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?

Yes exactly about the benefits of composting. Rats are just part of the ecosystem we must try to allow them to live too. I must admit I'm not keen on them in the house (we do live for 6 months in rural Fr.)

I've got a good way of repelling them from our attic (well we think they're rats, there could be polecats too!!) I make a strong mint essential oil\water spray. Which ,sprayed in any cracks in our ceiling upstairs , keeps everything away. I do have to repeat every 2 weeks or so.

We have a dalek one for garden waste and sometimes I put veg peelings in it. We have lots of wildlife but I would not say any more since we had the bin- apart from beautiful bright green leopard-print type slugs that live in it.
What it is amazing for is it feeds the two large plants near it. They love it and have become giants - very pre-historic looking giant gunnera and a formia that is vast and produces triffid-like large flowers. One morning I think it will have uprooted itself and walked up to the patio windows.

Oh that sounds good Lulu mine actually grow squashes!!. I have never planted one in my life!!! BUT we do buy and eat them and obviously the seeds have gone into the bins. We had an amazing pumpkin vine growing from our slatted heap. a few years ago!! It was fabulous with about 4 or 5 varie coloured squashes grew from it. Which we ate of course and sadly one has never grown there since. Though 3 vines grew from our bins last autumn, with only one little butternut squash. They were probably growing themselves too late in the season!!!!

Hi. I compost in a dalek bin. It's a tiny garden so I have no choice but to keep it in the far corner out of the way next to a fence, there's no where else for it. I know this is not ideal.
I only compost , grass clippings, other garden waste, compost, tea leaves fruit and veg that has partly decomposed from the kitchen top bin. The bin is moist and the ratio is pretty equal. I am only able to turn every couple of weeks as i find it difficult. I saw holes around the outskirts of my compost bin , i think a rat mightve dug underneath the bin and I'm sure i saw a rat in one of my plant pots next to my back door.. I've placed bricks over the holes and turned the compost. A few weeks later I emptied the bin and put everything back in. No signs of life. This seems to happen every year but only once. Should I get rid of the bin . Is it safe to continue to compost. I really want to avoid landfill for rubbish. Any advice would be appreciated.

I mainly use my compost heap for garden waste, and I have a wormery for any compostable food that might attract rats. The rats can't get in and you get lovely fine compost for the garden, although it is quite slow.