If your pile is "hot" .... like if things are shredded, and you add manure ... it will decompose more quickly.... then you might be able to use it thru the summer. ours is not that "hot". we add the majority of plant shreddings in fall. like corn stalks, squash plants etc. I add fruit and vegie trimmings, egg shells, coffee grounds thru the winter. we only empty it into the garden in spring.
there are some rotating metal compost bins available that you can turn regularly. they compost things more quickly than a plain pile sitting on the ground. some people use a series of piles, with a start pile, a middle pile and a finishing one. we keep it simple. we used to add other things to it, but it seems to work fine without additional ingredients. we leave a little finished compost on the ground in spring so we have a place to mix in the new trimmings.
I have a small lidded bucket in the kitchen to collect daily trimmings. I dump that into a bigger bin ( lidded) on the deck. that gets transferred to the pile when it's full. things get pretty decomposed even before it goes into the pile itself. you want lids so you don't get flies, fruit flies, smells etc.
we've never had a problem with rodents or smells, but we are also in a rural area, not right in town. If I'm not sure about anything, I don't add it.
