Re: [GSAS-Member] Deterring raccoons, was pond discussions

["Betty Goetz" <haika@drizzle.com>]

I'll be honest, those 50g stock tanks are pretty shallow. They looked like
raccoon wading pools to me (weak grin). I 'might' get one for bog plants
but I don't think I'll be putting fish in. I didn't think they were deep
enough to provide any 'cover' for a fish trying to evade raccoon paws so I
passed and got a larger tank. The 75g looks like the smallest at DeYoungs
that might be good for fish, especially in raccoon country.

Maybe it's all the Siberian husky smell, but I never had any evidence in
19 years of raccoons going for my goldfish at my old place. I never had
space for stock tanks there, so used something similar in size to whiskey
barrels and they were mostly placed near my front porch where they dogs
spent plenty of time. And I did have plenty of evidence that they had
discovered my chicken coop...about 100' up on the hill from the house! My
dogs never went up into poultry territory (except for the occasional
Siberian chicken raid), hence no dog smell deterrent.

My coworkers have plenty of stories of raccoons swimming out to anchored
sailboats in the San Juans, climbing up the anchor line and breaking into
locked cabinets for food (and pooping all over deck), so I think a
determined raccoon needs something more substantial than netting, but I
have no personal experience to fall on here.

Betty Goetz - relying on Siberian husky power and DEEP stock tanks to
protect my goldies

> I just got a little pond - thanks to Betty for suggesting the stock tanks
> at DeYoungs and Susan for the pond scoops!    All good, but the problem
> is: I have never in the four years I have been living here seen a raccoon
> in my neighborhood, until last night!!  The pond has been on the deck two
> days and they are already visiting it; I couldn't believe it.
>
> Does netting over a small pond keep them out of it?  It is only a shallow
> 50 gallon stock tank (about 12 inches deep), but it does have steep sides;
> is that enough to deter them or should I cover the tank/pond with some
> sort of netting??  There are just tadpoles in there now, but I definitely
> want to put fish in it soon, and don't want it to become the neighborhood
> raccoon feeder.
>
> Thanks, Connie
> (who has been learning a TON from all these great discussions!)
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Tom Watson<mailto:onefish2fish@comcast.net>
>   To: 'Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member
> chat'<mailto:gsas-member@thekrib.com>
>   Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 10:02 AM
>   Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] pond discussions
>
>
>   What keeps raccoons out of ponds are steep sides.  They can't put a paw
> in
>   the shallows to brace themselves when leaning out to snatch fish.  A
> shelf
>   along the edge would provide that place to brace themselves.
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From:
> gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com<mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com>
>   [mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com] On Behalf Of Betty Goetz
>   Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 8:17 AM
>   To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat
>   Subject: [GSAS-Member] pond discussions
>
>   Thanks for the pond discussions! I worked on my 2 larger stock tanks
> this
>   weekend. I wish my goldies would decide that Azolla tastes as good as
>   duckweed! I'm wondering if anyone has seen something that might work on
> a
>   stock pond edge to help grow marginals or bog plants? Hmmmmm....maybe
>   those plastic planters they make for deck railings??????? I really don't
>   want to fill up the edges with cement blocks to make staging zones for
>   pots.
>
>   Trish....your 4 goldies are doing great. They do seem to like flakes
>   better than floating pellets but are getting the hang of the things.
> They
>   are spending less time hanging out in the holes of the cement brick
> tower
>   I put in one end to stage some parrotfeather pots. Larry...thanks from
>   bring them up north for me! I know I wouldn't have made it down to
>   Enumclaw!
>
>   Raccoons & outdoor ponds - so far I've lucked out. All of my ponds are
>   above ground, which may help. Having lots of Siberian husky smell
>   (including one determined male who likes to mark the sides of stock
> ponds)
>   may help as well. I KNOW I've got raccoons around at the new place as
> the
>   neighbors have warned me. The chickens get locked in at night (weak
> grin).
>
>   Betty Goetz
>
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