Rat in my compost bin

[Hopelesslydevotedtoshrews]

Uninvited. I have asked the cat to deal with it, she gave me her 'nope, no chance' face. What do we think? If I chuck a couple of buckets of water in there do we think that will be enough to make it move out?

Any other suggestions wise Mumsnetters? I think firebombing the compost bin will upset the neighbours.

If you've got a 'dalek' style compost bin, buy some rat-proof mesh - enough to cover the base completely, and another flap to cover the hatch. Secure it with cable ties or wire. No rats in mine since I did this. The rat-proof mesh has to have holes no bigger than 6mm. They'll get right through normal chicken wire.

@almondfinger thats what happened to me. I was turning the pile over and the rat jumped out. I was absolutely shitting myself

We’ve had them in our daleks. I blocked up
the hatch bit more securely, turned it more regularly and tried to make sure the veg peelings were often covered by garden waste rather than easily accessible. I think they’re gone but not certain.

I read you shouldn’t use compost that rats have been in for growing vegetables for about 5 years?! Can anyone verify? 😱

Well, I get rats in my compost bins every now and then, and I use the compost to grow my fruit and veg, and I and my family are alive so either it's fine or we're lucky.

I use the turn the compost as often as I can be bothered, and bang the bin whenever I walk past method and I've not had a nest, just the odd visiting diner.

These were a whole family of baby rats the size of small thumbs. Horrific.

I had the rat jump another day. He was having lunch on top of the heap. He leapt one way, I the other.

Now I practically bang a drum as I turn the corner.

The lovely compost makes it worth the rare rat encounter.

Thankfully no rats in mine but I do have slow worm families at the moment 😍

Can’t see why. If the rat isn’t cavorting in your compost heap, it’ll be running around urinating on your veg beds.

I haven't had a return visit from the rat, but have stopped composting egg shells, chucked some water in and give the dalek a good kick before I open the lid now so I think these all helped!

Oh lucky you, they will be decimating your slug population, and they are so beautiful. I kept one in an old enamel bread bin for a few days when I was about ten, but the novelty of getting up early in the morning to catch slugs wore off and I did what I should have done in the first place and released it back to its natural life.

DH bashes the sides of our compost daleks with a spade/fork every time he's up the garden, helps to keep the small critters away. We have heaps of field mice but not a fan of rats/squirrels as they damage/steal my allotment produce. We also Chuck water into the bins every couple of weeks & turn regularly

Does egg shells make a difference? Sorry if that sounds totally clueless