animal droppings in bilge

[Thumpbass]

Went to do a little maintenance in my bilge and found animal droppings...not sure what animal but they are about the size and shape of a tic-tac (don't smell like tic-tacs for sure). I put a rat trap down in there if by chance it's a rodent....my biggest concern is if it's a snake....don't want that kinda thing slithering out from under the console on my next tournamnet (coming up in a few weeks). Anyone know what snake poo looks like? The boat is on the trailer (and covered) and has been parked next to a wooded area on my lot....I'm not on the water so to speak so it's not an aquatic animal of any sort unless it's been in there for a month or two. I can't see how a rodent got in there but they will surprise you...I have heard a couple neighbors have had rat snake sightings in the past couple of weeks...the pooh stinks to high he11 by the way.

 

[woodduck17]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

I would lean toward the rodent theory. If it were a snake, a good chance it would shed after 2 months of living there. Any sign of snakeskins?

 

[Gone]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

The good news is that your ship is not sinking! The bad news is that the rats are still there.:}

CD

 

[wvit1001]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

It's probably a frog.

 

[flashback]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

sounds like you could use a good black snaked They love to eat rats which sounds like your problem. snakes don't poo in pellet form...d

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

no snake skins in any visible areas....no catch in the rat trap I put in the bilge...a friend of mine suggested laying out some moth balls...said it would repel snakes. any knowlege of any other type of repelents for snakes and or rodents....a big owl decoy?

 

[Aquaman]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

What did you bait the trap with? Peanut butter works good.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

I say frogs. Little suckers crap all over the place.

 

[jtexas]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

you're not the first to have that problem...remember a dude called Noah?

The simplest solution is to carry a 12-gauge...

 

[crunch]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

you're not the first to have that problem...remember a dude called Noah?

The simplest solution is to carry a 12-gauge...

LOL... one way to get practice patching holes... 8)

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

snake poo is one big turd...lol

i bet rats or a muskrat..better check your wires for chewed spots..

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

About the size of a tic-tac....
smell real bad.....???

What type of boat? Do you have access to under the deck?

It could be a bat.

 

[crunch]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

Most likely not a bat (sorry Bob d Bats are delicate creatures, 1 minute of pounding across the lake and it would be out of there. Probably a rat ( rats will just hunker down until you come ashore, then go on about the biz of eating your wiring)... catch one of those rat snakes and send him in, don't worry if he comes right back out, if there is a rat in there he won't go far, just leave him alone. After he eats the rat he will go on to greener pastures.

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

It's a 1979 Eldocraft 16' tri hull fiberglass bass boat. If it's bats...they can have it:%

All the wiring seems to be in tact...the lights, pumps, tlt n trim, electronics work so I think I'm OK there...can't fire up the engine cause I've got half the thing disassembled doing some maintenance & waiting on parts. I did find in the process of tracing the wiring that my tilt and trim solenoid looks like it's about to fall apart, still works but went ahead and ordered another one anyway.

As far as the shot gun thing...one of my teachers in high school used to tell a story about fishing one night on Lewis Smith Lake (Alabama) and had a water moccasin climb into the boat with him and his partner...his partner without thinking pulled out a sawed off shot gun and blew half the transom off the back of the boat...ooops

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

Most likely not a bat (sorry Bob d Bats are delicate creatures, 1 minute of pounding across the lake and it would be out of there. Probably a rat ( rats will just hunker down until you come ashore, then go on about the biz of eating your wiring)... catch one of those rat snakes and send him in, don't worry if he comes right back out, if there is a rat in there he won't go far, just leave him alone. After he eats the rat he will go on to greener pastures.

Like I said earlier, there have been some rat snake sightings in the neighborhood and I have seen them around my house in the past...may be nature will take it's course without me having to do anything that involves "snake handling"...I am in Alabama though, so snake handling isn't out of the question...

 

[crunch]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

LMAO !!!!!!!... OOOPS indeed!!!!!

 

[crunch]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

Snake probably can't get into your boat, that's where you come in... don't tell me you are afraid of "snake handling"

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

I believe I can "take take up serpents" (Mark 16:18)...but I won't8)...I have also learned, never say never when it comes to snakes

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

I believe I can "take take up serpents" (Mark 16:18 )..but I won't..8)

 

[crunch]

Re: animal droppings in bilge

Don't take it up, just grab it behind the head and toss it in the boat.

You remind me of an ex Marine I worked with ( bunch of cry babies IMHO) I caught a Garter snake and put it in a jar under the front seat of my truck. It got loose and crawled up his leg... Thank God we were coming to a stop sign, he bailed out at 20 MPH instead of 50, only got cuts and abraisions instead of a broken neck.