Composting. hmmm.
I don't do it anymore. I did for 20 years but when every other yard began to do so as well, I stopped.
I saw Rats. I HATE HATE HATE Rats. They give me the freaks. As in I am going to scream the neighbourhood down. Gross.
I have no idea how people are ok with them.
They ran along the fences and through the trees when I was lucky enough to see them. Holy cow. Can you stand it? Yeah...no.
My fabulous dirt producer was shut down instantaneously.
The problem is that not everyone follows the same rules of compost. No meat, corn, seeds etc. And I vigorously turned it every single time I put something in. I never once had a rat impaled on the end of the pitch fork! Great huh?
I did do extensive research on composting and knew that rats were a possibility but I did everything possible to prevent an issue but....the neighbours did not.
There are some things that one just can't control.
I am lucky enough to have curb food waste pickup that the district turns into compost. I am a big fan and we produce very little garbage. Oh..and the garbage is kept inside the garage. No bears for us. Oh boy, the joys of living in the forest are endless.
As well, the district picks up the garden waste so that I can get rid of cuttings, branches and whatnot.
However, I really think that neighbours ought to be aware of what is going on in their compost so that people are not over run with disgusting rodents.
It was four years ago that I quit the compost project.
I am still going to add a link to the Metro Vancouver's composting info. Not a bad sight for those of you who still want to give it a go. Remember that you need time , energy and organization if you plan on doing this. It is not just simply throwing your food scraps into a bucket.
http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/publications/Publications/HeresTheDirt.pdf
That was not, however, the end of the Rats.
Nope, they are back. I look out my window to admire the garden and voilà, there the horrific little beasts are...merrily running along the fences. Seriously...in my yard.
It turns out that they are living under a neighbour's deck. They raised the level of their backyard so that it is around 4 ' higher then my backyard. They then covered the entire thing in wooden decking. It is gorgeous looking and is an awesome entertainment area but.....rats, racoons, mice etc have a fantastic environment in which to flourish.There are entry points all along the fence line of my and other neighbours' properties. To make matters worse, the family with the deck are big entertainers and amazing cooks. Lots of bbq and parties out there. And they have a hot tub tucked away in the deck. Warm and wet all year long. Man the various rodents are living the life!
Yup...ooh yuck.
So, I contacted my neighbours and a pest company and they seem to be gone for now. hmmm. I hope so.
A few things that the pest lady told me that I found useful are as follows:
1. No trees or shrubs should be less then 24" from your house. Otherwise, the little darlings can run up the tree, get their nails into your siding and enter your house through the soffits. Lovely.
2. They love water, so...water in the morning...not at night when they like to get out and about.
3. Sheds are great attractors. Minimize the attraction by keeping grass seed, feeding pellets, rags, and cushions out of there. Tools are okay because they don't want to eat them.
4. Hot tubs will attract rats. Grim me out.
5. Woodpiles are another no-no. Good hiding spot.
6. If you have a wooden deck...close it in...totally and completely. And you may still have issues. Rodents are tricky and will chew through almost anything.
I hope that I never have to write about this again. EVER. But I am not holding my breath.
PS. I have no pictures of rodents. Sooo sorry. Ha
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