Compost bin - will it attract rats?

[DinoSn0re]

Looking for some advice please!
We want to try and become a bit more eco friendly at home and as part of that, have been thinking about making a compost heap/bin. We have a fairly large and private front garden, which we don’t use much, where we have thought it could go. However, I’m really worried about attracting rats. We would only be placing teabags, soiled Guinea pig bedding, and some veg/fruit peelings in there (the stuff that the pigs won’t eat). Would ideally like to get one of the wooden slatted ones as the it will be outside the front of the house.

How likely is it that we would get rats?

Dino If you keep pigs you've possibly got them anyway!! I look at it like this , we have hedgehogs which we welcome, which do sometimes nest in the base of our compost bins (I 've got 3 'Dalek' type and 2 slatted type heaps) so to me rats aren't very different ,as long as they don't come into the house, live and let live!! People have pet rats I wonder if they're any different from the garden ones?

I use a repellent around any entry places against mice and rats, it works well and doesn't kill or injure them, they just go somewhere else. It's a mint spray.

I hope not @ppeatfruit, they’re (mostly) indoor piggies! I know that you’re right, but there’s something about mice and rats that creep me out and I shudder when I think of loads of them dining on a compost heap in our garden. Especially if it means that they’ll start looking for access points in our house.

Ours attracts rats in winter. But I live in the country surrounded by fields so that doesn't help. I started digging really deep holes in the vege garden ( that's unused in winter) and burying compost in there directly. No rats from that. Still compost into soil by tlme summer comes around.

I think digging holes or trenches for compost as Mylittlepony suggests is a great idea.

We had rats in our compost bin so I stopped using it. There was a little door at the bottom which can't have been fully closed, because one time I went to tip in veg peelings a huge rat ran out of the door and over my foot. Thank god for wellies!

Our new house hasn't got a garden so I acquired a separate plot a few minutes' walk away. I think I'll bury the compost there, although the fact that the garden isn't next to the house makes rat issues less disturbing.

IMO compost bins are a crap design because you can't turn or aerate the contents properly, as well as being a rat hotel. Mine was a waste of money.

We have 3 large ones. Only put fruit, vegetables, coffee and tea, egg shells etc as well as garden waste. Never seen any rats

I think you mainly get rats if you start puttting cooked food and things like bread and other non-natural stuff in it

Hot compost bin?

www.hotbincomposting.com/

I wonder if bokashi composting would work for you? You can put pretty much any food waste or other organic matter into it, and it gives really good compost. It doesn't smell, isn't attractive to rats, and you divert more waste from landfill.

The downside is you have to have a small bokashi bin in your kitchen, and you need to buy bokashi bran to activate the process. Although we get through the bran really slowly. If you search YouTube, there are lots of videos showing you how to do it.

Charlotte I know what you mean about turning the compost, I try to make it in layers so it doesn't need too much turning, I also made holes round the dalek type bins we've got which is helping with the aeration. I semi rot it in our kitchen bin first before adding to the heaps which helps too.

Digging it in a hole is useful because you could just plant your squashes straight in. We don't grow veg. The only ones that grow here just grow out of the compost bins!!! Without any planting!!!

Our compost bin used to attract rats but now I stand it on wire mesh too small for rats to get through but large enough for worms etc. The mesh forms a cage that reaches about 30 cm up the sides of the bin (the rats will chew through the plastic if they can reach it). This seems to work. We also have many foxes and they can try and dig their way into the bin if it is not protected.

Most tea bags are made from polypropylene and don't compost!

We use loose leaf tea, no bags, so its just the actual leaves that goes to compost

Thanks for all the suggestions, I’m going to sit down with a cuppa later and do some more research.

We use teapigs teabags which I believe are plastic free and can be composted? Will probably switch to loose tea though as they’re quite pricey.

I have a hot bin composter and it doesnt attract rats.

WellTidy It's true that they don't seem to be attracted to mine (dalek type) that are just 'normal' temperature. Maybe a few mice were in the open slated ones, that are quite hidden a way from the house though I don't mind because they aerate it for me!

We do have active, outside mouser cats too

@WellTidy. Are you pleased with the hot composter? I would like to get one but wonder if they are worth the money

flea umm. I am not delighted with it, no. That said, I have never composted in any way before, and I am not sure what to expect or whether I am doing it right. I have tried my best to layer, and I am getting the balance right between cardboard, peelings etc to try and get it going. But I am not finding that it is composting. The peelings are rotting and mouldy, rather than composting, I think. I probably need to mix it all up properly. I also think it may be too cold to start it going, I should have started when it was warmer.

I think had I started in spring or summer I would have given it a better chance.

Well Are you making sure that your bin contents are damp enough? Not too wet though, also you do have to add some garden soil which should have the correct bacteria to get it all going.

ppeatfruit* they’re probably not at all damp actually. I probably need to add moisture, you’re right. I will add some soil. So much rain over the last few days, I hope that will do the trick.

I put absolutely everything into my compost heap.
It usually has one or two rats and a few mice living in it.
They stay in the heap (as the cats catch them otherwise) and help to turn food scraps into soil.
Its never been a problem for me or my neighbours.

Rats and mice go where there is food.
They are probably already in your garden

Yes you're right of course listening As I said upthread live and let live!

Well I tend to put my coffee grounds\dregs and tea dregs in my kitchen bin, it's great because they add good things to the mix plus the damp that's needed

We found a grass snake in ours - I'd have preferred a rat!

ppeatfruit
The rodents dig out little sleeping nests and line them with citrus peel
(because of course the oils are insecticides).
When we dig the heaps out we find them - like an inside out grapefruit !

That's sweet Listening I remember a friend, who I'd thought was completely hygiene mad, talking friendlily to her compost heap family of mice as she threw in their next meal!!!

Keep Grass snakes are endangered ( I think! most snakes are anyway,) be thankful you have an environmentally friendly garden

ppeat
A few years ago we had a rather splendid female rat living in our heap with whom I played peekaboo many times
her babies tended to get killed by the cats
but that is nature

I'd LOVE to be in an ecosystem able to support snakes

To get back to the OP
If you rot all of your waste down on site, you reduce carbon emissions
and reduce food miles when you dispose of your own waste
and you improve your own soils by adding compost

I find that my heaps take about 2 years from plate scrapings to soil
but its worth it
If nothing else because my roadside bin NEVER has food in it, it never smells