Worst advice ever.... RATS!!!

bower · October 15, 2017

This past spring I was the lucky recipient of a pickup load of horse manure that was not rotted enough to use - it was full of clumps of grassy bedding. A friend advised to do as he does - cover it with a tarp and let the summer heat rot the weed seeds and grass. And that is what I did.

This morning I pulled off the tarp to start shovelling this material into the garlic beds.
THREE startled rats leaped out and ran away. A fourth sat peeping at me from a hole. There are several holes visible in the little mound of nicely rotted material which is nothing more nor less than a RAT HOTEL.

I spotted rats twice this summer in the garden and wondered why they are staying around. I stopped putting eggshells in the compost, then stopped composting at all put scraps in the garbage instead.

I thought it was my fault for growing tomatoes. I dragged my old tomato plants way off into the woods instead of building a proper compost with them. I thought I will have to stop trying to grow more veggies because it is attracting these pests. And maybe those thoughts have some truth, but NOTHING compares to making a manure hotel for them.

So now before I can put the manure to use, I will have to drive the rats out of it.

Just absolutely thrilled with this prospect.

October 15, 2017	#1
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	Worst advice ever.... RATS!!! This past spring I was the lucky recipient of a pickup load of horse manure that was not rotted enough to use - it was full of clumps of grassy bedding. A friend advised to do as he does - cover it with a tarp and let the summer heat rot the weed seeds and grass. And that is what I did. This morning I pulled off the tarp to start shovelling this material into the garlic beds. THREE startled rats leaped out and ran away. A fourth sat peeping at me from a hole. There are several holes visible in the little mound of nicely rotted material which is nothing more nor less than a RAT HOTEL. I spotted rats twice this summer in the garden and wondered why they are staying around. I stopped putting eggshells in the compost, then stopped composting at all put scraps in the garbage instead. I thought it was my fault for growing tomatoes. I dragged my old tomato plants way off into the woods instead of building a proper compost with them. I thought I will have to stop trying to grow more veggies because it is attracting these pests. And maybe those thoughts have some truth, but NOTHING compares to making a manure hotel for them. So now before I can put the manure to use, I will have to drive the rats out of it. Just absolutely thrilled with this prospect.