Wisconsin Pond Build

[CometKeith]

Hey Country, It's really nice. You will have a great time. Also the weather tomorrow will be perfect so it will be easy to get around. You should also go to Millennium Park if you haven't been there yet. The amount of flowers and quality at the show are amazing. Last time I was there I saw an exhibit from aquascape and they had some really nice waterfalls and water features. You should check them out if you are there. They also sponsor a lot of pond tours exhibits etc by their store in the Western Suburbs which was declared the water garden capital of the world! http://www.aquascape...ge=news&n_id=14

 

[CometKeith]

This is a pond that was built by one of their former employees and his crew in a couple days. The homeowner told me that he designed it. It is also in the western suburbs. I took these pictures on the pond tour last year.

 

[addy1]

Very nice pond

 

[herzausstahl]

Keith,
Starting about yesterday the fish have been a lot more active and swimming closer to the surface, the water was at about 48 degrees yesterday, so getting a lot better. Gonna have to look for some spring/fall food to see if I can get them to start eating soon once I know the weather is going to hold.

But with the weather change I also discovered a new problem. Two days ago the pump that I had running all winter suddenly stopped. I thought it was because of all the string algae that was in the pond. I raked most of it out, but thought maybe some had gotten in the impeller and clogged it up. So today I went to pull it out and hose it off since it was so nice out and this is what I found.



Some varmint had chewed the cord (and was not hurt by it, because it wasn't next to the cord). Then I discovered that it had severed one of my other pump cords (pump is still in the bottom of the pond).



Luckily my father-in-law knows how to attach new plugs to both for me and I should still have enough cord to make it to the outlet, but that leads me to my question, who else has had this problem and what do you do to deter them?

The animal chewed them in the space right before they go into the outlet. Here it is below.



Here are the gaps that are around it, so I could potentially run the wires under the deck and then leave them in this gap and then put some wire or something else to cover the holes, but that may not keep it all the way out. Figure could cover the lines with rocks under the deck until they make it to the outlet but the animal could still chew them there as it did this time. Here are the gaps under the deck around the outlet.



Not sure if I stapled some wire mesh to the sides to block the holes (1/4") if that would keep them out or if they would make it around that somehow.

So what does everyone else do to deter critters from chewing their electric lines? Is there something you put there to deter them, or that you wrap the lines in? Still surprised it didn't get zapped when it hit the live wires. The day wasn't a total loss though as I managed to dig out my firepit and relay all the stones around it.

 

[taherrmann4]

I had this wire screen, it wasn't the stuff you replace your window screens with but it had the same size holes and it was wire mesh. I would wrap the metal screen around it once or twice around then cable tie. This should keep a critter from chewing threw it.

 

[j.w]

Ya gotta wonder why a critter would want to chew through a wire like that.............I mean, what?........did it taste that good? Wonder if a mole or groundhog,rabbit or rat or whatever could do that................well prolly could but I keep saying why? I've never had anything do that here at my pond.............yet! And you'd sure think it would have gotten zapped to kingdom come!

 

[CometKeith]

Herz, Wow that's amazing that he chewed into it. If he had gone a little more into the cord you would have found the culprit when he got the shock of his life! I have a friend that knew someone that lost all his fish because a raccoon chewed through the waterline on his pump. The water drained out of the pond and he crawled in and snatched all the fish.

 

[addy1]

Have not had that here yet..........lol. Most of our pond wire is in conduit except from the edge of the deck to the house around 12 feet or so uncovered wire.

 

[herzausstahl]

I had this wire screen, it wasn't the stuff you replace your window screens with but it had the same size holes and it was wire mesh. I would wrap the metal screen around it once or twice around then cable tie. This should keep a critter from chewing threw it.

I was thinking of trying to cordon off the area in front of the outlet that way so it, covering the gaps on the sides so it couldn't get in, but your way might be easier. I think its called hardware cloth, not sure how small the holes in it go, but will have to check. Thats a good idea Tmann, otherwise I was going to hide it in pvc under the decking and then try to block the area off by the power.

Ya gotta wonder why a critter would want to chew through a wire like that.............I mean, what?........did it taste that good? Wonder if a mole or groundhog,rabbit or rat or whatever could do that................well prolly could but I keep saying why? I've never had anything do that here at my pond.............yet! And you'd sure think it would have gotten zapped to kingdom come!

