My first clue was that the cat has been hanging around the compost for the past month or so - whenever it has been warm enough to be outside. And she's been super interested in what's going on in it - she looks like a vulture staring down into the compost. Remember Snoopy when he looked like a vulture? Well, that's Jack.
The good news - I have a cat who is a mouser - she's gnawing on one in the back yard right now.
The bad news - I have to turn that compost pretty soon and I'm not looking forward to disturbing mice while I do it.
So research is needed.
I'll keep you posted on what I find, but upon initial perusal, it looks like I need to do more maintenance than I have been. Turning the compost is vital. But the problem is that the compost bin we have is so large that I have a hard time actually turning it. It is really hard work. But I guess I just have to put aside several hours (when it's warm enough) and turn it a couple of times per year. Maybe buying a barrel composter would help.
The other thing is that I occasionally add meat to the compost - apparently a no no. As is adding baked goods which I often do. These things attract vermin. And let's face it, vermin aren't good to have near food. There's Hanta virus, not to mention the Plague - both transmitted by small rodents.
1/4 inch mesh lining the bottom and the sides would be good, too. And putting newspapers and boards across the top as a cover might help. They say to always have a cover, but my compost bins are large wooden slat numbers, and a real cover would be cumbersome.
I think my best solution to this problem is the cat. She's good at what she does. And instead of getting upset when she kills something, I should be grateful. Because she is doing her job!
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