Tips for Avoiding Critters in Your Backyard Compost

 
Andrea Bostrom with her Backyard Compost Tumbler

Andrea Bostrom with her Backyard Compost Tumbler

 

According to Composting for Dummies, it’s easy to get rid of unwanted animals like cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and even bears digging at your compost with three easy tips. 

  1. Don’t put meat, fish, bones, dairy, grease or oil in your compost.

  2. Avoid using blood meal to speed up the process.

  3. Use a bin.

Whether it’s a static box-shape, tumbler, or tower, enclosed bins are another great way to ensure animals don’t treat your compost like a salad bar. But creatures can be creative, so purchase one that sits above ground and is able to be secured with latches. Also, if it has aeration holes, cover those with wire mesh.  

More Backyard Composting Tips

If you’re using an open air bin, perhaps one you’ve made yourself, remember to cover your food scraps (your “greens”) with “browns” like leaves, straw, or other dry organic material—you can even use a cut up brown paper bag— and turn the pile frequently.

Also, keep your pile moist, not wet (wet can lead to odors also). To block easy access, set bricks on top of easy-to-remove lids. You could also try composting in trenches in and around your garden. “Trench composting” is a super simple method of composting where you essentially bury your food scraps directly into a 12-inch deep trench. No turning, no smells, no rodents. 

How about Vermi-composting?

If you’re still having rodent guests and you’re comfortable with having worms as roommates (kidding), you could always go with a worm compost bin!  There are plenty of varieties of indoor vermicomposters and with young children, this could be a fun “pet project” (pun intended).

Have we missed an idea? Message us on our Facebook page and we’ll include in future blog posts!

More Composting Resources For You:

Food, Gardening, Sustainable LivingSusan Krusecompost, Residential Program