Rat in compost bin

[CiderMonkey]

Yesterday I noticed that something had dug underneath our compost bin at the end of the garden. My partner opened the lid and when he banged it down a rat ran out and into the next garden!

We did the same today and it was in there again.

What should we do to get rid of it?? I don't want to get rid of the bin. Is the only way to kill it? Can you buy rat poison or would I need to get pest control people?

[craft1948]

drop a Jack Russell in there....

[sn�gs]

Stick some poison under there... or a a trap if it'll fit... and remember... where there's one, there's more...

[Squitty]

Your council should provide vermin control free of charge - they recently disposed of a rat beneath my shed free of charge.

[Im a BusyBee]

we always have rat bait down(and we have a jack russell!), if you go to an agricultural merchants you can buy a dispenser (if thats the right word) not too expensive and buy some bait to put in it. It is made so that it prevents domestic pets(ie my jack russell) getting to the poison

[CiderMonkey]

thank you for your answers!

[Twenty20]

We had rats in our compost too. They weren't living there but under a nearby shed. Plenty of disturbance will make the rats move on. Dig over the compost every day. We also hosed the holes under the shed with a garden hose and Jeyes fluid. The rats never came back.

I didn't like the thought of some of the poisons which kill the rats by making them bleed internally.

[CiderMonkey]

Think I'll try digging it over and the jeyes fluid round the bin.
thank you

[tinpotLizzie]

Unless they are coming into the bin for shelter, it's unusual to get rats in compost bins as they have little interest in vegetation. I wonder if some cooked food (ie meat) or bread have been included by mistake?
A good terrier or rat trap will soon dispatch the fellow - happy hunting!