You otter help me...

Eric_L · 04-25-2008, 07:05 AM

Recently I had to have my boat repaired. A critter had chewed through a wiring harness. I keep my boat docked behind my home on a lift. The tech found a rat's nest on top of one of the pontoons between the pontoon and the deck; He suggested rat poison.

I was all good to go... until today. My son spotted an otter running through our back yard. I don't have any idea if the otter is the culprit, but I don't want to risk poisoning it. I certainly don't want anything chewing up my boat either...

I considered calling animal control, but if they trap it they will relocate it. I LIKE having an otter around my home. Not to mention - if it IS a rat then I would still have a rat sans otter.

So maybe you all could tell me - do otter dens resemble rat's nests? How can I keep critters off my boat without risking poisoning desirable critters?

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Jay H · 04-25-2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

do otter dens resemble rat's nests?

Not an expert but I don't think so. I know beavers make beaver lodges with underwater access and Otters (river or sea) are still water based creatures (of the Martin family). From what I've read it seems that otters need land access to their dens but also water access in winter so typically rats, being land based rodents would den up in dark holes and under piles, logs, tarps, etc. w/o any access to water. From reading, it seems that otters like to kill muskrats/beavers and stuff and steal their dens like a good ole freeloader!

Jay

Eric_L · 04-25-2008, 05:23 PM

so do ya think I'm OK to put the rat poison on the deck of my boat? It is on a lift similar to this;

Jay H · 04-26-2008, 06:08 PM

Do you have an idea if it's rats or mice? If it's mice, you can use mouse traps, I get mice in my house (basement) and I've had good success with peanut butter and Victor's quick set traps

Because i think you would be safe for otters but not sure about birds...

If you do use the rat poison, maybe try to put it where you found the nest, hopefully out of access from anything else, like dogs or cats too...

Jay

Eric_L · 04-27-2008, 10:27 AM

Yes, I found some droppings in the storage compartment, so I placed the poison there. It is in a place where pets could not reach then I placed a warning on the door to that part of the boat so that nobody accidentally lets our dogs in there. We'll see what happens, but I' pretty sure there is no otters there, it would be quite difficult for anything that large to negotiate the lift wires and the thin rail to that spot.

MarkMel · 04-28-2008, 09:11 AM

I wouldn't put poison on my boat, only because sometimes they don't leave the boat when they die. It would suck to have a dead mouse somewhere inaccessible to stink up the boat. The only consolation there is that since they're small, they won't smell for too long.

I put bounce fabric softener sheets in my boat. No signs of mice at all. Apparently the smell puts them off.

Eric_L · 04-29-2008, 06:52 AM

I'm not too worried about the carcass; the poison makes them thirsty, so they are most likely to die at the water's edge (water is inaccessible from my boat on the lift)



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