 | Safety |
Dockwatch 12/31/2008
How To Get Rid of Raccoons on Your Houseboat
What: Now that we have established that raccoons are potential disease carriers there is renewed interest in removing them from our houseboats. See the excerpt below from the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife website. Good houseboat friends of mine have had success with vinegar. They used a "super soaker" to spray vinegar all along their log floatation particularly where the raccoons were entering and exiting. With spring will come baby raccoons and more of the same.
Q: How do I get rid of animals making a nuisance on my property?
A: If you are experiencing problems with skunks, raccoons, possums, squirrels, or other small wildlife there are steps you can take to discourage them. Make sure you are not leaving pet food or water outside, or food scraps in your compost, and make sure the lids on your garbage cans are secure at all times. You can generously douse problem areas with white vinegar or cayenne pepper as a sensory deterrent. Trim tree branches to eliminate easy access to roofs and other trees. Bright light and loud music may also encourage the animal to leave. If, after taking these precautions you still have a problem, you may need to trap the animal and remove it. Some local rental companies rent live animal traps at reasonable rates; they can be found in the yellow pages of your local telephone directory. The Department of Fish and Wildlife also works with a select group of individuals who are authorized to trap certain nuisance animals for a fee. Call the nearest regional office for a list of those in your area.
Transient Problem Solved Under the University Bridge
When: Since the mudslides in the area in recent years.
Where: Under the University Bridge near 3260 Portage Bay Place
E.
What: The long standing problem with transients living under the
University Bridge has been solved for now. A local houseboater
reports, "Surprisingly we haven't had a problem since 1) two new house barges moved into the moorage on the other side of the bridge. They look right up at that area and 2) the city put up a 'no trespassing' sign on the access hut where the transients used to hang out so we have a real 'crime' to report when we call the police."
New Method of Getting the Dock Watch to You
To date the method used for getting the Dock Watch out every month has been I send it to your Dock Watch Captain who then forwards it to you. Technology has advanced significantly in recent years and the FHA would like to streamline this method by sending out the Dock Watch to your email address directly. The Dock Watch Captain will no longer forward the email starting with the 12-31-08 Dock Watch. This will be through a service so that I personally do not maintain a database of five hundred email addresses. To opt into this method follow the directions here:
Opt in to the new Dockwatch List
The FHA will absolutely keep this email list to itself, never sell it or allow the spammers to get it. I will continue to write the FHA Dock Watch and as always appreciate you taking the time to send me anything you feel other house boaters would benefit from reading.
Get the Floating Homes News
By moving our mailing lists on line, the Association is hoping to make it easier to communicate with members. We face increasing pressure on our community ranging from the extensive redevelopment of the land around us to looming zoning changes which will affect us all. The Association believes we need a more effective means communicating time critical information.
This Dockwatch List has its purpose, however, and the Association is loathe to ask me stretch its content beyond the realm of dock safety and security. But there is an Email List for broader Association news and we're hoping you'll help us grow it into the grapevine the neighborhood needs.
