Compost that has had rats in it - safe to put on veg beds?

[Scrumplet]

I've had rats living in my compost bins for a few months. The pest controller has been involved, coming out three times to put trays of bright pink pellets in the bins, and the rats are not yet satisfactorily under control. I asked him at the outset if I'd be able to use my compost still, including on my veg beds, and he said I could.

However, I've recently come across information which says compost with concentrations of rat poo/wee in it shouldn't go anywhere near veg beds ... and the conflicting view that rats pee and poo throughout most people's gardens, albeit in a lesser concentration, so it should be fine. And another take, which is that no rat poison should end up in veg beds.

After Rat Man's initial assurances, I have already dug in or top-dressed with my compost in most areas of my garden where fruit and veg already, or soon will, grow - and now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have.

I have put a lot of work into the garden this year, and it's looking great and promising a good yield, so of course I want you tell me it'll be fine - but be straight: is it wise to grow more fruit and veg where we've fertilised, and to eat what is already growing?

[Notquitegrownup]

Watching with interest as we have had the same problem. My guess is that if the compost is spread thinly, then it might be OK as sunlight is a natural steriliser, but I am loathed to risk Weils disease as it is sooo awful.

[Scrumplet]

Hmm. Know what you mean, Notquitegrownup. Apparently the virus (if that's what it is) can survive a week in the open air and three weeks in water, which means it's going to be long gone (surely?) by the time we start eating our veg in the summer.

I need to find out more about how well (if at all) it travels into plants, and maybe keep my compost away from plants where you eat the bit that's in the ground (oops - that's the onions, garlic and spuds buggered then!). And I also need to find out more about the specific poison the rat man is using. I'll be back if I discover anything.

[Scrumplet]

Found this, Notquitegrownup. Seems to make less of an issue - in fact, no issue - of the rat poo and wee, but is undecided on the safety WRT to rat poison. So again, I need to find out what the rat chap used and do my homework - and hope the compost, the veg beds and the veg aren't now useless.

[Pannacotta]

I dont know the answer, but I'd be very wary of using compost which has had rat poison in it.
No idea what he used of course, but a friend had a cat which are rat poison and it killed the cat very quickly and apparently she was in real agony, which was horrible.

[Scrumplet]

Oh Pannacotta, that sounds awful. Very sorry to hear about your friend's cat.

Your post affirms that it's the poison that's more of a concern than the rat poo/wee. I'll call our local council's environmental health dept tomorrow and find out exactly which poison they use.

I will be bloody cross if it turns out that the compost can't be used for what it was intended. Surely, if a particular rat poison can, when put in a composter, render that compost unsafe for certain uses, the homeowner needs to be consulted on this approach before going ahead? I did ask, and the rat man was very "It'll be fine - fine, fine, fine" about it, but now I'm not so sure.

Again, I need to find out what he used.

Thanks for your post.