Kitchen Garden Forum

We currently have two wire cages and sooner or later they always seem to be invaded by rats so I'm looking for a ratproof container which also makes it easy to dig out the finished product when it's ready. I was wondering about the dalek-type shapes but those little flaps at the bottom don't look as it it's very easy to dig out compacted compost from them.

I made mine out of breeze blocks on a heavy duty galvanised wire mesh base and covered them with polycarbonate sheets. They are in a line of three so easy to turn into the adjacent heap etc when necessary. The only weakness is that I've put a lower front on them to make them easier to empty and the rats have just eaten through the thick pieces of scaffolding board I'd cut to block them off. I'm thinking about nailing mesh on the boards next or getting some metal to fill in the gap.

I thought there might be a problem with air circulation, but they make lovely compost very quickly and don't get soggy or anything. I think having the free draining base solves this.

I think it's easy to under-estimate the power of rats to eat their way through virtually anything. I was wondering whether sheets of corrugated iron made into boxes would work but if you say rats have chewed through scaffolding board, they might find a way of chewing through that too.

We've just returned from 3 days away and in that time they've already rebuilt the mound of earth in the four inches between the back of the cage and our fence which I demolished before departing. I've demolished it again this morning and removed the earth but I can't figure out whether they're actually living in this earth mound or whether they've tunnelled it out from within one of the heaps. But as one cheeky bu**er is happily meandering around the garden with impunity, I'm anxious to destroy their habitat asap. They haven't touched the bait I put down. Am beginning to think there's a generation of rats that are completely immune to it.

Primrose, when our council changed over to large wheelie bins some years ago, we drilled lots of small holes (about thumb thickness) into the original plastic dust bin in the sides and in the bottom. and used that as compost bin. We have since bought four more of that size and drilled the holes.

The lids are on at all times (weighted down with a large stone to stop it blowing away) and there is no access for rats or even mice. I fill one bin up at the time and stir it from time to time with a sort of swivel stick (from Wigglywigglers). It does mean, having to tip the whole bin out to get at the compost or scooping it out from the top. But I have never found that a problem.

The bins stand on a bed of limestone chippings and the "juice" just drains out of the bottom.

ive got a couple of square plastic bins , each one is stood on four square paving slabs, the juice drains between the slabs but no rats have got in since the slabs were installeed... i expected them to chew a hole in the plastic , but they havnt.. yet....
if you do suspect theres one in the heap give it a few vigorous prods with a sharp digging fork

richard p wrote:ive got a couple of square plastic bins , each one is stood on four square paving slabs,

Exactly what I was going to recommend. During the unusual cold last winter, we had rats in our dalek bins for the first time in 8 years. The general advice here was that wire netting underneath is no protection, so I was going to use paving slabs.

Some people worry that this will prevent the worms getting up into the mix. Guess it's possible to add some. In the meantime Monika I can confirm that that whilst the small plastic flaps do mean it takes slightly longer to get the compost out, it's do-able.

the plastic bins are tapered so just lift off the heap relitavly easily.... certainly very easy with two pairs of hands

richard p wrote:the plastic bins are tapered so just lift off the heap relitavly easily

I guess it may be because I don't turn the contents as much as I should, but I generally find the lower part of my "dalek bin" compost is ready before the top has completed.

I therefore shovel out the bottom foot or so and let the partially composted section above drop down, so I can the start adding more to the top.

i dont turn mine at all, just have two bins, ones been cooking since about easter.... the second is being filled with the kitchen waste..... about easter the compost from the first will be used, the second is then left to cook for twelve months, whilst the first is refilled. any odd bits on the top that havnt composed get put back in the bottom,

richard p wrote:if you do suspect theres one in the heap give it a few vigorous prods with a sharp digging fork

I've tried that but they have very sharp hearing. The moment they hear the kitchen door open or my footsteps on the path they scarper, only to scurry back as soon as the coast is clear.
I've mixed some seed and oats in with rat bait that I've put down in a container. Little varmints have removed all the seed and oats and left the blue bait untouched. I'm at a loss now to know what next to do to get rid of them.

shotgun or cat

Afraid they're too darned quick for next door's cat who just sits on the fence watching them. And as for the shotgun, I always get the dunce's price at the fairgroiund shooting range!