Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Grubbypaws on April 23, 2018, 12:06
-
Whilst tidying up a neglected corner of my garden I discovered a rat run into and through my compost bin.
We have made compost for years and have never had this problem although we had seen a rat come from under the next door neighbours decking recently.
Has anyone got any advice? We have never put cooked food on the compost although we have put potato peelings and carrot.
We have dug over the compost and blocked all holes and will from now on not put kitchen waste on it.
Is there anything else that we should be doing?
-
Some folk use a sheet of weldmesh underneath their bin to stop rats gaining entry by tunnelling
-
Some folk use a sheet of weldmesh underneath their bin to stop rats gaining entry by tunnelling
The rat had gnawed a hole through the plywood front of the bin. The other 3 sides are railway sleepers.
-
Can I ask what kitchen waste you are composting? You mentioned potato peelings and carrots.
-
we have several darlick bins I set them on old slabs leaving just the joints exposed so the bin can drain but nothing can get in underneath had no problems with mice or rats also got a few mice traps set in the greenhouse
-
This long cold winter has seen folk have problems with rats where they have never been known before. They chewed through one of our decking boards to get at the (warmer, dry) underfloor space. Should be gone for wilder places now, but worth thinking about steel reinforcing of that bin for next year if it is cold.
-
They have probably made a nest as it is nice and warm inside. A rat trap would help, spring loaded works well with choc stuck on it.
Weld mesh underneath stops them coming into the bin.
-
Can I ask what kitchen waste you are composting? You mentioned potato peelings and carrots.
Also egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, leafy tops to vegetables. I have stopped putting peelings and egg shells on but was thinking of continuing with the rest :unsure: or should I just compost garden waste?
-
This long cold winter has seen folk have problems with rats where they have never been known before. They chewed through one of our decking boards to get at the (warmer, dry) underfloor space. Should be gone for wilder places now, but worth thinking about steel reinforcing of that bin for next year if it is cold.
I suspect that our next door neighbours decking is the luxury hotel and our compost bin is the a la carte restaurant >:(
Our neighbour has put some rat poison under his decking so hopefully that will be the end of it.
Yes I will definitely reinforce the bins for next year.
We have also been advised to stop feeding the birds as the rats feast on the dropped food. This is a shame as i love to watch them :(
-
I would think it's the warmth that's really attracting them, not kitchen waste.
I put all my kitchen peelings, stalks, egg shells, tea bags on the heap and have only had problems during cold winters.
Dig it over once in a while, with the poison under your neighbours decking and spring starting, they should move on. Personally I'd continue feeding the birds as well!
-
Some years ago, there were very big rats running in our yard. So my husband borrowed a gun and sat in our break-down truck to get them. After a couple of hours, I went out to ask how he was doing - He was sound asleep - :lol: Mrs Bouquet
-
Some years ago, there were very big rats running in our yard. So my husband borrowed a gun and sat in our break-down truck to get them. After a couple of hours, I went out to ask how he was doing - He was sound asleep - :lol: Mrs Bouquet
:D :D :D
The first thing my husband did when he saw the rat in our patio was get his air rifle. 'Wow dont you remember how much those patio tiles cost?' I shrieked.
The rat then run into our back garden which has a public footpath behind. 'Wow do you know how many years you get for manslaughter?' I screamed.
Mind you as he has never managed to hit anything with it he was probably OK :lol: :lol: :lol:
-
:lol: :D :lol: :D :lol: husband :mad: :mad: :mad: You