[zcaveman]

We keep our plastic garbage bag inside of a large plastic garbage can in the garage and fill it as we go. It just seems easier to control that way. We have never had a problem with rodents or bugs but we feel that the garbage can will deter any attempts to get at the stuff in the garage. On the night before pickup, we take it out and put the bag on the curb. If you wait until the morning you might just miss the garage truck. Ours used to come around 9 AM and we dragged the bags out in the morning. Suddenly they started showing up as early as 5:30 AM and if we got the bag out late we had to wait until the next pickup.

Now the pickup is usually by 6 AM with the recyclables by 7 AM.

It probably varies by area but don't get complacent.

And yes a few times I had the bag torn into and had to pick up the stuff in the yard and put it in another bad. I sprayed the bag with Raid but it was not a big problem. I think it was the cats and dogs that managed to get loose and were hungry.