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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Pests and compost/mulch

5 years ago

I have a chance to get some dried leaves to use as mulch. My first question: I live in the country in an area with a lot of black widows. Do black widows like to nest in dead leaves? The leaves have been sitting for a year or more down the hill from where I live. A neighbor offered to bring some up for me. My garden beds sit right by the house. I don't want to bring more black widows. I am not familiar with their habitats but my little storage shed gets filled with them during summer. Second question: If I start a compost pile, will I have rodents going into it? Mice like to come inside from time-to-time and again, the garden is right by the house and the compost pile would be too so I don't want to attract more of them. Anyone have an increase in rodents getting into/attracted by a compost pile? Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

5 years ago

Black widows like to nest in darkish nooks and crannies where they will not be disturbed - hollowed logs, piles of brush, stumps, crevices in stone walls, crawl spaces and root cellars. Can't imagine a pile of dried leaves would have much appeal for them.

And as long as you do not include too much tasty kitchen waste in your compost or bury it properly under a good thick layer of other materials, mice or other rodents should not be an issue.

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Comments (6)

klem1
5 years ago
If you have seen more than one Black Widow on your property,you need not worry about bringing in more. They are protective of their territory so will just kill one another until population come's into balance (what ever that number is). Mice sometimes nest in dry matter during winter but move out soon as it get's musty (which it will do quickly if you dampen the leaves.) FYI, Mud Daubers prey on Black Widows.
springtogarden thanked klem1
springtogarden
Original Author
5 years ago
klem1 Thank you so much! This is helpful info.
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armoured
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Don't know about dangerous spiders, and obviously question of rodents - ie. rats - may depend where you are. I've had plenty of visitors in one place - some kind of lizard (types I usually saw sunning on rocks nearby but they weren't a pest); I had a family of voles set up house in a pile of leaves, but they were just looking for somewhere warm. The only ones that bordered on being pests were moles - they were most likley after worms, but did a number on my lawn - they liked the area around the compost bins, but ventured all over. Caught one once - cute things in real life.

But gardengal has the best point - if you cover with other materials, smells will be suppressed and won't attract most other pests. Wood chips, leaves, sawdust, sawdust pellets will all work pretty well. The voles, by the way, I didn't really consider a pest, they left when the pile got a bit wetter (they were just looking for somewhere warm and dry). Moles - well, the place was very popular with them before the compost bins; just part of having a place in the country.
springtogarden thanked armoured
springtogarden
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all! This is so helpful. I feel more confident to start a compost pile and not worry about pest :). Thanks again!
armoured
5 years ago
Oh, small addition, springtogarden. Apart from above suggestions, many visitors will move on when conditions change. Simple examples: add water, guests who don't like it too wet will depart (some say ants as an example). Stir the pile with a pitchfork, those that want to be left alone depart (voles and the like). Most persistent are fruit flies; not much you can do about them except a layer of leaves or shredded paper on top (prevent their access to the tasties below).

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