Keeping Animals Out of Your Garbage

begonia

February 25, 20100 found this helpful

You can compost anywhere that you have enough warmth, water, oxygen, and "food" to support life. A good book to buy or get from the library is Let It Rot by Stu Campbell. It is fun reading and covers it all without being overwhelming.

My bins are made of wire and metal fence posts with boards across the front to keep stuff from tumbling out. What is important is what you put in the bin. Don't put any meat, fat, oil, or dairy in the compost bin--stick only with vegetable matter. Use herbivore or chicken manure for an activator. You can also buy commercial activators. Don't use any high-nitrogen animal-based substance like dried blood or fish meal as they will attract meat-eating pests. Bury your "wet" vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and filters, etc. in your rough, dry carbon layer--leaves, rotted straw, rotted hay, rough stuff from cleaning out the garden, or deadheading.

I've been composting for 20 years now, and my bins have always been open to all weathers and anything (deer, coons, coyotes, fox, cats, dogs, opossums, you name it!) that walks by with no problems. Have fun composting. Begonia

Reba Gayle Shurden

November 3, 20040 found this helpful

Full strength ammonia sprayed on sacks or cans will keep critters away. They can't stand the smell.

We have problems with raccoons, skunks and squirrels getting into the garbage on our acreage. Of course, our dog would also like to get into the garbage sometimes too. My husband built a box, 3' deep at the front and 3 1/2' deep at the back and then 2' wide by 4' long. The depth is deeper at the back so that rain will run off it. He put the wooden box next to the garage on 4 concrete blocks so nothing can "live" under it and the wood won't be on the ground. It has been wonderful. The lid is heavy enough for the animals not to be able to open and yet just the right height for us to put garbage bags in and take out later.

As a reply to the other posting...if you use ammonia for the other animals not to go into your garbage would you not have to put up with the strong smell of ammonia also?

My husband used a broken freezer once. He removed the latch for safety reasons, cut drain holes in the bottom and even decorated it with leftover siding from the house. Just an idea.

Good Luck!

this would be free- every time the teen didn't put the garbage out properly and an animal made a mess, the teen would be out cleaning it up. Wouldn't take them long to learn a job worth doing is worth doing right- the first time!

Has anyone seen a storage rack on wheels that you can store a couple of garbage cans outside, then roll to the curb on pick up day? This would be so handy!