Death & Dying Composting Series 4 of 5: Depression

"There are five stages to grief, which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. And right now, out there, they're all denying the fact that they're sad. And that's hard, and it's making them all angry. And it is my job to get them all the way through to acceptance. And if not acceptance, then just depression. If I can get them depressed, then I'll have done my job."- Michael Scott, The Office.

I'll be honest, there are few reasons to be depressed about composting.  A friend told me that she's still concerned about attracting neighborhood rodents if she starts to compost.  I'll have to take some liberties with this post and just say that I suffer from depression when I haven't convinced you to start composting right away!  Here are some tips/tricks and answers to your most common composting fear-critters.

Wild/rabid animals will feast on my pile when I'm not looking.
I guess this is a real possibility.  It can be mitigated by NOT putting meat, bones, oils or cheese into your pile.  If a dog sitting under your dinner table would eat it, you shouldn't put it in your pile unless you have one of those weird dogs who likes fruits and veggies. 

What if the wild animals still get in...let's say non-meat eaters like squirrels?
Also a valid concern.  I would ask, what are you so worried about?  The fact that they're in there rooting around or that they might be eating too much of your stuff?  Scientifically speaking, compost will occur in your bin or going through his digestive tract.....

Really, how can I keep critters out?
A nice, tight fitting lid with holes no larger than 1/4 inch is the best route.  You'll probably want a paddlock if you have raccoons.  I hear that they are crazy smart!  A generous sprinkling of cayenne pepper wards off a lot of small animals.  Here are a couple more links to summarize the tips.

Keep Pests Out of Bin
Planet Natural

If you want to take it to the next level, check out this link for a review of the different types of bins out there.
Planet Natural Bin Reviews

Happy decaying!

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