I have only been composting for like three years, so take it for what it is worth. I recommend that you read the humanure handbook. It is available to read for free online (the author put it on line). While the book is about composting human manure safely, it is also a great book about composting in general. My kitchen waste compost bin is a 4 foot cube made out of 1/2 inch hardware cloth (including top and bottom) on a wood frame. So vermin can't get inside. I don't know if that is really necessary, but if you build it that way you won't have to worry about rats, mice, or racoons getting in. One of my friends has a compost bin that is not vermin proof, and it does receive visits from wildlife (probably racoons). He doesn't worry about it, but it would bother me. My friend puts all kitchen waste in the bin (including some bones and meat scraps), and does not cover with dry leaves or anything. We put all kitchen waste in our bin, but we do cover with dry leaves which makes it look tidy and not smell and helps balance out the overly damp kitchen waste. I think in general if you use enough dry "brown" material to soak up the excess moisture of kitchen waste, the compost will be non-smelly and PROBABLY unattractive to vermin. When the bin is full enough and moist enough to sustain high temperature composting (which it will do at some point, if you put all your kitchen waste in there) I don't see how small animals like mice and rats could stay in the bin. They would get cooked. --McKenzie

My only experience with hedgehogs came when I lived for a few years in Germany. My apartment was sunk a few feet below ground level so a big window was flush with the ground. I used to let my two cats out that window at night to prowl around and do whatever cats do outside at night. One night I heard a strange loud grinding sound and the two cats were staring at the window in horror. I looked out and saw two hedgehogs, one of them chewing on the aluminum windowsill. They eventually went away, leaving me with enormous respect for any animal that likes to chew on metal. Claire

Probably not enough Nitrogen in the mix. Whether there is enough or maybe too much water depends on your weather the last several months. Adding good rich garden soil is not necessary and earthworms are not significant digesters initially. A pile of material to compost can shrink simply as air is displaced and an 18 inch pile of material is not quite enough volume to get the bacteria that will digest the material really excited. Any once living plant material is good in a compost pile, some people will tell you no "weeds" because they do not understand how things grow. If they said no "weed" seeds, and maybe no "weed" roots that might be understandable, but then of course it is simply easier to say no "weeds". Manure is a good addition to compost, but it does need to have a lot of Nitrogen still readily available, something aged manure does not have. The link below will take you to a very good compost tutorial. Here is a link that might be useful: Composting

Yes! Camouflage! My first house had a compost heap when a bought it and trust me, it was the least thought-out compost heap ever. It was literally a pile in a corner--no fences, no lattice, no bin. I didn't know a thing about composting, I just dumped kitchen scraps on top and used a small shovel to turn it into the top of the pile. It just looked like a small pile of dirt. BUT, come spring, whatever seeds went in with the food (pumpkin, cantaloupe, cucumber....) would pop up and cover the heap. I'd move most of them to the garden, but I'd always leave a pumpkin because I'd get the BEST pumpkins from the compost heap. And....my heap would be completely hidden by the huge, healthy leaves. I could still add things, too. I'd just lift a leaf and dump more on. It was wonderful. Great soil, no smell, and beautiful pumpkins. I loved that heap. Definitely think camouflage!