The brown rat is now a routine visitor to urban and rural gardens across the UK, drawn by easy food, steady water sources, and shelter at ground level. Warmer winters and year-round feeding mean councils and pest firms regularly log garden-related complaints. An analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from UK councils shows 518,240 reported rat infestations from 2023 to mid-2025.
Rats aren’t just an unsettling garden visitor but also a health risk and a property menace. According to Renotkil, rodents carry a wide range of disease-causing organisms, including many species of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and worms. Their droppings can contaminate soil and surfaces, including compost heaps, bird feeders, and sheds, which are at the centre of many rat-related call-outs.
Fortunately, these unsightly pests are easier to control than many would assume. While you should consider all causes of a rat infestation on your property, a compost heap is a good place to start.
Rats are drawn to compost heaps because they provide potential food and shelter, particularly if the compost contains cooked food, meat, or dairy products. Indicators of rats on a compost heap include burrows or chewed holes in the bin, rat droppings, and visible gnaw marks on materials within the compost.
That’s why Tony King, owner of London pest control firm The Pied Piper, recommends “a two-layer solution” to tackle pests.
He said: “Use a good compost bin with a lid, then reinforce the base with chicken wire or a galvanised mesh (you can purchase these from garden centres for around £5–£10 a roll).
“This prevents rats from coming up from underneath, which is the rats’ favourite way of invading compost areas. Also, don’t compost protein-rich foods or cooked waste, only fruit, veg, and garden waste.”
How to deter rats from compost
First, add a hard, level foundation beneath the bin to remove burrowing opportunities. Set the compost bin on paving slabs or a concrete pad, then sandwich the galvanised mesh between the base and the bin.
Extend the mesh skirt 10–15 centimetres beyond the bin footprint and pin it with U-pegs or bricks. Position the bin in open view, at least half a metre from fences and sheds, to reduce cover and make inspection easy.
Composting done right is a win for your garden and the environment. Graham Matthews, a waste management expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, notes: “Adopting an effective composting solution not only helps prevent a rat problem in your home, but also provides many environmental benefits such as reducing the amount of food waste going to landfill, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers, as well as lowering methane emissions.
“It also enhances soil quality, which can make your plants healthier too.”
Rats may make their homes in your compost heap, but it’s not always your compost heap that attracts them. Bird feed, chicken feed, and rabbit feed can also attract them to your garden.
While rats are nocturnal, as they breed and get hungry, they will learn to raid animal food during the day. If you’re not yet infested, ensuring there is no food left overnight may help deter them.
If rats are already in your compost heap, experts at Compost Magazine suggest using large, heavy-duty traps designed for rats. However, they urged gardeners to ensure the trap is not in the open to avoid killing birds.
You can either buy a container to house the trap or put a bucket over it with a stone to keep it down.
