Keep rats out of the compost: How to prevent a plague and otherwise deal with rodents in the garden?

Are you looking for common methods and inexpensive ways to keep rats out of compost? The following information and tips can help you!

Composting enables sustainable, natural and, above all, environmentally conscious reuse of organic waste in the garden or in your own home. However, it is important to be careful when adding oily foods as well as dairy and meat products to the compost heap or compost container. Such food residues often attract wild animals and frequent visitors such as rats. A rat infestation can not only lead to garden damage, but also poses a number of health risks. Such rodents can transmit diseases such as leptospirosis, as well as hantavirus and salmonella. But is it actually possible to prevent mice, rats or other similar creatures such as voles from settling in the compost heap? In this guide you will find some potential ways to do this.

What attracts rodents and why keep rats away from compost?

Become the most commonOutdoor composterfrequented by brown rats, as such rodents often look for a protected habitat. They can therefore settle undisturbed in a compost heap where it is warm and there is enough food. In addition, such a place is also suitable for their offspring. However, the real main reason for compost's appeal to wildlife is its distance from human habitation. In fact, most compost heaps are often far from homes. In addition, in the cold season they are visited less frequently during the week to dump waste. Here are the main factors that play a crucial role:

• Especially in winter, the composter can become a refuge for wild animals such as brown rats as they look for protection from the cold and food sources.
• The rodents start looking for such winter quarters as early as autumn.
• Because people are less active in the fall and winter months, animals are less disturbed by repetitive visits.
• The compost heap provides sufficient food for rodents, as many of them can feed on similar foods.
• The heat that the compost heap gives off as the waste decomposes attracts wild animals with young. The favorable conditions enable problem-free raising.
• Another advantage for rodents settling there is the feeling of security and the time they have to escape before humans arrive.
• Since they are social animals, they can multiply quickly in such places and become a rat plague.
• Paradoxically, the presence of rodents could also be beneficial for composting. The constant movement in the heap ensures more ventilation and thus accelerates the decomposition process. It only becomes a problem when the animals multiply quickly and are distributed irregularly in the compost heap.

To avoid such problems and properly deal with unwanted visitors in the garden area, you can do the following.

What factors should you take into account when dealing with rodents?

Before the presence of rodents in the garden becomes a burden, it is important to act strategically and, above all, in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in damaged lawns, garden plants and property. As already written above, if left unchecked, the pests can endanger your health and the health of your family members through disease transmission. However, with the appropriate preventative measures and common methods, rodents such as rats can be kept away from the compost and removed from garden areas.

• First and foremost, it is important to identify rats and become familiar with their behavior. This way you can minimize the negative impact on your garden area and deal with the problem more effectively. The species found in most gardens are brown rats and roof rats.
• Brown rats are a type of rat that reach a size of between 18 and 25 cm. As a rule, the body is longer than the tail and the animals have brown or gray-brown fur. However, the fur on the belly is lighter and they are burrowers who make their home in garden sheds or garages.
• As far as roof rats or house rats are concerned, they are smaller and reach a size of 15 to 20 cm. The main difference from brown rats is the length of the tail, as it is significantly longer than the body. Another feature that distinguishes them from the other rat species is the color of the fur, which is black or dark brown. Although the name suggests domestic environments, domestic rats climb trees easily and enjoy hanging out in garden areas. This allows them easy access to compost bins and other tall garden structures.
• As already written, such rodents behave socially and live in groups. They are also nocturnal and can eat their way through any material or food. Another factor to consider is their ability to jump up, which in turn could make compost piles more vulnerable to unwanted visits.

How to keep rats out of compost and reduce their numbers in the garden?

You can avoid the presence of various rats in the compost by taking into account the above factors and taking a few additional steps. The first and most effective of these is to first make their access to the garden more difficult. To do this, you can take the measures described below.

• First, try to maintain the cleanliness of the area by clearing the garden area of ​​dirt and potential hiding places. Also, dispose of your trash in sealed bags to avoid attracting rodents through spilled food.
• Another preventive measure is to seal your compost bin or invest in one with a lid. These are suitable for kitchen waste and organic waste, although you can also place the container on a higher platform such as a wooden pallet.
• Also seal any small cracks, gaps or holes to prevent rodents from entering. This also applies to windows and doors through which they could enter.
• For added protection, also consider installing a rat-proof fence and keep garden plants at least 2 feet away from it.
• Another humane control method is to use live traps. These are designed so that you can release the animals somewhere else after catching them.
• Non-toxic baits also represent an animal-friendly alternative to poisonous traps. These usually contain garlic or peppermint, which act as a repellent against rat infestations.

An equally defensive and effective control measure would be the natural enemies of rodents. If you attract predators with hunting instincts such as cats or dogs to your garden, they will certainly deter rodent pests. This way you will be able to keep rats away from the compost and prevent their presence in the garden area at all. For this purpose you can use yourMake your garden animal-friendlyand offer food or shelter to such predators.

What to do to make the compost heap unattractive to rodents?

No matter what type of composter you use, you should ensure that it attracts fewer unwanted visitors. When it comes to compost piles, they can be easily accessible to pests and therefore more vulnerable than lidded varieties. For this reason, it is advisable to take preventative measures even when composting and here are some of the most common of them:

• Try to avoid leftover food such as fish, meat and dairy products in the compost pile and compost them in your home. This also includes fatty foods, as they can quickly attract outdoor rodents. Instead, you can add garden waste such as grass clippings, as well as vegetable and plant residues that are less attractive to critters, to your compost pile.
• Another clever trick is to bury food scraps deeper into the compost pile instead of throwing them directly on top.
• Also turn the pile regularly for better aeration and keep it moist to drive rats away from the compost. Such rodents prefer a dry and warm environment, while caring for the compost heap also speeds up the decomposition process.
• You should also occasionally check the ventilation openings for unwanted visitors and use wire mesh as protection if necessary.
• If your compost bin doesn't have a rat-proof platform, you can create a raised one out of concrete slabs to make access more difficult for rodents. If there is no lid, you can add a net or grille as protection.
• Last but not least, another logical and strategic measure is to spend more time near the compost heap. This would deter wildlife of all kinds, causing them to seek a quieter location.

There are many options available to you if you want to keep rats out of compost. By taking preventive action, you will save yourself the extra effort of dealing with unwanted guests and keep your garden area more well-maintained. If you use the advice and methods listed here, you will not allow rodents to become a nuisance. If this happens anyway, it would make more sense to seek professional help.

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