How do I deter rats and possums from my compost?

No one likes having pests around. Rats and possums in particular can damage your compost equipment by chewing through it.

Many of these animals track their food through smell, which means that eliminating the smell trail is the best way to deal with them. A compost system that’s working well shouldn’t attract any pests, but there are a few things that can spoil the normal composting process.

What can go wrong to attract pests

There are a few main factors that can cause problems in traditional compost systems:

• Make sure you’re putting in the right sort of wastes. Compost bins and tumblers aren’t designed to handle a lot of kitchen scraps, so limit what you add and avoid high protein wastes like dairy, meat and fish.
• Compost that is too wet will start to rot and has a high chance of attracting pests. Dry, absorbent matter like straw and lucerne mulch will help correct this, but don’t overly dry it or compost will slow down.
• The microbes that break down your compost also require a supply of fresh air. You will typically have to do this by manually mixing or turning the wastes on a regular basis.

Using Bioverter

Bioverter is able to handle wet wastes, meaning that you can put in kitchen scraps without having to worry. It composts wastes quickly and unlike traditional compost systems it does not need to be mixed due to its self-aerating design.

Bioverter avoids pest problems and can even be used alongside existing compost systems as a companion that composts wastes that other systems are not equipped to handle.