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

[Fnaar]

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.

It has a door, but that's wedged shut with a paving slab.... it could be that they got in the top (the wind blew the lid off, and it's next to a pile of twigs that they could have climbed up, as a sort of 'rat ladder'). I've now weighted the lid down with a brick, and moved the twig pile (which is home to lots of spiders and creepy crawlies, which attracts the birdies....)

 

[Fnaar]

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.

It has a door, but that's wedged shut with a paving slab.... it could be that they got in the top (the wind blew the lid off, and it's next to a pile of twigs that they could have climbed up, as a sort of 'rat ladder'). I've now weighted the lid down with a brick, and moved the twig pile (which is home to lots of spiders and creepy crawlies, which attracts the birdies....)

 

[Saddle bum]

I would cut my right arm off before I lost a single one of my three compost heaps.

Then you could add it to the compost.

 

[Saddle bum]

I would cut my right arm off before I lost a single one of my three compost heaps.

Then you could add it to the compost.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

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.

That's what I've found works. And it's good to stir the compost anyway - stops all that clumping of stuff which then doesn't rot down.

I don't think the rats find much to eat tho' - unless you put the classic meat/fish bits in. I think it's mostly the nice warm nesting site they go for.

And yes I do pee on my compost (But don't tell the neighbours )

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

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.

That's what I've found works. And it's good to stir the compost anyway - stops all that clumping of stuff which then doesn't rot down.

I don't think the rats find much to eat tho' - unless you put the classic meat/fish bits in. I think it's mostly the nice warm nesting site they go for.

And yes I do pee on my compost (But don't tell the neighbours )

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Also, to start a new eco biological filter system in a fish tank, don't buy the little bottles of bacteria that cost an arm and a leg, just pish in it, but preferably not when the M-I-L is visiting !

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Also, to start a new eco biological filter system in a fish tank, don't buy the little bottles of bacteria that cost an arm and a leg, just pish in it, but preferably not when the M-I-L is visiting !

 

[buggi]

Personally i love ratties and I AM NOT SURPRISED it got through your defences:​

"The Power of Rat Teeth: The jaws of a rat can exert pressures of 24,000 lbs. Rats can readily chew through plastic water pipes, irrigation systems and garbage cans, wood boxes, dry wall, and even cinder block. Compare the hardness of rat teeth with that of common metals. On the international "hardness index" rat teeth = 5.5, while iron = 4.0, copper = 2.5-3.0, aluminum = 2.0 , and lead = 1.5. It was once believed that rats needed to gnaw to maintain their ever-growing incisors (front teeth) at the proper length, but this is not true. Rats fed on soft foods and kept in an environment without gnawing edges do just fine because the teeth wear on each other. Rat teeth grow 5 inches a year, however, and rats with mis-aligned jaws have been know to pierce their own brain cases with their own rapidly growing teeth."​

Is it any wonder the rat got into your compost bin??? the pressure poundage is wrong in this quote, i think its a typo. i believe it is actually 24 lb (i know that if they put their mind to it they can take off a human finger very quickly!) but the rest of the quote is accurate. rats incisors are enamel at the front and dentine at the back, thus the back wears quicker producing a chisel tip, which is extremely hard, which is why they can chew through anything, including metal and concrete. if they were the size of a shark they can bite harder.​

if you're rat is just visiting tho, and not nesting, i wouldn't stress too much about it.​

HOWEVER, they are not really a good idea to have it nesting in your garden, ... you do the math:​

one female = up to 18 babies every 5 to 6 weeks.
each baby = sexual maturity by 5 weeks. each can have up to 18 babies
each "grandchild" = sexual maturity by 5 weeks and so on.​

they live together so it's not gonna take long before you are overrun. so make sure it isn't nesting and keep stirring the compost.
you can get a humane trap. your rat will have a set route to your compost bin, you just need to watch which way he/she is coming and put the trap on route with some nice smelly food inside (ie. chicken). check the trap twice a day but not more than that. my own ratties are active early in the morning and late at night (between 10pm and 2am) so check the trap outside of these times. if you catch it, relocate it 2 miles away.​

the good news is, if you have a rat you don't have mice, and rats are much cleaner. it's true they can carry weils disease (pronounced Viles) but that's usually sewer rats and it's usually sewer workers that pick it up. It is very nasty tho, and can kill, so as said, as a precaution make sure you wash hands after dealing with compost.​

ps. tell your misses not to stress. rats are extremely intelligent but shy, and although they will defend themselves if cornered, they won't go for her jugular! and they will see her coming before she sees them and run away.

