I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

I have been using an Earth Machine composter for about 5 years now,
and feed it regularly with vegetative kitchen waste and various yard
scraps.

I am really very ignorant of rats (I did see one in an alley in
downtown Detroit once, and it wasn't a pleasant sight!), but I find it
hard to believe that rats would be able to get through the hard and
comparatively thick plastic of which the Earth Machine is constructed.

Does anybody out there have any experience with rats and Earth Machine
composters? I'd really like to know if a study exists that determines
one way or the other how resistant they are to rats. Anecdotal
evidence from hundreds of Earth Machine owners probably won't sway the
city commission to rescind the ban (or change the ban to a ban on OPEN
composting of food waste).

Thanks!

William Asher wrote:

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

They just now noticed they have rats? Lead pipe cinch they've been
there since the town was settled.

I have been using an Earth Machine composter for about 5 years now,
and feed it regularly with vegetative kitchen waste and various yard
scraps.

I am really very ignorant of rats (I did see one in an alley in
downtown Detroit once, and it wasn't a pleasant sight!), but I find it
hard to believe that rats would be able to get through the hard and
comparatively thick plastic of which the Earth Machine is constructed.

Lining the box with 1/2" mesh screen will keep rodents out.

Does anybody out there have any experience with rats and Earth Machine
composters? I'd really like to know if a study exists that determines
one way or the other how resistant they are to rats. Anecdotal
evidence from hundreds of Earth Machine owners probably won't sway the
city commission to rescind the ban (or change the ban to a ban on OPEN
composting of food waste).

Rats ain't all bad. The lab strains that nearly all life-saving drugs
were tested on were bred from the same rattus Norvegicus species
you crossed paths with in that dark narrow alley.

William Asher wrote:

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

I have been using an Earth Machine composter for about 5 years now,
and feed it regularly with vegetative kitchen waste and various yard
scraps.

I am really very ignorant of rats (I did see one in an alley in
downtown Detroit once, and it wasn't a pleasant sight!), but I find it
hard to believe that rats would be able to get through the hard and
comparatively thick plastic of which the Earth Machine is constructed.

Does anybody out there have any experience with rats and Earth Machine
composters? I'd really like to know if a study exists that determines
one way or the other how resistant they are to rats. Anecdotal
evidence from hundreds of Earth Machine owners probably won't sway the
city commission to rescind the ban (or change the ban to a ban on OPEN
composting of food waste).

Thanks!

Rats are everywhere. Banning composting will not get rid of them.

--
Travis in Shoreline Washington

(William Asher) wrote in message . com...
I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.


I live 45 miles WSW of you, and I pre-compost kitchen waste in a trash
can (mixed with suitable brown stuff) before placing it in the compost
pile (the purpose, of course, is to make the stuff inedible and not
attract rats). I do see signs of rats, but they are concentrated
exclusively in my flower beds, due to the abundance of bulbs and ivy
ground cover. I have never seen a bite or a dropping in or around the
trash can. I am pretty sure you are safe with your machine. I suppose
my method would be at the edge of the ban, since the waste becomes
unrecognizable by the time I dump it in the pile (if you want to be
absolutely sure your stuff is gone by the time you dump it on the
pile, use two trashcans in rotation).

Stand up and revolt freedomm to compost! Just do it any way unless
you have a crochity old meany who lives next door who will turn you
in. open composting attracts rodents I used to see llittle mice now
and again in my compost even a rabit or two munching on a freshly
tossed vegi when I just had an open compost but now I have a closed
one and no trouble with bunnies or mice any more but the previous
poster was correct they came on boats in the 1400's and they aren't
going any where soon.

On Thu, 20 May 2004 07:15:46 GMT, Travis
wrote:

William Asher wrote:

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

I have been using an Earth Machine composter for about 5 years now,
and feed it regularly with vegetative kitchen waste and various yard
scraps.

