Animals in compost heap

[Lyndy]

I have 2 compost heaps in my garden,one is now full.It has, over the past few days,had some animal activity.
Every day I go and have a look and also feed the birds and there are always little mounds of the compost that have been dug out.On closer inspection,there are several holes that seem to have been burrowed.I thought it might have been a hedgehog to start with as there has been one around a little while back but I am not so sure now.
Any ideas....please don't say RATS....

[Paul mabbott]

How wide are the tunnels? There are lots of options as well as rats! I've had voles, shrews, mice and moles. Shrews particularly like heaps with a lot of insects in them - found usually in more mature compost heaps.

Originally Posted by Lyndy

I have 2 compost heaps in my garden,one is now full.It has, over the past few days,had some animal activity.
Every day I go and have a look and also feed the birds and there are always little mounds of the compost that have been dug out.On closer inspection,there are several holes that seem to have been burrowed.I thought it might have been a hedgehog to start with as there has been one around a little while back but I am not so sure now.
Any ideas....please don't say RATS....

[Lyndy]

Hi, the holes are about 3" wide....did see some small mice?... some time ago as they were eating the peanuts that I had out for the birds(in a feeder).I shifted the feeder and they seem to disappear...

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Lyndy

Hi, the holes are about 3" wide....did see some small mice?... some time ago as they were eating the peanuts that I had out for the birds(in a feeder).I shifted the feeder and they seem to disappear...

The mice wont disappear they will follow the feeders round the garden.
I had mice and rats in my compost bin, I now put the compostables in the council bin mainly as I put the bins behind the greenhouse to hide them and now they are inaccessible..

[Lyndy]

Hi,I now think it may not be hedgehogs....much to my disappointment.
Holes are not just ground level.I have slats across the compost bin and the holes are on 3 levels....Mice?????

[The Woodman]

Could well be mice or voles but at 3" diameter with spoil heaps I'm sorry to say it could be ......as the Japanese say..ラット

[Roger B.]

3" diameter holes are probably too big for mice.

We had a problem last winter with rats burrowing underneath our (plastic) compost bin. I solved it by putting a sheet of wire mesh between the bin and the underlying soil.

[Lyndy]

Thanks...as suspected then.....and now have fox poo on a regular basis.I just love my garden...always different.

[Roger B.]

Originally Posted by Lyndy

now have fox poo on a regular basis

The fox will soon polish off any rats!

[Lyndy]

Let's hope so eh!!!! thanks Roger.