There's a rat in me compost, what am I gonna do?

[Fnaar]

As long as you're not inhaling or eating your compost

Fnaar looks up guiltily, mud around mouth....

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Burn, burn yes you're gonna burn,
burn, burn yes you're gonna burn etc...

}





Bombtrack
Rage Against the Machine

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

As long as you're not inhaling or eating your compost, and you wash your hands after handling it, I think worrying about rat pee in your compost is a bit precious...

Terry le Chaiment wrote an article in Airgun World describing the considerable steps he'd taken to shoot a rat that was in his back garden. Various correspondents lambasted him for wasting a large number of hours on a single rat. He had to admit the following month that the rat was using his daughter's sand pit and Mrs. le Chaiment had told him not to rest until it had been dispatched.

 

[graham56]

Ferrets are the answer, rats are scarred shitless of them. Once they smell the Ferrets they wont be back.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

And how, pray tell, do you get rid of the ferrets?

Can they be set alight?

 

[domtyler]

This is an occupational hazard for people who store their rubbish in their back gardens. Just get rid of the compost heap and your problem will also disappear.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

This is an occupational hazard for people who store their rubbish in their back gardens. Just get rid of the compost heap and your problem will also disappear.

Get rid of a compost heap!!!!!!!!!!! Wash your mouth out with soap. Compost heaps are an essential part of the recycling process. I would cut my right arm off before I lost a single one of my three compost heaps.

 

[graham56]

And how, pray tell, do you get rid of the ferrets?

Can they be set alight?

You cold always try keeping them in your trews

 

[buddha]

Be careful - they often carry a ghastly disease called Weil's disease which is spread by their urine.

Apparently (human) male urine is good for compost. So, as a pre-emptive ripening of karma (or an act of revenge), drown them in a bucket or two of your own pi$$!

I had a rat in the compost two years ago. Although the cat eventually got it. And just left it at the back door, as a pressie for me. Huge thing, almost 1ft long including the tail IIRC. Though I may be exaggerating.
When I eventually turned the heap over, I found a big hollow underneath and a few 'tunnels' leading away.

Since then my compost heap has become a social club / meeting place for the neighbourhood cats. There have been no more rats.

 

[Fnaar]

Buddha: have an avatar:

 

[papercorn2000]

Burn, burn yes you're gonna burn,
burn, burn yes you're gonna burn etc...

}





Bombtrack
Rage Against the Machine

Mutha****a!!!

 

[jonathan ellis]

I had to "sort out" a rat in our house a few years a go.
rentokill wouldn't do "live" they'd only bait it.

i went in with various items (from a bread board to a bamboo cane...)

...I won

but it wasnt pretty

 

[buddha]

Buddha: have an avatar:

Thank-You!
An excellent likeness ... especially around the midriff

 

[radger]

The thing you really want to avoid is the rat making a nest in your compost, and having lots of little rats. They like compost because it's warm, and can provide food. To discourage them from nesting, you need to stir your compost with a fork regularly - rats don't like having their home demolished. It may not be something to do when Mrs Fnaar is about though, as you might find lots of rats jumping out of the bin.
However, I'm quite surprised it got through your chicken wire defences - does the compost bin have a hatch? If so, is that covered with the wire? I've heard them referred to as rat doors - they're too small to get compost out through, but good for letting rats in.

 

[radger]

The thing you really want to avoid is the rat making a nest in your compost, and having lots of little rats. They like compost because it's warm, and can provide food. To discourage them from nesting, you need to stir your compost with a fork regularly - rats don't like having their home demolished. It may not be something to do when Mrs Fnaar is about though, as you might find lots of rats jumping out of the bin.
However, I'm quite surprised it got through your chicken wire defences - does the compost bin have a hatch? If so, is that covered with the wire? I've heard them referred to as rat doors - they're too small to get compost out through, but good for letting rats in.