Rat proofing composter

I have a composter for a few years now. It's nice to compost and my tomato plants really appreciated this compost. And was a huge benefit on saving on buying loads of fresh compost.
This year however I got rats (I suppose these are rats, didn't catch any yet) getting into composter from underneath. It's unbelivable how they manage to dig out so much of compost out. They get into composter to eat anything in the top layers. I just secured it with mesh. But they've made a tunnel under mesh to dig into.
Planning on emptying it and adding mesh underneath. But I guess they'll chew in somewhere from the top then :(.
What you'd advise?

 

I'd be inclined to ask firstly, do you put anything in there that might attract rats.
I could just be one, a young one that is looking for a winter hide out.

I've seen dead ones around here, the cats sort them out.

 

Yes, I add raw kitchen waste like fruit and veg peels, brewed tea and coffee grounds. Old bananas. But nothing cooked or meat.
Otherwise it's grass, some thin branches, pulled out annuals, compost from pots.
Another thing is I had quite a lot of red worms living there off my my kitchen waste. Don't see them coming up during the rainy weather anymore.

For me it doesn't look like a random rat. The amount of compost dug out is enormous. Like there were tens of them. All done during 1 night.
Why they dig out so much compost out. Maybe just because it's soft and their tunnels get blocked?
I placed rat traps inside again. Just in case.

 

I used to suffer with rodents with these sort of bins. They do turn it over quite well but make a mess. In the end, I gave up and now use plastic dustbins with a few 10mm holes drilled in the bottom. It's more work with turning it over myself, but vermin can't get in there now

 

Might well be the work of a single rat, they can dig alot! Could you find a metal tub, bucket or pot with a lid to put your victuals in , within the bin, worms will find a way in, if you create small holes in the base. A composter within a composter. Ratty will soon lose interest if not fed.

 

We have two of those composters and because we had the odd rat in the old wooden ones, when we installed the plastic ones we fitted wire mesh, possibly a little stouter than yours, under the bin and up the sides by just a few inches.
Better still if you can place the bins onto flagstones, though would still use some mesh as well around the bottom.
Think all the air holes around the sides of these composters are too small for them to get in that way.

Been ok for the last two years and has kept the rats out without any problem, but being on soil and very full one bin has moved slightly to one side, as a result there is a small gap about 30mm around one side of the lid.
A rat had clearly got in, could see where it was burrowing in and out of the compost.

We placed some mesh and bricks to hold it down over that gap and its seems to have kept them out. Left some fresh grapes and similar on top of the heap, but nothing taken, so hopefully its gone.

Would not recommend using any rat poison in the compost as its contents are persistent and you do not want that spreading on your veg plot or getting on your hands.

On our old wooded composter to get rid of the rat we made some holes all the way down the compost and then pushed the hose pipe down them for 20 minutes, seemed to work.

Our wildlife camera does show the odd rat passing through the garden during the night, usually just on the lookout for an easy meal, but as someone pointed out, rats do not live alone !
One reason we do not leave any bird food / spillage out overnight.

 

We have our big compost storage area set on paving slabs and surround with sheets of corrugated iron and our Dalek ones are set on top of paving slabs too never have a problem. But we did years back with the Dalek ones before placing them on the slabs.

 

Thank you for sharing the experience and giving advise. So... instead if easy pleasant job of raking leaves that was planned for today, I went for a new way of securing the composter.
Had quite an exercise. Fully emptied, then mesh went in, then compost went back in. At least compost turned over properly now . It's nearly full composter to add into the greenhouse in the end of February, I wouldn't want to lose it to rats.
Hope it works. Then I can think of additional mesh or whatever.
I added crushed egg shells too, I have enough because I save every eggshell.
I agree on avoiding using any poisons. Not only because of a chance of getting it into the compost, but we have birds, squirrels, foxes coming into the garden. Neighbours got a little dog.

I was powerful rat myself today, I dug out all of the compost:

 

Gosh!! Well done Alisa.

 

Good effort

I just leave them be. Rats in winter are part of the composting process as far as I can see, unfortunately.

Well I do spear my pile and turn it a few times so I suppose I don't really let them be. I also have one of those ultrasonic gadgets that is battery powered that is supposed to ward them off. I'm going to vac pack it and stick it in the pile next time I turn it to see if it works. They'll probably eat it though

 

Rats, like most wildlife are OK IMO, but they can get out of control number wise, which is where the cats around here actually do something for their keep.

I often wonder if there is any distinction between the kind we get in our gardens and the ones that lurk in sewers, they get bad press for spreading disease, but I think lots of wildlife spread disease, I even know a few people who do.

 

What scared me, is the advise that compost where rats lived should't be used for growing edibles that will be eaten raw.
And I want to use compost for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, spring onions, herbs, radishes etc.
And if rats would eat away all my kitchen waste, there is no point of collecting it and adding into the composter. I would then better add everything into our council food bin.

 

I don't see any reason why rats in compost should affect the fruits - unless they've been poisoned and rotted in there.
How would we ever know about rat history in compost we've bought and grown edibles in?
Personally I wouldn't worry about it.