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The Tumbleweed Gedye bin has earned its status as one of Australia's most popular composting systems, and for good reason. Made locally from 100% recycled plastic, this corrugated like, freestanding bin has no base — it sits directly on the ground, drawing in soil organisms to help break down your organic waste. That open base is also the bin's one real vulnerability: it's an open invitation to rats, mice, and — depending on where you garden — snakes looking for shelter or an easy feed. Fortunately, a well-built base barrier solves the problem without compromising how the bin works. Here's how to set one up properly.

Choosing Your Bin and Site
Tumbleweed Gedye bins are typically sold in 150, 220, and 400-litre sizes. For most suburban gardens, the 220-litre size strikes a good balance between capacity and manageability; larger households or those with big gardens producing plenty of green waste may prefer the 400-litre model while the 150-litre is great for courtyards and patio garden spaces.

When choosing a location:

• Part sun is ideal. Full sun can dry the compost out too quickly, especially over summer, while deep shade slows the whole process down, especially in winter.
• Good drainage matters. Avoid low spots where water pools after rain, waterlogged compost turns anaerobic and smelly.
• Keep it accessible but discreet. Close enough to the kitchen for convenience, but in a spot where you might have other utilities such as rubbish bins if possible.
• Place it on soil or mulch preferably. The Gedye system relies on contact with the ground to allow worms, and microbes to move in and do their work. It will still work well on a concrete or paved surface as we can always introduce worms and microbe rich ‘seed’ compost from the top. 

Building the Vermin- and Snake-Proof Base Barrier

This is the step most first-time composters skip, and the one that causes the most grief later. A well-made barrier keeps rodents from tunnelling in underneath, and importantly for many parts of Australia, stops snakes using the warm, sheltered compost as a hiding spot or hunting ground for the mice it may otherwise attract.

What you'll need:

• A sheet of galvanised weldmesh or hardware cloth, cut to a circle or square somewhat larger than the base of your bin
• Wire cutters or heavy-duty snips
• A trowel or spade
• Tent pegs, bricks, or heavy stones to anchor the mesh
  

Mesh selection is the critical detail. Standard rodent-proof mesh (around 12–15mm gauge) will stop rats and mice, but snakes can and do exploit gaps of that size, particularly smaller species and juveniles. For a barrier that excludes both, use galvanised weldmesh with an aperture no larger than about 5mm x 5mm. Avoid chicken wire and other light-gauge netting, snakes can push through the flexible hexagonal gaps, and it corrodes and weakens with soil contact over time. Galvanised steel weldmesh is worth the modest extra cost for the peace of mind.

Steps:

1. Clear and level the site. Remove any grass, weeds, or debris from the area where the bin will sit, and level the soil as best you can.

2. Lay the mesh flat on the ground, centred on where the bin will stand. It should extend at least 10–15cm beyond the bin's footprint all the way around, this margin is what stops animals digging in from the side rather than straight underneath.

3. Anchor the mesh firmly. Push tent pegs through the mesh into the ground at several points, or weigh the edges down with bricks or stones. The aim is a barrier that won't lift or shift as the bin is loaded, turned, or knocked.

4. Add a shallow base layer of coarse organic material directly on top of the mesh, straw, or coarse organic mulch, to a depth of 10–15cm. This layer keeps the compost off the mesh itself, promotes airflow from below, and gives worms and soil organisms an easy point of entry up through the mesh gaps into the compost above.

5. Position the Gedye bin over the mesh, centred so the barrier extends evenly beyond the bin walls in every direction.

Done this way, the mesh still allows worms and microbes to migrate up into the compost from the soil below, which helps speed the process, while denying rodents and snakes a way in from underneath.

Loading and Maintaining the Bin

With the base sorted, filling and running the bin is straightforward:

• Cold composting in a Gedye Bin. We recommend running the Gedye bin as a ‘cold composting’ system. Whilst creating a hot composting system is a great option for a number of reason that are explained in our “What is composting” blog, we find most households don’t have the right circumstances to create a hot, steamy compost pile. Cold composting allows for additions to the Gedye bin at regular intervals such as emptying your kitchen scraps every few days or fallen autumn leaves. Cold composting means that earthworms can live happily in the Gedye bin which helps to finish off the process that various microbes begin.
  
• Balance greens and browns. Aim for roughly 30-40% nitrogen-rich "green" material (vegetable scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds) to 60-70% carbon-rich "brown" material (dry leaves, shredded paper, cardboard, straw). Too much green produces a wet, smelly pile; too much brown slows the whole process down. Don’t stress about exact measurements of components as you can make adjustments during the composting process and the worms and microbes are also very forgiving in most cases.
  
• Keep the lid clipped shut. The ‘snap-lock lid is your main defence against flies and above-ground vermin, and it also helps retain heat and moisture.
  
• Turn regularly. A Tumbleweed Compost Aerator or garden fork worked down into the mix every week or two introduces oxygen and speeds decomposition considerably. Without turning, an enclosed bin like the Gedye may become compacted and slow.
  
• Moisture should feel like a wrung-out sponge — damp, not dripping. In dry weather, add a watering can full of water from above if the process is not progressing; if it's too wet and smelly, add more dry brown material and turn it through.
  
• Avoid meat, dairy and bones. These attract vermin which is a scenario best avoided no matter how good your base barrier is, and can also become smelly in a home compost system.
  

Harvesting Your Compost

Depending on season and how diligently you turn the bin, finished compost is generally ready in two to four months over the warmer months, longer in winter. Finished compost is dark, crumbly, and smells earthy rather than sour or ammonia-like. Because the Gedye bin has no base, it's often easiest to lift the whole bin off the pile (asking a second person to help), harvest the well-broken-down material at the bottom, and return unfinished material to the centre to continue composting — the mesh barrier stays in place throughout, ready for the next load.

Alternatively, the Tumbleweed Compost Aerator can be used to extract ‘cores’ of finished compost from the lower levels of the bin if you need smaller amounts of compost.  

A Final Word

The open base that makes the Gedye bin so effective — allowing worms and soil life to move freely in and out — is exactly what makes vermin and snake exclusion necessary rather than optional, especially for gardeners in regions where tiger snakes, red belly blacks, copperheads, or other species are active around the warmer months. A properly fitted mesh barrier costs little, takes an hour to install, and means you can enjoy the benefits of a productive, low-maintenance composting system without the unwelcome surprises.

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