I'm sure I saw a rat

I saw something scuttling down when I lifted the lid off my compost bin last weekend. Now I see that they have burrowed under the bin to get in.

I have taken the advice on the forum here and NOT put in cooked food or meat.... but then - actually - if I am totally honest, a bit of leftover rice or potato finds its way in.

Was it a rat or a mouse? and what can I do. I have put a few bricks around the little tunnels under the bin but I know that's only going to be a temporary measure.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Susanna

 

rabbit netting in the bottom of the bin.

lift the bin off the compost, move the compost to one side, lay down the mesh, must be small mesh(doubled over rabbit or chicken wire), put bin on top and replace compost.

Atlernatively - buy a couple of paving slabs and put bin on top of these.

Rats will always be around, just dont encourage them.

 

the wire's a brilliant idea! but if you use poison, put it UNDER something like a bit of pipe cut in half lengthways, or a special rat bait box, so other wildlife cant get to it. good luck!

 

I would advise that you soak your compost completely as soon as possible. There honestly is no need to use poison, or empty your bin just to attach mesh to the base. The next time you do empty your bin ( probably in March realistially) then go for the mesh. Slabs are no good ( sorry for disagreeing with you hasbean) because the compost ideally needs to be in contact with the soil.

Hose the entire thing through, make it as inhospitable as possible for them. They will be nesting in there. I had this issue last year and soaked it through, it resolved the issue ( of course my two cats helped).

 

Thankyou everybody for your suggestions and comments. I think I will turn it now and put mesh under.

Thanks

Susanna

 

I'd try to avoid the use of poison. Trouble is it kills them slowly and painfully, and as unpleasant as they might be to us, in their mind they're just looking for somewhere to live. There is also the issue that because they can live for several days after taking the bait, you don't know where they'll finally die, or what will pick at them when they do.

I like Lollipops idea, soak them out. They won't like it but no harm will come to them and they'll probably just run away from the crazy lady with the hose pipe

 

I think you have given the answer to why they were going in - the rice and cooked potato. I would put a rat trap in. If your bin is enclosed then wildlife should be safe.
If you put cooked food waste in then rats will settle down near to the reliable food source. The worst i have had is mice nesting in my bin when it got too dry at the top. Rats are around, as they are everywhere, but they don't stick around cause there is nothing to attract them.

 

There is one MASSIVE rat living at 10 Downing Street who KNOWS he can't live on £94.17 per week, yet CLAIMS others must. He can claim off expenses for a 20p Pot Noodle, while the Seniors of the UK have no option BUT to survive on less than £100 per week and NOT claim food off their expenses.

 

I'll send me hubby round with the rat bait :lollol: I wish! :hehe:

 

oh talking of rats, hubby saw a big un near our chooks last night. today the rat bait box is empty. hopefully it wont be back

 

Surely not. Surely you must realise that he has the interests of the ordinary folk at heart, and only claims all these things on expenses because he has secretly spent all of his salary on Turkey and trimmings for the homeless and the lonely elderly. Surely the ex-chancellor, now PM, must be very proficient in his role and if he says people can live on a pittance then surely he must be right, because someone like him never gets the fundamentals wrong. I mean lets face it, since his reign, there has never been a recession, crime has gone down, we've never had any war, and everyone in the country has an excellent well paid job because of all the new opportunities he created.

Uh, what, oh, I must have been asleep dreaming just then. What were we on about?

 

While not being a fan of Gordon et al I do think there are better places on this forum for a political rant. This section is about composting and composting issues. People should be able to read this section without possibly being offended by someone else's political or religious outlook.

 

So - how does the rat know the difference between cooked veg (e.g chips) and raw veg (e.g. potato peelings)???

Surely rats have been around for longer than we have been cooking vegetables......

But then - my entire knowledge of rats is based on the rat in the cartoon film of Charlotte's Web!!!!! :hehe:

 

Maybe a bit like us humans - what would you prefer chips or peelings.

The smell of cooked food travels further than raw.