Composting and Pests

Composting is a natural process of recycling organic material such as the food and vegetable scraps from your kitchen and the leaves and organic debris in your yard into a rich soil that gardeners fondly nickname Black Gold. This process is becoming more popular as homes around the country begin to realize the benefits to the environment and to the local landfills.Unfortunately, while composting has some amazing benefits for our environment, it does tend to cause pests to become attracted to the smells and organic material that's breaking down inside of your composting bin.How can you avoid an onslaught of pests including wildlife, rats, mice, as well as bees and other flying insects? Let's take a closer look at some techniques to keep pests away from your composting.Composting can attract all sorts of critters from mice and rats, to wildlife, and even insects looking for their next meal. Keeping these pests out of your bin or compost pile can be a challenge but there are some methods that can help.

A Good Location

Choose a location in your yard that is away from the structure of your home. A dry, shady spot near a water source is a good choice of location. Some homeowners find that having their composting near the garden makes for easy transfer of the fertile soil that will be produced.

Keep it Meat Free

So many pests are attracted to the grease and decaying matter of meat. The decaying stench of meat can attract pests such as mice, rats, skunks, and other wildlife. It can also release a malodorous smell that will detract from being outdoors. So skip the meat and you may be able to avoid some pests.

Use a Tumbler or Bin

Some homeowners bury their compost pile, while others use a bin or tumbler to keep away the pests that will find the smells attractive. The great thing about tumblers is that they mix and aerate the ingredients every time you turn them, and they keep out the pests can cause problems should they find their way into your home.

Keep Mixing It

One of the negatives of composting is the smell and potential of attracting pests. By stirring and mixing organic matter with things like wood chips into your compost regularly, you will be able to avoid the smell of decaying matter and the pests that come with this process.Do you keep a compost pile or bin? What are your techniques to keeping the pests away? Drop us a line in the comments or comment on our Facebook page.