Rat-proof compost bin
We have been composting all of our kitchen scraps soiled paper etc. for a quite a while now, but we failed to rat-proof our compost bin when we first built it.
As you can imagine this resulted in a very happy family of rats that took up residence under the wood pile adjacent to our compost bin.
I finally got around to doing something about it after seeing rats on a regular basis.
Basically consisted of just wrapping all 6 sides (bottom included – rats are great diggers) of the bin in galvanized half-inch hardware cloth (mesh), and adding a hinged lid.
I originally built it with scrap wood that was left over from our home renovation.
Here are the pics of the finished product. I also built a firewood rack to keep it off the ground and eliminate a friendly habitat for critters in the dirt underneath it.
I haven’t seen any rats for a few weeks now, so they appear to have moved on.
What a great idea!
Very Cool. If you reinforced at least one side of the top, you could shovel the finished compost onto it and use it as a sifter.
cool! this is just what i’m looking for to ward away my rat pack, thx!
Thanks Amanda! We haven’t seen any rats since this upgrade.
Hi.does it matter what guage the wire is. I have rat going into my rabbit shed and am about to put hardware cloth around the outside walls to stop rats from chewing through the wood …advice will be much appreciated.
Hi Tracey
I don’t remember seeing different wire gauge options at the hardware store – I think any hardware cloth should be tough enough to deter rats. The important thing is that the mesh isn’t bigger that 1/2″ or so.
Steve