Concerned about rodents in your community? This new curbside composting program is a key feature of Medford’s Rodent Control Plan to control rodent populations. By sorting your food waste into more-secure, state-approved, latching bins, you can help prevent rodents from gaining easy access to food scraps in the trash.
Unlike backyard composting, we can safely accept ALL food scraps – including meat, bones, dairy, seafood shells and more – meaning no food items need to end up in your trash. A backyard compost bin or yard waste pile can also serve as food or habitat to rodents. Therefore making use of the City’s curbside composting program for food scraps, as well as yard & leaf collection for yard waste, can also help combat the issue.
Additional steps to prevent rodents:
- Keep your curbside composting bin closed and secured with the latch. Avoid overfilling!
- Place your bin curbside for service every week on your service day, even if it isn’t full.
- If your bin is damaged, please contact us for a replacement!
- Remove any other potential sources of food, especially from outdoor spaces. Remove bird feeders. Routinely harvest ripe fruit and pick up all fruit that has fallen to the ground.
- Remove sources of water; rodents can survive without food but not without water.
- Remove brush, yard waste, and lumber that might provide habitat.
- Avoid storing food in garages and storage sheds unless it is in rat-proof containers.
- Store pet food in secure containers with tight sealing lids and do not leave uneaten pet food outdoors.
- Pick up all pet feces.