I am really very ignorant of rats (I did see one in an alley in
downtown Detroit once, and it wasn't a pleasant sight!), but I find it
hard to believe that rats would be able to get through the hard and
comparatively thick plastic of which the Earth Machine is constructed.

Does anybody out there have any experience with rats and Earth Machine
composters? I'd really like to know if a study exists that determines
one way or the other how resistant they are to rats. Anecdotal
evidence from hundreds of Earth Machine owners probably won't sway the
city commission to rescind the ban (or change the ban to a ban on OPEN
composting of food waste).

Thanks!

Rats are everywhere. Banning composting will not get rid of them.

Sorry to do this to you. I love composting but Earth Machines are not
rat proof. I had one, a roof rat chewed through the bottom and made a
nice home in there one winter. It did a wonderful job of turning the
compost for me.

You might want to consider watering your compost from time to time,
this seems to annoy the heck out of the rats. Eventually, they left.
Last time I saw one, my husband called me over to see a 'chipmunk' on
the neighbour's picnic table. He'd never seen a rat before.

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:279628

(William Asher) wrote in
om:

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

I have been using an Earth Machine composter for about 5 years now,
and feed it regularly with vegetative kitchen waste and various yard
scraps.

I am really very ignorant of rats (I did see one in an alley in
downtown Detroit once, and it wasn't a pleasant sight!), but I find it
hard to believe that rats would be able to get through the hard and
comparatively thick plastic of which the Earth Machine is constructed.

Does anybody out there have any experience with rats and Earth Machine
composters? I'd really like to know if a study exists that determines
one way or the other how resistant they are to rats. Anecdotal
evidence from hundreds of Earth Machine owners probably won't sway the
city commission to rescind the ban (or change the ban to a ban on OPEN
composting of food waste).

Thanks!


I have one of the black semi-conical Earth Machines. I haven't had any
rat problems with it, but the plastic is less than 1/2 cm thick, and
should be no problem for a determined rat to gnaw through. It probably
wouldn't do so unless there was something tempting inside, like food or
warmth. Not sure if vegetable scraps would qualify as tempting, but the
heat from decaying vegetation in cold environments could be.

I used to live just east of you in Warren. My neighbor saw a field mouse in
the yard, and was concerned for his 2-year old daughter. He demanded that I
get rid of my compost bin and put out poison for the mice. I told him that:
1 - I'm an organic gardener and would not put poison in my yard.
2 - His 2-year old will never catch a healthy mouse, but COULD catch one
that was sick from rat poison.
3 - If you ever find a suburban neighborhood that DOES NOT have mice,
call the EPA. It belongs on the Super Fund List.

He didn't take it well, and called the city on me. The city inspector
checked out my compost bin and gave it a clean bill of health.

Rich McKinney
Reply to
Designed to fool the spam robots
Humans will figure it out

"William Asher" wrote in message
om...
I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.


If outdoor composts was the source of all rodent problems, the solution
would have been implemented a few thousand years ago. Some species of rats
and mice have learned how to live off the food we store at home, warehouses,
farms, or simply off the food we spill, and have been doing so ever since
the first caveman called a cave home.

Ever consider how many thousands of insects and rodents can live off just
the food spilled and thrown away in the parking lot of a fast food
restaurant?

They should ban bird feeders, birds spill tons of food on the ground. Ban
picnic tables, people spill food or leave food waste in the trashcan. Those
two sources feed more rats then the handful of composted bins.

Sameer

Good points.

The areas with the highest density of rats is the depressed inner city
"getto" areas. Not a place where gardening and composting is very common.

Someone wrote:

I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, a close-in suburb of Detroit. Recently
a handful of rats were detected in a one-mile square area in the north
end of my city. The city fathers (and mothers) were rightly
concerned, and took action. One of the actions was to ban composting
of all kitchen waste, because it was considered an attractant to
rodents.

Anything they find edible is an attractant to rodents. Warmth and
shelter is also attractive. Why the city of Royal Oak determined
kitchen compost was at the root of their rat problem is a mystery. A
determined group of gardeners should address this issue.