Topic: wooden compostbins -- V --plasticbins

[windygale]

Hi Everyone,could some one tell me which is best a wooden compostbin or a plastic bin, i asked for a wooden pallet construction on my plot and was told that the wooden pallets would encourage rats, they told me that a plasticbin would not, can somebody explain how this works
thanks
windy

[slyfox-mal]

go for wotever is the cheapest id say  if u got plastic ones use em  if not use wood  but make sure  u make plenty the more the better id say  yippy ive given my first bit of advice on here i feel  like a pro  lol  mal

[Hugh_Jones]

There`s absolutely no contest.  A wooden bin beats a plastic one hands down simply because it retains the heat much better.

Having said that, any sort of bin is better than no bin at all, and the more bins the better

[windygale]

Hi Hugh & slyfox, thanks for the replys, to provent the rats i asked  for a wooden bin over the plastic one,can anyone tell me if they suffer from rats in their compost, wooden or plastic
thanks
windy ???

[Sarah-b]

Hi Windy, my plot neighbour has rats in his wooden heap - but then he puts all his kitchen waste onto the heap. And I mean ALL - including cooked meat, so not surprising he is attracting vermin. So long as they stay in his heap, they are not really much of a problem and he says it gives the foxes something to do! Anyway, it's not all that great because he then puts down rat poison as well. And in my experience it doesn't kill the rats - they just stagger around with diorrhea and vomitting and then are easier for a cat to catch and then the cat gets the sh*ts - or even worse. (oh dear seem to have started rambling...)
sb

[ina]

There is a third option: Poles and chicken wire. I did find that the compost dries out too easily so I surrounded the heap with pond liner material outside the chickenwire. Since the chickenwire is dented and bent, the plastic is not airtight around the compost and allows for some air circulation without drying it out too much.
The compost is on top of a slatted pallet that lies flat on the ground with some coarse branches on it.

I have seen some burrowed places going into the compost heap but never found nests on anything, probably somthing stealing my worms. Even so, there are so many places on an allotment complex for rats or other rodents to live, I doubt if it would make much difference. When you turn the compost freqently I don't think it would be a problem.

[Doris_Pinks]

I have had rats happily living in my plastic compost bin for 2 years in a row! (they were happy, I was not!) Bit eerie when you go to throw summit in and a pair of beady eyes are watching you! These bins now look like fort Knox with chicken wire doubled (they chew through it) underneath!! My wooden bins haven't had any occupants.............yet!  DP

[Kerry]

hi,
i've not had rats, thank goodness, but did have a couple of mice in my compost bin a year or so ago. my bin is one of the green plastic dalek types, so they must have somehow got under the base of it. i discovered them when i turned the compost out-the cats soon had them!!
i've not had any problems with them since- i thought that they would be in the bin if it was dry and warm, so made it a bit wetter. now it's too wet!! i'll get it right soon!!!
i guess if they want to get in becuase it's a nice environment they will, and they will be attracted if you put in what they like to eat. it wouldn't put me off having a wooden bin at all. :)

[derbex]

I've got both and find the plastic dalek works better as it keeps the compost moist, it won't rot down if it's dry.

I also have a big heap in the winter, which gets hot. Funnily enough the heap and the plastic bin get mice in the winter -but I don't think the wooden one has.

If you turn the compost the rodents tend to go away.

The local cats are useless -just rats with good PR anyway.

Jeremy

[windygale]

Hi EVERYBODY, thanks for all the reply's my thoughts have been answered ;D ;D ;D, i told the allotment comitee members on the site where i garden that the plastic bins are bad for habouring rat and mice and was told that wooden pallet construction are an eyesore and have been told that we can only have two plastic bins perplot  >:( >:(- so much for Parish councils & Allotment comitee member ;D ;D ;D
sarha-b this problem is stated in most good gardening books keep wearing the welly HA!HA!
doris-pink we had this problem when i worked on a farm with cattle - open up the feed bins and the rat jump out at you -not nice.
hi ina, there not even happy with wire its an eyesore.
thanks
windy

[Mrs Ava]

I have always had wooden bins as I think they are more pleasing to the eye....well...as pleasing as a compost heap can be!  My sis has the plassy darlics and she opened it one summers day to be greeted by Mr & Mrs Rat and all their kids!  She had the problem for a couple of years and wouldn't use the compost her bin made.  She now has the bin on slabs, but it takes twice as long to do the business.  I have had rats, mice, slow worms and I think moles in mine on the plot and at home, but surely it is all of these critters that help keep the status quo?

..... _{wanders away singing...'whatever you want...doodoo doodoo...whatever you like.....'   ;D}

[Garden Manager]

I use 3 plastic bins in my garden. i find they work fine, and make good compost. I tried a wooden one once but it didnt work very well, the compost dried out too much.