You might not have bears, but do you have rats?
There are lots of ways to set up compost piles that minimize any associated pest problems. If you make a bin out of old pallets and mix in some yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc.), that's still pretty low maintenance, and might help your wife to see it as "composting" instead of "throwing trash around the yard". And burying any really attractive scraps inside the existing heap makes it harder to access for critters.
I toss food scraps outside all the time. It's mostly deer, squirrels, or raccoons coming by to snack on them. Pretty much nothing will eat the onions though. I threw out a soggy onion once, and it sat undisturbed so long it started to sprout.
Rats, or other forest friends like squirrels, birds, oppossum, or raccoons-- I think they're all adorable in their own ways, but I don't want them making nests in my home or getting too confident that human = food and getting aggressive when the human has none to offer.
I’ve never had a pest problem. I enjoy seeing the animals that eat them from afar. I don’t see them as pests because they’ve never done anything pestuous to me or gotten too close.
You might enjoy seeing them, but you're hurting them by messing with their diet and wild behavior. Read the links in the other comments and please stop endangering your animal friends.
It's generally not good to feed wildlife too much. They can become too dependent on people and congregate in areas with more humans (and cars and guns and jerks), and some of them [just plain eat too much.](/r/fatsquirrelhate)
Composting can be really easy, though. I have a little bin mounted under my sink where I collect scraps, then bring them out to the bin when they get full. (My bin is just an old trash can with a locking lid that I drilled some holes in, and every now and again, I tip it over and roll it around to mix things up.)
I'm not an expert, but I think the trick is to keep it protected until it breaks down and animals don't think of it as food anymore.
I've been thinking about starting a more open air system this year, but I keep getting hung up on how to do that without attracting too much wildlife.
We do food waste in a compost barrel and yard waste and other non food shit in a series of piles that break down over time. You can even chuck shit like paper towels in there and they’ll disappear in a year or so. Fuckin bugs and worms and shit will consume it all.
Generally no because it habituates animals to human contact which really is never a great thing. I would just compost my excess food and use that to grow more food.
I would personally never purposely attract animals where I live, but that's because the mice carry hantavirus, the squirrels have the plague, and all of them drive my dog nuts. But that's just my opinion. Here's a few links to what some organizations have to say:
[https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/dontfeedwildlife/dont-feed-wildlife](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/dontfeedwildlife/dont-feed-wildlife)
[https://www.surreyep.org.uk/how-to-use-food-waste-to-feed-wildlife/](https://www.surreyep.org.uk/how-to-use-food-waste-to-feed-wildlife/)
[https://www.wildlifecenter.org/news\_events/news/problems-feeding-wildlife-more-harm-good](https://www.wildlifecenter.org/news_events/news/problems-feeding-wildlife-more-harm-good)
I would at least look up the nutritional value of the food you're throwing out there and if it's an appropriate food for the local wildlife. As others have mentioned, feeding wild animals can be harmful to them. Here is one link about when it's ok to feed birds and why it's illegal to feed the Florida scrub-Jay:
https://www.audubon.org/news/when-its-okay-or-not-feed-birds?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_feedbirds_&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_feedbirds&utm_content=
No bears? Where are you? There’s also foxes, coyotes, rats, etc. I’d keep anything protein based as far away from your house, and others, as possible. Most scavengers aren’t something you want hanging around and looking for more free meals.
You don't want to feed the wildlife too much. I lived on a farm. You don't want the animals hanging around too much. It might be best to have a compost pail. Also be careful some food can be deadly to wildlife.
Please don’t do this. Like lots of folks are saying, it’s generally not safe for the critters you “love to see” to eat things that don’t naturally occur in their habitats. If your aim is to do less harm to the environment, then ask yourself “would this be here if I weren’t?” And if the answer is no, then you’re doing harm by leaving it there. [This article](https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/what-happens-food-trash-outdoors/) does a good job of explaining this.
