Put a stop to rats and flies in compost

Composting is a pest-free process when done correctly. Rats, flies and other pests are a nuisance caused by either the process going awry or by something that was added.

What can go wrong to attract pests?

Pests track their food through smell, which may be faint and barely detectable by you. The most common causes of pests in traditional compost bins and tumblers include:

• Lack of oxygen. Poor mixing can result in partially aerated wastes emitting odours.
• Excess water. The water makes the wastes soggy, and as a result, smelly.
• Waste imbalance. An incorrect mix of waste types can produce odours.
• Wrong waste added. Pests are more attracted to certain foods (meat, cheese & bread).

Meeting all composting requirements

Neglecting to meet composting requirements can create conditions that attracts rats and flies to traditional compost bins and tumblers. For example, forgetting to:

• Aerate regularly by mixing
• Maintain the right moisture level
• Sort your wastes
• Leave out specific types of waste

It is important to follow your compost system's operating instructions.

Add a physical barrier to keep out rats

You can keep rats out by using a wire mesh as the base of your compost bin, or placing your tumbler inside a wire cage. However, this is a deterrent rather than a solution to rat-free composting.

A simple pest-free composting solution

Traditional compost bins are typically inexpensive basic composters. They suit garden wastes which don’t attract rats and flies. With limited ability to handle food scraps, problems with pests will arise if enough caution isn’t taken about adding the types and amounts of kitchen scraps.

Bioverter is a groundbreaking compost bin. Its unique self-contained design makes recycling kitchen scraps into compost a convenient, pest-free experience.