Re: [gardeners] Worm composting

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message: George Shirley: "[gardeners] Sunday in the garden"
• Previous message: Brigitte E Burchett: "RE: [gardeners] Bullfrogs& Tadpoles.."
• In reply to: Stacey Marien: "[gardeners] Worm composting"
• Next in thread: George Shirley: "Re: [gardeners] Where'd everyone go?"

Stacey Marien at samarien@yahoo.com wrote:

> Has anyone tried worm composting?  I live in the city,
> 
> Washington DC - in a semi-detached row house.  I have
> a very small backyard and have had a pyramid composter
> for a year now.  The problem?  Rats.  Creeps me out to
> just think about it.  Washington has a horrible rat
> population and they are all over the city, in every
> neighborhood.  Well, they are now in my area and
> digging under my composter.  So, no more putting the
> kitchen scraps outside.  I thought I would use the
> backyard composter for grass and plants and have a
> worm composter in the house for kitchen scraps.
> 
> Any advice for rat proofing my composter in the
> backyard?
> 
> Stacey

I've never done worm composting, but I would imagine that it would be pretty
smelly indoors. As far as deterring the rats from getting in your pyramid
composter, you could retrofit the bottom of your bin with heavy hardware
cloth. Of course the compost smell will still attract them. Burying the
foods that attract rats deep in the middle of the compost might help some.
You dont want to compost meat or dairy products, of course.

Maybe one of those rotating drum composters would suit your situation.

Dan Dixon

• Next message: George Shirley: "[gardeners] Sunday in the garden"
• Previous message: Brigitte E Burchett: "RE: [gardeners] Bullfrogs& Tadpoles.."
• In reply to: Stacey Marien: "[gardeners] Worm composting"
• Next in thread: George Shirley: "Re: [gardeners] Where'd everyone go?"