Mouse in composter

dh0661

Hi, I was putting some veg. peelings in my less than half full composter today and I noticed something moving around, when I checked further I noticed a little field mouse escaping downwards.
The composter has only been installed in January and the bottom door has not really been used.
Only use raw veg./fruit peelings, tea bags, eggshells and some egg cartons.
I'm not really worried about the little mouse (or should I be), I'm more wondering is this a normal occurrence?, and how did it get in there?.

AdrianR

Mice can fit through tiny holes. It's probably normal enough and I wouldn't worry about it, I have a "bigger" problem with my composter and I don't put in cooked food either.

Bobby04

I overheard an interesting tip at the weekend for keeping out "bigger" problems from a composting bin - lay some "chicken wire" under the bin. The piece of mesh used should obviously be big enough to cover an area greater than the footprint of the bin. This helps prevent the unwanted lodgers from scraping enough room at the bottom edge of the bin to get inside.
Is it generally accepted though that rodents will invariably be attracted to compost bins regardless of it containing cooked food or not? Are they simply attracted for example by the heat during winter? I detest all shapes and sizes of rodents to the extent that it really puts me off composting for fear of attracting them.

Irish Gardener

Bobby04 wrote: »

I overheard an interesting tip at the weekend for keeping out "bigger" problems from a composting bin - lay some "chicken wire" under the bin. The piece of mesh used should obviously be big enough to cover an area greater than the footprint of the bin.

It has been reported to me that chicken wire is too light and the openings are too large to prevent rats.
Instead you should use Diamond mesh as used by plasterers, see here.... How do I keep rats out of compost pile?

dh0661

dh0661 wrote: »

Hi, I was putting some veg. peelings in my less than half full composter today and I noticed something moving around, when I checked further I noticed a little field mouse escaping downwards.
The composter has only been installed in January and the bottom door has not really been used.
Only use raw veg./fruit peelings, tea bags, eggshells and some egg cartons.
I'm not really worried about the little mouse (or should I be), I'm more wondering is this a normal occurrence?, and how did it get in there?.

This is only to report back that hubby put a mouse trap on the top layer in the composter, and he caught one and replaced the trap, but no success since - just like his fishing abilities:D.
But I always thought that they came in couples making babies ??.
Any way I'm glad that it was only a mouse, and not one of his big brothers.

Bobby04

Irish Gardener wrote: »

It has been reported to me that chicken wire is too light and the openings are too large to prevent rats.
Instead you should use Diamond mesh as used by plasterers, see here.... How do I keep rats out of compost pile?

Thanks Irish Gardener, some great info there.

And to the OP, glad to hear you got sorted