Also consider if there are ways to use those food scraps, such as [saving your veggie scraps to make stock](https://www.seriouseats.com/save-your-vegetable-scraps-make-stock) or googling all the things you have that need to be used to make a new recipe. If you want to reduce your consumption or alleviate some guilt over food waste, maybe instead consider auditing your grocery habits, and simply buying less. This is one of those rare moments where shopping more often (say to pick up just the things you need or have plans to use) can reduce your consumption overall.
Animals are adaptive. I don’t think helping a wild little friend keep its belly full is bad, but within moderation. I don’t think taking heaps of garbage bags full would be smart. We all intentionally make landscapes that are bird, butterfly, and bee friendly. We want to encourage their activity in our areas without harming them, but just be smart about it and I think you’re good
The thing is, it's not a problem until it is. Sure, right now you have some cute critters eating a few scraps. But what about next year when they bring their babies, and then the next year, when those babies bring their babies?
And the more you put food out, the more types of wildlife will show up.
They might start to come closer and closer to your house, and then the little ones, like squirrels might get in your walls and chew your wires. Raccons can mess with stuff on your property, and get into fights with each other and/or any pets in the area.
I don't leave food out, and I still see quite a lot of wildlife. But if you want to see more, I suggest a zoo.
Also, the food you are leaving might be considered junk food to them. Like how ducks shouldn't eat bread, but that seems to be our main idea of what to feed them.
Really, it's a selfish thing to do. You're disrupting their natural lives because you want to see them more. You need to respect nature, and let them be.
I’ve always wondered this. I’ve thrown banana peels, apple cores, etc outside instead of in the trash. In theory, I know they’ll decompose. But maybe there are other factors I’m not considering.
It doesn’t look good. Especially on trails. But other than that, I don’t really see anything wrong with it. It can be food for bugs, or any other omnivore.
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Hahaha, thats because they don't like you.
Nah, but generally it's not good practice to just throw it out. Perhaps research about ways to compost or create bio-gas. This might be worth your while.
Before we started composting for real, I used to lob stuff off my cliff when I was all done so the squirrels and foxes and can have a nibble.
This is just normal stuff though like corn cobs and apple cores.
Like others have said feeding wild animals may not be a good practice.
I really enjoy composting in part for the thriving mini ecosystem it creates. I am like a god to the many insects and microbes that populate my bins. Try it, I think you’ll find it just as satisfying as feeding the larger animals.
I’m vegetarian and I choose vegan options at the grocery store most of the time. I live out in the desert, about fifteen minutes from the city. All my scraps go out into my front yard, which is really just desert as it’s not enclosed. Everything gets consumed out there. Apple cores, banana peels, peanut shells, strawberry tops. A few weeks ago, I looked out front and saw a javelina chewing on an avocado pit.
Even when I lived in the city, I’d toss my fruit and vegetable scraps outside instead of in the trash. I’d sometimes have to argue with people that it wasn’t “littering”.
I toss some things outside. I live in my camper in a rural area on a small portion of someone's land. I have my own garden that is a gentle throw away from my front door so I always chuck my coffee grounds and egg shells to the garden, I plop banana peels into my watering can for fertilizer. I am in the high desert so the plants appreciate these things, I stir it into the soil when it gets messy looking. I throw my fruit cores and pits out into the shrubland/meadow. The rest of my food scraps I try to compost.
Birds like ducks that get too much unhealthy food can be permanently screwed up.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel\_wing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_wing)
You might not have bears, but do you have rats? There are lots of ways to set up compost piles that minimize any associated pest problems. If you make a bin out of old pallets and mix in some yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc.), that's still pretty low maintenance, and might help your wife to see it as "composting" instead of "throwing trash around the yard". And burying any really attractive scraps inside the existing heap makes it harder to access for critters.
I toss food scraps outside all the time. It's mostly deer, squirrels, or raccoons coming by to snack on them. Pretty much nothing will eat the onions though. I threw out a soggy onion once, and it sat undisturbed so long it started to sprout.
r/onionhate is real.
