I have rat poo in my compost bin, why? WHY?!?

[handlemecarefully]

I've followed the rules - i.e. no meat fish or cooked food. Just raw fruit and vegetable peelings, also some shredded paper and some straw and chicken poo from my chicken house...

I thought that you didn't attract rats if you followed the rules?

What do I do now- do I have to dispose of the contents of the compost bin and knock that particular practice on the head (rats carry all sorts of nasties likes weils disease don't they...)

[handlemecarefully]

particular 'project' ..I meant to say

[bozza]

How do you know it is rat poo?

[DumbledoresGirl]

I briefly had a pet rat (he was gorgeous btw!) and he ate anything - fruit and vegetable peelings would have been just as attractive, if not more so, than meat. In fact, aren't rats primarily herbivores?

I don't know if you should stop composting. We are all supposed to live within a few yards of rats anyway. If you are using the compost to improve your garden and reduce landfill sites, you will surely want to continue?

[Saker]

We have this too in our compost bin from time to time. It is amazing to me as they must burrow up from underneath because the lid is very tight. I think they will eat most things. Once I saw a particularly large and confident rat strolling through my back garden I called rat control people and they put down poison etc, but the chap said you often get them round compost bins and there wasn't much you could do about it (well I think he thought don't have a compost bin). I don't think you need to throw it away or anything, it's not like you are going to eat it and it is all rotted down by the time it goes on the soil.

[handlemecarefully]

Unfortunately I am well acquainted with rats poo Bozza...

So there would be no risk in putting well rotted compost onto my vegetable beds some months from now then? The disease pathogens in their poo and wee will be gone by then?

[DumbledoresGirl]

Oooh interesting question HMC. I would have thought so. Think of it this way, the likelihood is that they are scampering over your vegetable beds when you are not looking anyway.

[DumbledoresGirl]

I found this quote: "The leptospira organism [Weil's disease] is passed in the rats' urine and, while it does not live long in dry conditions, can survive some time in water" on this site.

HTH

[hotpasty]

Hello,
Not sure if ths advice is still relevant but we had the same problem last month and seem to have resolved it.

The "Terminator", disturbingly, did come and put some poison down in strategic areas but also gave us some good tips. For the compost bin, spread a large sheet of chicken wire on the ground then put 4 patio/paving slabs on top with about a couple of centimetres between them to allow water to drain away. Put the bin on top and bring the chicken wire up the sides and tie it rounds with string.

Sounds complicated but took my inept DH only ten minutes and no rats since... We put some soil from the garden with some worms in at the bottom to give it a good start. Good luck!