And see I thought maybe rabit, but haven't seen any around, I know we normally have chipmunks, haven't seen any groundhogs or holes for them, and never seen rats only mice. I did leave it some deadly tasty treats around the outlet hoping it will go for those, usually would prefer a live trap, but no idea what did it, but I do plan on just protecting the wire so I don't have to do that. I think it went for the wire where it was a big open space and it had some cover. The wire ran from the side of the deck between the boards and it never touched it there.

Herz, Wow that's amazing that he chewed into it. If he had gone a little more into the cord you would have found the culprit when he got the shock of his life! I have a friend that knew someone that lost all his fish because a raccoon chewed through the waterline on his pump. The water drained out of the pond and he crawled in and snatched all the fish.

That is one smart racoon! I'm sure there could be racoons near here, but the space is way too small for them to get into to.

Have not had that here yet..........lol. Most of our pond wire is in conduit except from the edge of the deck to the house around 12 feet or so uncovered wire.

Do you have your pump wires covered Addy?


These were two of my pump wires, was thinking about hiding them in larger conduit to protect them under the deck, but still have to figure out a way protect them as they go into the outlet, suppose I could stick a bunch of rocks around the bottom to limit the space in there, something that I could remove to plug/unplug stuff, but to stop it from having a lot of space to sit. Well guess my best bet is to wrap it in wire like Tmann said if I can find it, or to use some conduit to run it through under the deck and then block the area infront of the outlet. Should be interesting either way! At least with the PVC I could make it big enough to not have to worry about freeze/thaw, it would be cheap and I could use a fish line to pull wires through. And I suppose I could use a sponge or clothe to plug the ends and tape it to the pvc or something to hold it on. Then fill in the area infront of the outlet with rocks, foam, or something to fill up the space. Almost thinking it was something a little bigger based on the chew marks and that it was able to chew completely through one of the wires (no current) and through one wire on the hot. Does anyone know their wire colors? It chewed through the white one, would that be the ground wire? Would this have less current than the other two? I do not know enough about electricity to really know. Still frustrating though as I now have to pull up all the decking to fix the issue.

 

[j.w]

I just found this on a car complaint site; http://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Tundra/2000/electrical/rodents_chew_wiring.shtml
I also read that if you spray something alkaline on the wiring they do not like the taste of that so no more chewing. Supposedly rodents don't like moth balls either.
Some say that even a little bundle of dog hair, cat fur or even human hair clippings has the power to repel the nuisances. Others swear by the electronic devices used to repel gophers .
There are also little buzzer things that are supposed to keep pets off the furniture. They might work.............who knows!

 

[addy1]

Herz, we ran pvc down the slope for wiring, until just recently had everything running off of extension cords. At this time we ran wires down through the pvc, but at the pump the wire is exposed and at the house it is exposed. At the house about 12 feet of it is running under the deck going to the house. That is where charlie the gopher is living, so hoping it does not chew through the wire. But at least we can reach the wires. .............no clue why this thing is underlining, I did not click the underline and it won't stop..............geez

 

[taherrmann4]

Herz the PVC might be easy too, take a size where the plug end will fit through once you repair it. Then at each end of the pvc stuff some steel wool in there, they cant chew threw that stuff.

 

[taherrmann4]

Herz I think I found the stuff I am thinking about at home depot, if I go there this weekend I will look and let you know where at in the store it is.

 

[herzausstahl]

Herz the PVC might be easy too, take a size where the plug end will fit through once you repair it. Then at each end of the pvc stuff some steel wool in there, they cant chew threw that stuff.

I did go with the PVC and temporily shoved a rolled up plastic grocery bag in there to block it, but didn't think of using steel wool. Good idea Tmann, but I think the culprit was a rabit, based on the chew marks and that we found one in the yard. He must have snuck under my big gate that has a 6" gap or so under it at one point because the ground dips at that point. He was stuck in the yard for awhile and couldn't find his way out, but I haven't seen him for awhile so not sure where he is. It's funny because my brother said it looked like "stress chewing", but the important part is he didn't eat my barberries back like a rabbit did last year before I got the fence up.

Here is what I ended up doing:



Here is the space, and then I ended up putting hardware cloth around the edges.



Then I ran the PVC under the deck and cut out a hole for it in the hardware cloth and put it around it.



Here is where it comes out by the pond.



here it is finished



And then I built this cover for it



So this should keep any critters from getting to it. I can also run cords in from the side by placing them in the gaps in the deck boards and run them into my "cage" that way. Should work out now, hopefully that is.

 

[herzausstahl]

Fish have also been a lot more active with the weather we have been having. Here are some pics: