Hi - thinking you do not necessarily need to discontinue ALL food scraps. Leafy scraps from things like lettuce, cabbage, and onion skins, etc. are not something rats like to eat. Fruits, grains & seeds are more likely to attract. And if the pile is dry, they might just like to burrow in there, so keeping it wetted might help as well.

And there's definitely no need to dispose of your compost! You will likely never be rat-free, due to the prolific nature of these vermin.

We have similar issues here, and 1 thing I make sure of is that the pile is not right next to the house or any other structure. Free standing pile w/ no nearby cover helps too.

Aha - the comment box has reappeared.

That's cuz I flagged it as miscategorized :-)) They just have eliminated the Ask the Yard Doctor forum to the cross postings.

If you live anywhere in an urban, semi-urban or even a well-populated suburban area, rats are omnipresent and a fact of life. There are just too many food and habitat opportunites - vegetable gardens, fruit trees and berries, trash and garbage not properly secured, pet food, pet poop(!!). The opportunites are endless!!

If you can reduce food sources and habitat potential, it can help....so can trapping. But you will never be rid of them completely. Personally, I wouldn't have issues incorporating most kitchen scraps in the compost bin as long as they were more or less buried and/or mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients. And that they (the scraps) did not consititute the predominance of the bin ingredients.

raw avocado seeds are poisonous. but they eat them in michigan only in winter when there is nothing else. then they work, at least with chipmunks. guinea fowl is also something that will keep the compost pile clean of rats. there are also cats.

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

"That's cuz I flagged it as miscategorized :-)) They just have eliminated the Ask the Yard Doctor forum to the cross postings."

Before commenting on the rat problem,I'll tip my hat to a worthy member. gg you have always earned admiration in so many ways,ranging from knowledgeable info,respectful behavior in a sometimes less than conducive enviorment to always giving back to the community. Thank you and keep on being you.

I second the terrier. Rats they fail to capture will think twice about returning to your yard. Correct amount of moisture will discourage activity within compost during winter when rats look for places to nest. Partial if not complete inclosure with hardware screen is effective.

Goodness!! Thank you so much for your very kind comments :-)

And I just want to make it very clear that the dog in the photo - my beloved companion and gardening pal Chewy - is absolutely useless when it comes to keeping vermin or any other four footed garden menaces away!! If ya got rats (or bunnies, squirrels, deer, etc.), do not pick a Cocker spaniel to help guard the fort. Every living creature is his best friend!! He has no hunting genes at all. And he doesn't like water, either......except to drink :-)

Haha, gardengal, Chewy looks like a cocker spaniel?

We had one named Mumbles many years ago, and the vet told me, in the kindest way possible that, cute and fun as they are, they are not among the most brilliant of canine breeds = )

Cockers rarely waste their talent on pests that any old dog could handle. They specialize in protecting against things such as Bengal Tigers and Walking Catfish.

"they are not among the most brilliant of canine breeds"

Boy, is that the truth!! Although he is slightly brighter than my first Cocker.....he has actually learned one trick. But what he lacks in brains he makes up for by being extraordinarily good natured, friendly to all, very mellow and devoted to me and his aging housemate, Pounce the cat. And who can resist that face??

klem, if you are about to be attacked by a stuffed toy, Chewy's your man!! He'll have that thing disembowled in less than a minute!

Cats work pretty well...mostly.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6365135/Now-thats-scaredy-cat-Terrified-feline-chased-away-RAT-trying-catch.html#i-3e5733a8f7c2ebfd

Unfortunately, after living with cats for years and being without for a few years, I'm afraid my allergies to them would come roaring back!

Had to put down my 17YO chihuahua last fall.

Just not quite sure I want another doggy right now! Want to do some traveling in our retirement and not sure if we want to farm out a pup while we do.

I'll keep up the kicking, soak the heck out of what's there and I think put some drops of peppermint oil in and around. I might also try to find another gopher chatterer and plant it in the compost bin. It work on gophers, maybe it will on rats!

Cats are fairly useless against the rats we have here, since they're Asian roof rats and stay up high in the trees and roofs(of course) most of the time.