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

[Linda Knapp <linda@bozuk.org>]

My "Ponds" are really big Jardinieres (sp?) about 2 feet in diameter  
and 2 feet high straight sides....  The fish are safe but the plants  
get pulled up and eaten the minute they start looking nice. The last  
time they also chewed up a bog plant (fly trap) on my porch that had  
gotten particularly nice looking.

Sigh....

I did, when I was much younger, sleep down in the corn patch with my  
german shepard dog and 22 rifle.... A couple times I had to wade in a  
rescue the dog however when he would chase the raccoons down to the  
beach and then they would dive in to the water - He would go after  
them. Raccoons are clever, all they need to do is climb up on a big  
dogs head when he is swimming and they drown it.

Durn critters!

And yes I did get a few of them, but I think my neighbors here would  
object rifle shots.

Linda

On Jul 14, 2008, at 12:31 PM, Connie Carlson wrote:

> 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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