mirendajean - as soon as you mentioned the dry bundle of litter I recognised the symptoms. I am afraid you are misguidedly nurturing rats in your compost heap. I hope you washed your hands very thoroughly after handling them and did not get any bites or scratches. You really shouldn't encourage them. If you don't want to kill them at least stir up the compost frequently and stop putting meat on it.

Hey Flora. Always good to hear from you. My house is next to extended natural, unspoiled land. We have foxes and other wildlife that I enjoy. I have a policy, if an animal gets in my house I will eject them by any means necessary (i had a mouse in the house once last year) If an animal is outside I live and let live. Unfortunately my terrier doesn't have the same policy. He proudly leaves me little dead presents like a cat :-)

The meat was 2 feet deep inside a large hot pile. I am comfortable occasionally composting meat. I'm fairly sure mana rat would bake getting that deep in the pile. I had to walk away and let it steam out for a while befor I could mess with it.

M

Hi Mirendajean - I'm with you completely on leaving wildlife to itself - on the whole. Rats are an exception imo. They carry several very nasty diseases, including:
Weil�s disease
Salmonella
Tuberculosis
Cryptosporidiosis
E.Coli
Foot and mouth disease

I also compost meat but my bins are enclosed and frequently disturbed. If I find a rat's nest I destroy it. I truly believe it is irresponsible to encourage them and your neighbours and local council would not thank you if they knew.

Here is a link that might be useful: Weil's disease killed Olympic rower

Flora. Thanks for the push. I asked a few neighbors and they explained how they handle rats here and why.

Befor I moved to Ireland I lived on two acres between two farms in the US Midwest. Small animals never stood a chance against my 3 dogs and the Neighboring farm dogs & cats. I seriously never had to spare a thought for rats, rabbits, or even deer.

I spent two hours this morning thoroughly turning and sorting through my heap. I ensured that it is damp throughout and there are no more squatters. The last few bits of recognizable food are in the centre of the heap.

I have a rat trap set up along the fence behind the heap.

Thank you
M

Turning with a pitchfork will sometimes take care of them. I've come up with a mouse on my fork when turning a pile in the winter or early spring.

Good work, mirendajean. I wondered if you had been used to encountering these things in a more spacious environment before you came to the British Isles. We tend to live a bit squashed together and a nest of rats will impinge on a lot of people. Make sure the rat trap is well hidden in a pipe or under a tile or similar. One of the worst composting experiences I ever had was when I set a trap, turned my back, heard a SNAP and found a robin with its neck broken. (You'll know the robins I mean. They're very cute). I felt terrible. It had hopped down for the bate in the few seconds it took me to look around for something to hide the trap.

I went to my local farm supply store and recieved info about rats in my area that made my Afro straighten out. The little buggers are more prolific here and cause significantly more damage. The pest control section of the Agro shop here is huge compared to the shop I frequented back home.

I def need a pitchfork. I've been turning the heap By hand or using a small shovel. I am reluctant to continue that practice even while wearing my heavy gloves.

The traps I have are plastic boxes with holes in the side. I have placed heavy stones on top to keep my terrier from using it as a toy.

Thanks again Flora. I'd have just let the creatures be.

M

mirendajean - most gardeners here don't own or use a pitchfork. They are considered farming implements and you might have trouble finding one. A normal digging fork is much more useful and versatile. I use mine all the time for the winter digging, breaking down clods, working up a tilth, removing weeds, spreading compost and manure, stirring the compost heap, etc. To garden here there are just a few basic tools everyone has. A spade (NOT a shovel), a digging fork, a hand fork, a trowel, a rake, a hoe if you grow vegetables, secateurs, a pruning saw and a spring tine rake. I have gardened all my life and never really needed any other tools. I imagine you are having the same mild January we are having. I spent a couple of hours on the allotment today in a T shirt. Good luck with your bog!

mirendajean, did you hear my huge laugh from Georgia when I read "I went to my local farm supply store and recieved info about rats in my area that made my Afro straighten out."

Thanks for the image and the laugh.

Rosie, in Sugar Hill, GA

ROSIE.- come to think of it I did hear a faint burst of laughter earlier today but I assumed someone saw my hair :-) I'm glad I made you laugh.

FLORA - I am notorious for calling things by the wrong name. I'm so bad that the guys in my local Farm Supply store (im in nearly every week) don't bother correcting me anymore. They just ask me what I'm up to and supply me with the correct item. When I asked for a shovel they provided a spade. When I asked for rocks they gave me gravel. I shall ask for a pitchfork and I bet I'll come home with a garden fork.

Yes, I don't trust this mild weather, it's definitely up to something. I plan to keep my eye on it. My spring bulbs are a few inches high but the tulips are up befor the snowdrops. We had one week of hard frosts and then this strange, sneaky warm weather.

I've made great strides with my bog. At least, the part of the bog I want to plant in. My pathways ate still slippery death traps. I've expanded two beds onto soil ive amended. My veg seeds are ordered. Please keep your fingers crossed for my crops as this is the first year that I'm planting directly into the ground.

Signed With Dreams of Rat Free, Crumbly Compost,
M

This post was edited by mirendajean on Wed, Jan 9, 13 at 14:52

Hi again Mirendajean! It's more complicated than that even ;-) We do have a tool called a shovel but it isn't the same as a spade. You shovel with a shovel and you dig with a spade. And being in Ireland you might come across an Irish spade or an Irish shovel. I'm pleased the locals are looking after you. All the best, Flora.

p.s hope you have broad bean seed (favas). They're one of the first to go in. The RHS site is really handy if you are not used to the conditions here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Broad beans.