My neighborhood compost bin turned into a rat hotel, what now?

Tbh I started a community compost pile behind my building in Austin about 8 months ago, got 14 households on board, and we were doing great until last month. Someone kept tossing in cooked bones and greasy stuff despite the rules posted right on the lid. Now we got rats nesting in there, the landlord is threatening to shut it down, and the city told us to hire a pest guy which will cost like $300. I spent two weekends cleaning it out and adding wire mesh underneath, but the rats came back within a week. Has anyone dealt with a shared compost setup that attracted pests, and did you find a way to keep the neighbors on board without making it a huge hassle?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_thomas24d ago

Saw a study once that said rats will just tunnel around any mesh you put down, so maybe bury the bin rim a foot deep or switch to a tumbler. The real fix is making one person the gatekeeper for what goes in, that's the only way this kind of thing survives.

murray.spencer24d ago

The gatekeeper part is so true, but it only works if that person is a total jerk about it. My neighbor tried that and the rule lasted like two weeks before everyone started sneaking stuff in when he was at work. Maybe label the bin with a list of what's allowed and tape a spatula to the lid so people don't just toss in moldy leftovers without mixing. Also, burying the rim helps, but you gotta dig a trench and put hardware cloth sideways under the ground too, not just straight down. Rats are dumb but persistent, they'll find the edge of the mesh and go around it every time.