Unwelcome visitors.

We like to think that we are a fairly green Curate's house - separating our rubbish for collection, avoiding using unnecessary plastic bags and composting as much of our waste as we can. Our homes on both coasts have excellent waste collection facilities and I cannot fault our waste collection operatives. I believe very strongly that we must live responsibly and look after our surroundings.  I know it is supposed to be a misconception that you are never very far away from a furry creature - but I am beginning to wonder. Last year we had a pair of acrobatic rats who twirled around the bird feeder which was hung just outside our front room window. This year our compost bin miraculously empties itself by three or four inches every week. Last night The Curate came face to face with the culprit as The Curate lifted the lid to dispose of some vegetable peelings. The rat took one look at him, turned tail, headed downwards and escaped out of the bottom, running across The Curate's feet on the way. I now make sure I knock on the side to warn any inhabitant to vacate itself, before I lift the lid. But......how long before a super rat emerges? Perhaps it is already here. The Curate, romantically, gave me a wormery for my birthday some years ago. It is now unusable as our furry friends have made a large hole just under the lid. - Or was it a large worm making a bid for freedom from a bin of worms?