I've been composting off and on for over 30 years, and I've only had a "critter problem" once (this year, actually). I dealt with it by emptying the bin on the garden. No more problem.

If your compost stinks, you have too many "greens" or it's too wet. "greens" are high nitrogen materials. Offset them with "browns" or high carbon matter.

It also depends on how you look at critters. I have moles which invade my piles in the fall and through the winter. Since the compost stays hot/warm, they find it ideal - must think I've built it for them. But they don't bother me.

I used an old torn up comforter this year to line the outside of one of my piles. The squirrels started taking the stuffing out for their nests. Didn't bother me.

In warmer seasons when the piles are not covered, the racoons will visit the piles at night and chow down. During the day, the crows might come for a treat if the racoons uncovered and didn't eat pastas and pastries. Doesn't bother me.

But I won't tolerate rats which we seem not to have here. Used to have them in the compost pile when we lived in the city and they will try to move into the house. NO go!!

I have only found small mice in mine, and I can live with that. I figure they're outside somewhere anyway. For the most part I compost grass clippings, leaves, some paper or cardboard, yard waste, and a few coffee grounds, but very little food for this very reason. I still get great compost, and no unwanted beasts.

Karen

You might want to read the FAQ on this forum. They are a great place to start.

A properly managed compost pile should not attract vermin, nor should it smell.

It might smell and it might attract vermin, but there are things that you can do to prevent it.

Hedgehogs hibernate in my pile every year. I enjoy turning my compost a couple of times before it's finished, but I leave it alone in winter (you need those cuties to eat the snails).

I wish we had hedgehogs! They're adorable!

The worst I've ever had in my piles were snakes (once) and bees (which objected strenuously to my pouring some water in the pile and let me know by flying up my pants and stinging me in the calf - I developed a wonderful case of cellulitis from that!). Once I made a pile that was mostly shredded rose of sharon - it was nice and soft and fluffy - and some local feral cats, er, contributed nitrogen to it.

A properly constructed compost pile will have no odor other than that of good, rich earth. If there is an offensive odor it is because there is a problem with that compost pile. A properly constructed compost pile will not attract unwanted animal species, however compost piles with meat and dairy products usually will. Check the link to Florida's Online Composting Center to learn more about proper composting. The tutorial will even allow you to build a virtual compost pile.

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida on line composting

I've had hibernating toads, nesting mice, a rabbit, raccoons, of course, and skunks. I would rather the skunks limited themselves to rooting around in the compost than digging up my yard or newly planted pots. Odor has never been a problem. Depending on where they live, some have reported visits by bears.

Demeter - I never realized until now that there are no hedgehogs in America (or Oceania for that matter). You've taught me something! I do love sitting in my veg garden at night to watch and hear them devour insects.

Barry, skunks pretty much fill that ecological niche here(small omnivores that eat garden pests and veggie/fruit trash). Skunks are cute, too, but when they get miffed the entire block will know it! I used to have a pet hedgehog, which was given to me as a gift, but of course it had to live in a cage and I couldn't let it out in the garden. I wish I'd been able to; I'm sure it would have been a lot happier to live in my back yard.

My only experience with hedgehogs came when I lived for a few years in Germany. My apartment was sunk a few feet below ground level so a big window was flush with the ground. I used to let my two cats out that window at night to prowl around and do whatever cats do outside at night.

One night I heard a strange loud grinding sound and the two cats were staring at the window in horror. I looked out and saw two hedgehogs, one of them chewing on the aluminum windowsill. They eventually went away, leaving me with enormous respect for any animal that likes to chew on metal.

Claire

Whether hedgehogs count as "cute" probably depends on your point of view - in New Zealand ground-nesting birds have their eggs eaten by hedgehogs introduced as pest control. Good thing you kept it in a cage, Demeter!