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I found a mouse in my compost a little while ago. Whilst the mouse doesn't seem to be there any more, I have been told that I should throw away this compost as the mouse could have brought some diseases via it's urine which could then get transferred to my vegetables.

Is this true?

Mongus Pong
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    No, that's not true. – Rob Aug 20 '18 at 21:17
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    I agree with Rob and Bamboo. Although you don't want feces of any kind in compost, mice/rat/vole/possum poop is to be expected. The only time disease is a problem is when a preggo woman is cleaning attics and/or cat boxes. Or so I've been informed. Veggies don't uptake this disease. They do uptake heavy metals if you are using human feces. If we had to worry about mice poop we'd never get any gardening done! – stormy Aug 20 '18 at 21:26
  • Make sure you aren't using compost in your house plant pots. Allow the compost to be fully decomposed before using it in your garden. – stormy Aug 20 '18 at 21:28

1 Answers1

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In short, no, it's fine to use. It can be a risk if Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) is common in your area, but the risk, whilst low, is to you, not your vegetables. Rats commonly carry weil's disease, but mice can too. When handling your compost, wear gloves (something you should always do anyway) and spread out or incorporate into the soil. Any possible, surviving bacteria will quickly reduce and die, and will not affect your vegetables. Leptospiro like wet conditions, so putting your compost onto soil is fine, as is growing vegetables in soil treated with your compost. http://www.allotment-garden.org/composts-fertilisers/composting-making-compost/rats-in-the-compost-heap-weils-disease-safety-concerns/

Bamboo
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