 

[buggi]

Personally i love ratties and I AM NOT SURPRISED it got through your defences:​

"The Power of Rat Teeth: The jaws of a rat can exert pressures of 24,000 lbs. Rats can readily chew through plastic water pipes, irrigation systems and garbage cans, wood boxes, dry wall, and even cinder block. Compare the hardness of rat teeth with that of common metals. On the international "hardness index" rat teeth = 5.5, while iron = 4.0, copper = 2.5-3.0, aluminum = 2.0 , and lead = 1.5. It was once believed that rats needed to gnaw to maintain their ever-growing incisors (front teeth) at the proper length, but this is not true. Rats fed on soft foods and kept in an environment without gnawing edges do just fine because the teeth wear on each other. Rat teeth grow 5 inches a year, however, and rats with mis-aligned jaws have been know to pierce their own brain cases with their own rapidly growing teeth."​

Is it any wonder the rat got into your compost bin??? the pressure poundage is wrong in this quote, i think its a typo. i believe it is actually 24 lb (i know that if they put their mind to it they can take off a human finger very quickly!) but the rest of the quote is accurate. rats incisors are enamel at the front and dentine at the back, thus the back wears quicker producing a chisel tip, which is extremely hard, which is why they can chew through anything, including metal and concrete. if they were the size of a shark they can bite harder.​

if you're rat is just visiting tho, and not nesting, i wouldn't stress too much about it.​

HOWEVER, they are not really a good idea to have it nesting in your garden, ... you do the math:​

one female = up to 18 babies every 5 to 6 weeks.
each baby = sexual maturity by 5 weeks. each can have up to 18 babies
each "grandchild" = sexual maturity by 5 weeks and so on.​

they live together so it's not gonna take long before you are overrun. so make sure it isn't nesting and keep stirring the compost.
you can get a humane trap. your rat will have a set route to your compost bin, you just need to watch which way he/she is coming and put the trap on route with some nice smelly food inside (ie. chicken). check the trap twice a day but not more than that. my own ratties are active early in the morning and late at night (between 10pm and 2am) so check the trap outside of these times. if you catch it, relocate it 2 miles away.​

the good news is, if you have a rat you don't have mice, and rats are much cleaner. it's true they can carry weils disease (pronounced Viles) but that's usually sewer rats and it's usually sewer workers that pick it up. It is very nasty tho, and can kill, so as said, as a precaution make sure you wash hands after dealing with compost.​

ps. tell your misses not to stress. rats are extremely intelligent but shy, and although they will defend themselves if cornered, they won't go for her jugular! and they will see her coming before she sees them and run away.

 

[Noodley]

Never mind cats or Jack Russells...get yourself a Cairn Terrier. One of them will rip the shite out of any number of rats in a very short space of time.

 

[Noodley]

Never mind cats or Jack Russells...get yourself a Cairn Terrier. One of them will rip the shite out of any number of rats in a very short space of time.

 

[Crackle]

it's true they can carry weils disease (pronounced Viles) but that's usually sewer rats and it's usually sewer workers that pick it up.

...And cavers and canoeists...

not too mention people who live on the riverbank, like Toad of Toadhall.....!

 

[Crackle]

it's true they can carry weils disease (pronounced Viles) but that's usually sewer rats and it's usually sewer workers that pick it up.

...And cavers and canoeists...

not too mention people who live on the riverbank, like Toad of Toadhall.....!

 

[Noodley]

...And cavers and canoeists...

not too mention people who live on the riverbank, like Toad of Toadhall.....!

Should I burn any canoeists I see whilst out on my bike? You can't be too careful.