Mint to Keep the Critters Away
Recently I moved into a
house with an existing compost bin.
It is a simple bin, the black one that sits right on the ground. I decided to bring it back to life and
began throwing my scraps and compostable items in the bin. Living in the city, I was worried about
critters getting into the bin.
Sure enough, within a few days I went out in the morning and found that somebody was sampling my scraps. I kept filling the holes back in, putting bricks around the
bin and looking for ways to secure it to the ground so it would be more
difficult for the critters to get in.
Then I read somewhere that
skunks and other small animals don’t like the smell of mint. I thought, “What an inexpensive and
friendly way to keep them out!" I bought
a small spearmint plant (see photo) and planted it right next to the bin at the
place where they were digging. You
can buy a mint plant at any store or garden center that sells starter
plants. So far, no further
invasions have taken place in my compost bin and it’s been about five weeks! Maybe they decided that my selections
didn’t have enough variety, but I’m going to assume that the mint worked. The mint will also proliferate and
surround the bin more each year.
AND, I can use the mint for Mojitos all summer. That’s a bonus!
Here’s a great Mojito recipe
if you haven’t tried one:
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