&*()_()__&^%$# Squirrels

[Paul Akers]

Yesterday I was watching a mast get stepped at my marina. As the boat owner was checking his halyards by stripping them out, he said, "OH,OH, we have a problem here." He immediately began cursing the &*()@$%^ squirrel. He had chased one out of his mast as he propped it up to be stepped. It seems that the squirrel had "wintered over" inside the mast. It stripped the casing off of 4 halyards to make its nest and only left the core. This was about 40' into his mast of about 50'. He had to replace the four halyards with new line.Moral: If you unstep your mast or remove the boom, put something over the ends of the mast/boom to keep critters out. A boom always gets taken over by birds in the spring. Mine is the open-ended type, so I keep a handbrush stuffed in there all year long.

 

[Tim R.]

I don't get it

Having to replace the spars and rigging on a boat would total out most boats. Why don't people take better care of this equipment? If it fails, you could get seriously hurt or worse. Take it off the boat and store it inside. Otherwise don't complain about rodents with bushy tails ;-)Tim R.

 

[Rick Webb]

I've Been Fighting the Little Bastards Too

They have destroyed a bunch of pool equipment, the kid's Slip and Slide, wood on the house and the lead standpipe covers on the roof. When they went after the plastice knobs on my Weber grill I dug out my old Daisy air rifle and well, let's just say they are not a problem around here any longer.

 

[LoriPetersen]

Try bees in your bonet (boom)...

I'm still dealing with this one, maybe after it's resolved I'll try the hairbrush idea. So far (last weekend) I've filled the boom w/ water and flushed it out, but apparently the residue is still attracting the bees, not to mention the returning bees flying in and out wondering what happened to the homestead. At least they're honey bees, which aren't too aggressive. I'm concerned that they'll rebuild. The "returnees" got very aggressive when we plugged the end of the boom w/ a rag, so we took the rag out and abandoned the boat until next weekend. Am considering the following: those sticky flypaper things, wrap the ends of the boom w/ ace bandages, and/or flushing the boom w/ soapy water, any other ideas?

 

[George]

RIGHT ON, RICK

I was hoping you were still out there! I just knew you would enlighten the others. Hope all is well, and hope you didn't put your eye out with that thing! P.S. The bats havn't hit my boat yet, but the birds have left thier mark.

 

[Carl12646]

critters

When I first wintered my boat I was very concerned about the critters moving in. I pulled everything off that I thought they could damage and brought it home. After having a sailbag destroyed by mice in my garage I figured that things are safer on the boat than at home. No food to scavage, no heat, no water on the boat. Thank God they didn't seem to care for the taste of Dacron or that would have ended my season. I would have been working OT to buy new sails.

 

[Ross]

D-Con is quite effective.

Every few years we get over run with squirrels and D-con mixed with peanut butter makes them disappear in a week or so.

 

[Paul Akers]

I Have Seen Tape Use on the End Boom Opening...

...also. This has been somewhat effective during the season when it can be checked regularly.I usually trap and relocate the critters at home during the winter. I have a Hav-a-Hart trap and use bird seed to catch them. I know relocation of a squirrel is a kiss-of-death, but they do have a sporting change that way.

 

[Paul Akers]

Not a Hairbrush1

I have not used a hairbrush, but a cheap, thick-bristled scrub brush to shove into the boom opening.

 

[higgs]

Lori

Why not wait until dark, when all the bees are back and then set off a bug bomb, shove it into the end of the boom and close it off over night.

 

[Ross]

Lori, If you just wait a few weeks you won't have

any bees. This past week I have not seen any bees anywhere. Not on the white clover, not on the holly trees which are in full bloom, not on the honeysuckle. I mean no honey bees, no bumble bees, no carpenter bees and no wasps not even the little solitary bees.

 

[Rick Webb]

We Considered Poisoning Them

The trouble is if the owls or the osprey eat the now sick squirrell they get sick. That and I think it more humane to just put a pellet through the head and drop them where they stand with a mouth full of bird seed.

 

[Ross]

The poison suffient to kill a dozen squirrels

won't produce symtoms in a fox or medium size dog. Google the brand of rodenticide of your choice and check out the nature of the poison and its effect on other animals and birds. I have shot my share of squirrels but my neighbors complain about rifle fire now.

 

[Lori]

Bees and tape or poison

I thought of tape, but it makes a sticky mess if left on for any length of time.As far as poison, I'm wary of having it work it's way onto me or my food as I hang out right under it all summer, know what I mean? FYI I'm told bees don't actually drown, but I figure once they took the waterfall overboard into cold saltwater, they were goners. Never got stung, so that says something. Maybe if I just sail real fast they won't be able to keep up, I'll try it this weekend. If I'm wrong, hopefully I won't be taking a swim in 40 degree Puget Sound.

 

[higgs]

Tape trick

To avoid the mess tape leaves on a mast or boom you put a a tight wrap around the spar with the sticky side of the tape facing outward and then tape the opening as you normally would.

 

[Rick Webb]

Here is Another Idea

One of those mesh screen deals to keep the leaves from clogging up the gutters. They are already the right shape and do not rust.