Rat in the compost bin

I had the fright of my life yesterday when putting my veggie peelings in my compost bin. Sitting on top, large as life, was a rat. :gaagh:

I threw the lid and my peeling down on the ground and legged it up to the house (around 100 yds away). My husband went down but the scary beast had fled - probably the thought of a 12 bore up it's jacksy spooked it.

Joking apart - any suggestions on how I can get rid of said beastie. I don't put anything other than uncooked vegetable matter, lawn clippings and paper in the bins.

 

Hi Probably best to take out all the compost as I had this years ago they had built a nest in the bottom and the little bu****** had even made a roof out of a plastic bag looked realy cosy though.
If you have a platic one place on paving slabs and just keep the lid on but if open... losing batle I look at it just part of nature as long as they keep out the house . plus they probaly been eating the veg cooked or not !!
I hate using rat poison prefer the old style rat trap , with peanut butter or a piece of mars bar on they love it then leave on the top and wait and see as long as it is safe to do.
Just be careful other animals will be ok like cats or hedgehogs etc

Spruce

 

+ birds. I cover the traps with a timber tunnel with a rope handle on top. Weldmesh at either end with a 2.5" cutouts that will let rats see in and get in, but keep hedgehogs out. Adding a length of wire attached to the trap will make it more pleasant to pick up when it's done it's job and safer when it's still set.

And if using a dialek wire the front hatch up otherwise they'll get in that way:



If you've got open bay type composters, it could be they just like burrowing in there and eating elsewhere. We have neighbours who don't wash tins put in recycling baskets, put food out on the ground for 'birds & hedgehogs', etc. and have their rats wanting to live in our garden, and making us deal with what should be/is their problem.

 

What a shock for you Alana. We have a compost bin and I would run a mile if I saw a rat there!!

 

We have a dalek, but no rats yet.

We did get a rat in our old house though. The cat caught it, and although I'm not scared of them, it did give me a bit of a shock. It was massive - far bigger than i thought they would be. About the size of a guinea pig I reckon.

(fortunately the cat was a real bruiser and he just sorted it all out for us )