We have a rat visiting the compost bin…

It is odd isn’t it - I too am tolerant of squirrels and visiting birds. I only stopped feeding the birds when the pigeons just took over, twenty or more arriving at a go and pooing everywhere.
Growing up in the country I had no problem with creatures great and small visiting the garden. My own gardens have ranged from patio to sprawling and though I moaned about the slugs and rabbits I wasn’t really concerned.
It’s just that this particular rat (family?!) has made a route into the compost bin. I’m not particularly precious about my compost, no idea why I feel the need to protect it, but there we are.
Thank you all for your hints and tips. No sign of disturbance overnight so fingers crossed that the wire does the job.

foxie I think people who have horses are generally more pragmatic about rats. They are everywhere, and just because we can’t always see them doesn’t mean they don’t live amongst us. I’ll continue to feed the birds, and even the squirrels and inadvertently the rats as well. But I won’t welcome them into the house.

I have a shed and it is raised and I’m pretty sure there are rats under it however I have a cat and have had no problems, as someone else said if they stay out of my way that’s fine
I will not stop feeding my birds..

Try onions and garlic pierced onto kebab sticks .

One wing of the house is stables and until recently we owned horses so there was always a rat and mice problem despite keeping all the feed in metal bins. Tbh I've just accepted them along with all the other creatures I seem to feed! I'm particularly cross with the deer who are eating my tulips as they poke through the ground, moles love to travel under my poly tunnels displacing my tomatoes etc and the birds feast on my fruit. Rabbits are a complete pain and the foxes leave evidence of their last meal all over the lawn. The rats tend to keep out of my way so are tolerated.

What a cracking cat nanna8

One of my cats used to catch rats and bring them in the house for inspection. She found it difficult to differentiate between rats and ring tailed possums so she is now an ‘indoor’ cat with access to a cat run only. The local birds are very happy.

Greyduster

There’s no such thing as ‘a’ rat - there are only rats! Where there’s one, there will be others☹️.

Exactly ! They’re my room 13. I’m hopeless so after seeing a big fat one sitting under my squirrel free bird feeders, I stopped feeding the birds. I miss their singing

If you put food in a compost bin you will attract rats. Stick to plant material.

The only effective way to get rid of vermin is to put down bait traps. Get a professional to do it as they will know how to identify the ‘rat run’ and place the trap correctly.

A lot of people will advise you not to make compost but if it’s done responsibly, as you are, I believe it’s an essential part of the gardening process.

It’s not cruel, it’s a trade off with nature You get what you want and the rats don’t.

Oreo

We have a visiting rat, it sits under the bird feeders.I don’t mind as long as it stays outside.

We had a family of rats that used to visit the bottom of our garden. I think the visiting fox ate them.....

They don’t like peppermint so plant some mint near or put oil nearby ?
Or call out your local Rat man!

Greyduster

There’s no such thing as ‘a’ rat - there are only rats! Where there’s one, there will be others☹️.

Which is something that worries me, especially with Spring about to arrive. But at the moment we have just the one hole under the fence which I have filled in and covered with some loose bricks.
I’m hoping that if I make life awkward enough they’ll go off for easier picking elsewhere - like the park over the road or the woods and nature reserve beyond the park!

Thank you for the solar light idea - I’ll reposition some tomorrow.

There’s no such thing as ‘a’ rat - there are only rats! Where there’s one, there will be others☹️.

We have a visiting rat, it sits under the bird feeders.I don’t mind as long as it stays outside.

escaped

A cat. Dogs are useless at the job.

I've had cats all my adult life (I'm 65). Not one ever caught a rat.

A cat. Dogs are useless at the job.

The wire should work. I made the same mistake and also regret putting eggshells in with the compost ( I think it was someone on here that said rats loved them). For years afterwards the rats would scratch around where tiny fragments of eggshell remained. If I’d put mesh underneath at the start there wouldn’t have been a problem.Also might be an idea to put a solar light by the bin as rats don’t like the light.

I have stopped feeding the birds too, though I do still have water available in several places. Shame isn’t it.

We have dogs and the rats still visit. We sadly no longer have bird feeders due to visiting rats. They love compost bins where they can access food and warmth.