How to Protect a Compost Heap from Rodents: Saving Fertilizer with Your Own Hands

23.03.2023 14:19

A compost pit can become a haven not only for small pests, but also for larger rodents.

Mice and other underground creatures crawl into compost pits in search of prey in the form of earthworms. There, rodents can make a home for themselves and completely ruin the fertilizer.

The main value of a compost heap is earthworms, without which it will be difficult to count on the fertilizer maturing quickly.

Besides the fact that rodents hunt worms, they also carry infections. This is enough to protect the compost pit from uninvited guests.

A fairly simple method is used to protect the fertilizer.

Compost Fertilizer
Photo: © Belnovosti

The calculation should be made on the fine sense of smell of mice. In addition to the smells of food, they perfectly sense the smells that warn of danger. And mice also have good hearing.

But in terms of protecting the fertilizer, chemicals will not help. More harmless materials are needed, such as onions and garlic or mint.

These plants can simply be planted near the compost pit.

You can safely add the remains of citrus fruits to the hole itself, but you shouldn’t get carried away, as this can increase the acidity of the soil.

Folk repellents made from tin cans on metal reinforcement work reliably in this regard. In the wind, the cans hit the support, which scares away the pests.

Author: Igor Zur Internet resource editor