Difference between revisions of "Get Rats and Mice out of Compost"

# Review what you're adding to the [[Compost|compost]]. Some foods may attract rodents more than others, such as bread and baked items. Avoid putting these in, in particular cooked and processed foods.<ref name="rf1">http://www.recyclenow.com/reduce-waste/composting/buy-bin-faqs</ref> In addition, do not add meat or fish waste to the compost.<ref name="rf2">Tim Marshall, ''Composting'', p. 72, (2008), ISBN 978-0-7333-2416-1</ref> Also, keep dairy products, bones, [[Choose Olive Oil|oils]], fatty foods, and pet manures out of the heap.<ref name="rf3">http://www.toronto.ca/compost/pest.htm</ref> (Meat, fish, and dairy shouldn't be composted for any reason in a normal, backyard compost, because these can harbour human pathogens that can harm you.<ref name="rf4">http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/ratsincompost.htm</ref>)

# Keep the pile moist and turn it regularly.<ref name="rf4" /> It's less like a comfortable, dry home when it's damp and getting agitated frequently!

#*Seek a good balance between green and brown materials in the compost to maintain a decent level of moisture.<ref name="rf1" /> Add water if the heap becomes too dry.

#*Materials high in [[Buy a Carbon Offset|carbon]] (e.g., dry leaves or dead plants) placed at the bottom of the compost pile and lining the walls of the bin can improve airflow, control odour, and help with drainage.<ref name="rf3" /> Just be sure to keep this "brown" material moist.

# Visit frequently. [[Tame a Rat|Rats]] and mice are shy when it comes to human disturbance, so daily visits from you can be a good deterrent in itself.<ref name="rf1" />

# Review the design of the compost. If the compost isn't turning vegetable waste into something less attractive to rodents within 24 to 48 hours, the design of the compost needs to be changed.<ref name="rf2" /> You might need more [[Increase Nitrogen in Soil|nitrogen]], more bulk to ensure that the compost is heating up enough, smaller compost scraps and more moisture.<ref name="rf2" />

#*A hot compost method is more likely to deter rodents than a cold compost method.<ref name="rf3" />

#*Apparently rats and mice dislike [[Compost Indoors|bokashi]],<ref name="rf5">http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2009/may/06/gardens-compost</ref> so you might like to consider changing to this method if you've tried to fix your compost heap to no avail.

# Bury food waste deeply.<ref name="rf4" /> If rodents seem to be feasting, make it hard for them to get to the tastier morsels (the kitchen scraps) by burying them into the middle of the compost, with the other vegetation layers over the top.

#*Alternatively, if you don't want to bury the scraps every time, keep a scoop next to the bin and add a layer of [[Deal with Autumn Leaves|leaves]], soil, or finished compost over the food scraps each time they're added.<ref name="rf3" /> These cover up the food odour and microorganisms in soil help to speed up the composting.

# Encourage local [[Identify a Bird|birds of prey]] to visit the compost heap by locating it near tree branches. Leave the lower limbs of such trees intact.<ref name="rf2" />

# Provide plenty of physical barriers against rodents. Keep a lid on the compost heap. Always ensure your compost bin or heap has a lid to keep the local wildlife out of it. To prevent access from burrowing under, stand the bin on 1/4 inch [[Build a Wire Mesh Compost Bin|wire mesh]].<ref name="rf4" /> This mesh can also be used to cover up any gnawed holes.

#*The benefit of the mesh wire over other sorts of stands is that it allows worms free access and having worms in your compost is very desirable, as well as also providing drainage.<ref name="rf1" />

# [[Harvest Black Walnuts|Harvest]] completed compost every three to six months.<ref name="rf3" /> Doing so can remove potential nesting temptations from the rodents.