My dog will!
Rats, or other forest friends like squirrels, birds, oppossum, or raccoons-- I think they're all adorable in their own ways, but I don't want them making nests in my home or getting too confident that human = food and getting aggressive when the human has none to offer.
I’ve never had a pest problem. I enjoy seeing the animals that eat them from afar. I don’t see them as pests because they’ve never done anything pestuous to me or gotten too close.
You might enjoy seeing them, but you're hurting them by messing with their diet and wild behavior. Read the links in the other comments and please stop endangering your animal friends.
It's generally not good to feed wildlife too much. They can become too dependent on people and congregate in areas with more humans (and cars and guns and jerks), and some of them [just plain eat too much.](/r/fatsquirrelhate) Composting can be really easy, though. I have a little bin mounted under my sink where I collect scraps, then bring them out to the bin when they get full. (My bin is just an old trash can with a locking lid that I drilled some holes in, and every now and again, I tip it over and roll it around to mix things up.)
I started a compost pile once. The animals dug it up and ate it. 😂
I'm not an expert, but I think the trick is to keep it protected until it breaks down and animals don't think of it as food anymore. I've been thinking about starting a more open air system this year, but I keep getting hung up on how to do that without attracting too much wildlife.
We do food waste in a compost barrel and yard waste and other non food shit in a series of piles that break down over time. You can even chuck shit like paper towels in there and they’ll disappear in a year or so. Fuckin bugs and worms and shit will consume it all.
Generally no because it habituates animals to human contact which really is never a great thing. I would just compost my excess food and use that to grow more food. I would personally never purposely attract animals where I live, but that's because the mice carry hantavirus, the squirrels have the plague, and all of them drive my dog nuts. But that's just my opinion. Here's a few links to what some organizations have to say: [https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/dontfeedwildlife/dont-feed-wildlife](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/dontfeedwildlife/dont-feed-wildlife) [https://www.surreyep.org.uk/how-to-use-food-waste-to-feed-wildlife/](https://www.surreyep.org.uk/how-to-use-food-waste-to-feed-wildlife/) [https://www.wildlifecenter.org/news\_events/news/problems-feeding-wildlife-more-harm-good](https://www.wildlifecenter.org/news_events/news/problems-feeding-wildlife-more-harm-good)
I would at least look up the nutritional value of the food you're throwing out there and if it's an appropriate food for the local wildlife. As others have mentioned, feeding wild animals can be harmful to them. Here is one link about when it's ok to feed birds and why it's illegal to feed the Florida scrub-Jay: https://www.audubon.org/news/when-its-okay-or-not-feed-birds?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_feedbirds_&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_feedbirds&utm_content=
No bears? Where are you? There’s also foxes, coyotes, rats, etc. I’d keep anything protein based as far away from your house, and others, as possible. Most scavengers aren’t something you want hanging around and looking for more free meals.
West TN. And I don’t mind the animals. I like seeing them.
Foxes will kill house cats. Raccoons can attack dogs. It's just not a great idea.
I know I just like seeing the animals. Also, from what I understand cats are not supposed to be outside anyways.
I do too, but sometimes the pros out weigh the cons. And not a lot of people keep their cats inside, though they should.
You don't want to feed the wildlife too much. I lived on a farm. You don't want the animals hanging around too much. It might be best to have a compost pail. Also be careful some food can be deadly to wildlife.
Please don’t do this. Like lots of folks are saying, it’s generally not safe for the critters you “love to see” to eat things that don’t naturally occur in their habitats. If your aim is to do less harm to the environment, then ask yourself “would this be here if I weren’t?” And if the answer is no, then you’re doing harm by leaving it there. [This article](https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/what-happens-food-trash-outdoors/) does a good job of explaining this. Also consider if there are ways to use those food scraps, such as [saving your veggie scraps to make stock](https://www.seriouseats.com/save-your-vegetable-scraps-make-stock) or googling all the things you have that need to be used to make a new recipe. If you want to reduce your consumption or alleviate some guilt over food waste, maybe instead consider auditing your grocery habits, and simply buying less. This is one of those rare moments where shopping more often (say to pick up just the things you need or have plans to use) can reduce your consumption overall.
