CONTROL | eBay

[alldigging]

Anybody seen/used one of these: Smart CaraSmartCara-Food Waste Disposal ?

Admittedly at £400 they seem extremely expensive (and not worthwhile) however, the thought of drying/grinding waste is an interesting idea.

Does anyone want to message them and ask if it'll work on rats! And if they'll add the before and after pics to the video?

[bravo2zero]

Air rifle, sorted