Hi
I'm feeling a bit peeved after the bank holiday weekend. A neighbour of mine
requested I dispose of a heap of animal waste that that would attract blue
bottles, rats and mice. When told it was a compost heap, he said it was
inappropriate to have in in the garden.
The heap was actually the cleanings out of my guinea pigs, with garden waste
added. I had started saving it in October, when the weather was cooler,
adding it to my rather small amount of garden waste. The guinea pigs are
kept on pelleted sawdust that crumbles when it gets wet. The bag recommends
disposing of it via a compost heap. They have hay and straw as litter. The
aim was to produce a heap that would rot down to compost over the winter so
there was no danger of smell or nuisance. In fact the pigs are cleaned out
before there is any smell anyway, and the heap was only visible through a 6
inch gap in the fence. ( about 3ft square, enclosed by paving slabs, but
showing some straw on the top)
The compost could have done with a couple of more months, but there are no
visible 'poos', and the straw is black and showing white fungus 'roots', so
I've started moving it. I mulched around some of the borders in the back
garden, and I want to get some into the front, but using it all up will take
time. I'll probably bag the rest over the weekend, as I don't want any
trouble, but I really don't understand what the problem was. I hadn't added
anything for over a month, so as to have a heap rotted through for around
June, and I don't know what he thought rats and mice would eat. The only
smell I noticed as i started moving it was that 'composty' sort of smell,
definately not noxious, and only noticable close up anyway.
Has anyone else had problems with compost heaps causing complaints? I was
really surprised, as I thought I had been responsible, and I was trying to
reduce the waste put out for the bin men by recycling. Problem is I haven't
got anywhere else to site it, as it was situated between my shed and garage,
so as to be out of sight of the main garden.

annie