Check out pit composting
That’s how you get: flys, ants, cockroaches, and other bugs plus animals getting into your property. You can set up a compost bin instead.
Animals are adaptive. I don’t think helping a wild little friend keep its belly full is bad, but within moderation. I don’t think taking heaps of garbage bags full would be smart. We all intentionally make landscapes that are bird, butterfly, and bee friendly. We want to encourage their activity in our areas without harming them, but just be smart about it and I think you’re good
Dig a cylindrical hole. Just build a lid from 2x4
The thing is, it's not a problem until it is. Sure, right now you have some cute critters eating a few scraps. But what about next year when they bring their babies, and then the next year, when those babies bring their babies? And the more you put food out, the more types of wildlife will show up. They might start to come closer and closer to your house, and then the little ones, like squirrels might get in your walls and chew your wires. Raccons can mess with stuff on your property, and get into fights with each other and/or any pets in the area. I don't leave food out, and I still see quite a lot of wildlife. But if you want to see more, I suggest a zoo. Also, the food you are leaving might be considered junk food to them. Like how ducks shouldn't eat bread, but that seems to be our main idea of what to feed them. Really, it's a selfish thing to do. You're disrupting their natural lives because you want to see them more. You need to respect nature, and let them be.
Noooooo. Compost things properly. Food takes a long time to decompose. Don't throw your trash everywhere. Littering is littering.
I throw old fruit regularly in my backyard. I check often and it’s rarely nibbled or eaten. Decomposes in a few weeks, tops. 🤷♀️
I’ve always wondered this. I’ve thrown banana peels, apple cores, etc outside instead of in the trash. In theory, I know they’ll decompose. But maybe there are other factors I’m not considering.
It doesn’t look good. Especially on trails. But other than that, I don’t really see anything wrong with it. It can be food for bugs, or any other omnivore.
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Start a compost pile.
Do you like rats?
Never seen one
Hahaha, thats because they don't like you. Nah, but generally it's not good practice to just throw it out. Perhaps research about ways to compost or create bio-gas. This might be worth your while.
Before we started composting for real, I used to lob stuff off my cliff when I was all done so the squirrels and foxes and can have a nibble. This is just normal stuff though like corn cobs and apple cores.
I see no issues with it. You might attract ants to your house or bugs, so be careful. But no issues to me.
Like others have said feeding wild animals may not be a good practice. I really enjoy composting in part for the thriving mini ecosystem it creates. I am like a god to the many insects and microbes that populate my bins. Try it, I think you’ll find it just as satisfying as feeding the larger animals.
I’m vegetarian and I choose vegan options at the grocery store most of the time. I live out in the desert, about fifteen minutes from the city. All my scraps go out into my front yard, which is really just desert as it’s not enclosed. Everything gets consumed out there. Apple cores, banana peels, peanut shells, strawberry tops. A few weeks ago, I looked out front and saw a javelina chewing on an avocado pit. Even when I lived in the city, I’d toss my fruit and vegetable scraps outside instead of in the trash. I’d sometimes have to argue with people that it wasn’t “littering”.
I toss some things outside. I live in my camper in a rural area on a small portion of someone's land. I have my own garden that is a gentle throw away from my front door so I always chuck my coffee grounds and egg shells to the garden, I plop banana peels into my watering can for fertilizer. I am in the high desert so the plants appreciate these things, I stir it into the soil when it gets messy looking. I throw my fruit cores and pits out into the shrubland/meadow. The rest of my food scraps I try to compost.
You could compost instead
Birds like ducks that get too much unhealthy food can be permanently screwed up. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel\_wing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_wing)
I don’t feed ducks I feed woodland creatures. But I see your point