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Composting is for organic plant matter. Putting animal products, dairy, bread, etc will attract more than snakes- rats, foxes and other rodents.

Animal products change the Ph of the soil, take longer to decompose, and are not desirable for use in your garden. Online info will give you more advice.

I think the question was whether even without animal products, a compost bin will attract snakes.

Um, yes, probably, it will be warm and protected in there, so snakes might get in there unless there's no entry points for them. Piles of sticks or stones or a regular compost heap would do the same. Wear thick gloves and jeans ticked into long wellies when emptying or turning it.

OTOH, if you have snakes in the garden, you won't have any issues with rodents!

Well then theres a silver lining to everything. We had a mouse problem a few years ago which with the use of wire wool , to block up holes before we plastered them over and traps we managed to get rid of them. Theres a few cats about but I have seen a snake in the garden as well.

Hi Kath what kind snakes are they thanks Paul hi sometime they get into the logs sometime but only what been told not in Bulgaria yet but hope to get out soon

You get snakes in the countryside regardless of having a compost. I have seen them all over Europe, even in Wales.

No idea what sort of snakes have been in our garden because they do a runner, so to speak when they see me, but mid brown in colour.

Most snakes are shy and will avoid humans. Stomping around a lot helps. I grew up in Australia, home to some of the most poisonous snakes in the world. I saw plenty, but snake bites were very rare. I suspect most village gardens will have a few, unless the garden is all lawn with no hiding places for them.

Rodents - I leave for Bulgaria today, a few days in VT doing legalities, but by the weekend I will be staying in the village house I bought without seeing it. Just me and the rats and mice... who I'm sure will have moved in while it was empty.

@janemulberry , fingers crossed you'll be rodent free Jane, they usually come inside for the winter. I bought metal cage traps and we caught five in the first hour, husband wanted to let them go at the end of the garden or somewhere else but I knew that they'd make their way back to our house. So I filled large bucket with water and dropped the traps into it. Then I left the bodies out in the garden for passing cats . Then we filled their holes with wire wool and cemented them closed. I would have used brilli pads but I couldn't find them here

I'll need to do the wire wool trick, too, once any in my house have been captured and released as far away as possible. Maybe some corn or wheat in one of the outbuildings will encourage them to stay there instead. Er have loads in our garden shed in the UK, but the only times we've had them in the house is when the cat brings one in and lets it go!

Drowning animals in cages is cruel!

Yes I suppose it is snowball6 what would you suggest as an alternative?

I would do what your husband suggested and take them somewhere to be released.  Nature can do the rest.

Sounds good but I very much doubt that it would stop them returning snowball. I'm not by nature a cruel person but my friend who's a vet agreed that just like domestic animals they'd find their way back , she didn't agree with the drowning but suggested grabbing them by their tails and whacking them against a wall, something I'm not inclined to do and looking at her neither was she.

Meanwhile I see that we're from the same beck if the woods north of Manchester.

@janemulberry

Good luck with you’re new home Jane, hope it is everything you wish for!

Thanks Mel! I love the house, but it was a little daunting initially to discover just how much work it needs. It will get done, slowly and staying authentic to the house. I have been blessed with amazing neighbours!

Congratulations Jane both on your new home and the neighbours. I intend to move here to my village house for food next year regardless of my knee problems because I'm definitely not getting any younger and unlike the women who recently died I don't have the wealth to get someone else to sort out the house and garden  or wear my new shoes in for me. So like most of us I'll have to shift for myself and get the house right and the garden productive.  Good luck to you Jane

Food? Good

I figured, Kath! Though the food here is good, too! My Bulgarian neighbours invited me for lunch today to celebrate Independence Day. Wow! What an amazing meal. All home made, and almost all home grown, too!

I hope it all works out for you and I am sure it will as you have the right spirit and determination to make it work.