TIL my compost bin was a raccoon buffet until I bolted the lid down with $4 of hardware

I woke up at 6am in Portland to find three raccoons tipping my bin over and spreading banana peels across the lawn, so after a 20 minute trip to Ace Hardware I strapped the lid with two hinge bolts, and honestly, has anyone else had to fortress their compost against wildlife?

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maxmurphy17d ago

Dealt with the same thing in my backyard a couple years back. I tried bricks, then a cinder block, and they just knocked those right off like it was nothing. The bolt trick worked for me too, but I also ended up burying the bottom edge of the bin a few inches into the dirt, which stopped them from tipping the whole thing over on its side. Took me a while to realize they weren't even after the food scraps, they just liked making a mess and digging through stuff. Now I keep a bungee cord across the top as a backup even with the bolts, just for peace of mind on those nights when they get extra bold.