Gonna put some out and wondering if putting about 48" PVC over the 2 1/2" galvanized pipe will work to keep coons and snakes at bay??? Planning on putting in about a foot of water.
If PVC will work, any suggestions on diameter??
Thanks Folks
NN
Test, Sorry, shaded out for me
Not sure about using pipe to keep out snakes or coons
Thanks, Bay. That is exactly what I am trying to avoid. What a pain that would be for several.
Putting out 5, with plans for several more.
I will do what is needed, or it will be a waste of money and time.
Thanks again
NN
Check with SCDNR too. They have a program where they give them to you at a certain time of year.
That video bay posted is what you need. PVC is no problem for a snake to climb. That cone is a must to keep out snakes. the bigger the better. I’ve seen a LARGE chicken/rat snake in a box that somehow made it past a cone. If you are putting them in a pond, make darn sure you kill EVERY turtle you see pop it’s head up. They will decimate a new hatching of babies and so will a large mouth bass.
Many moons ago when utility poles had cross ties with glass insulators on wooden pegs with threads, when they upgraded they would leave the poles on the property if you wanted them. They had 3/4” galvanized iron braces to stabilize the cross members that were about 3’ long with a 90 degree bend on each end with a 5/8” hole in each end. I lagged that up a nice tree and bolted a 10” metal pipe to the other end away from the tree. The pipe came from a dredge site they had used to pump dredging into a land lagoon so it was used thin wall. Cut a wood bottom and top but hinged the top and cut the recommended wood duck oval near the top of the pipe. Lastly I put a 4” strip of hardware cloth from the bottom of the box to the bottom of the hole inside. Filled with pine shavings and could watch from the house with binoculars. Them ducks are amazing when they come to them at breakneck speed. Would clean them in January and fill with new pine shavings. Got surprised by a family of flying squirrels one time when I popped the top for a clean out. I made the guards out of galvanized roof tin not pretty but it seemed to work. Most everything was repurposed but did ok.
Some great info here, and Bay, that’s a cool story. Would be cool to see.
So here is what I’m gonna do. As I picked up material today after reading this and finding something online.
Take 6" pvc and cut to 2’ lengths. Install cap with a slightly larger hole than the 2 1/2" pipe to allow PVC to wobble when messed with. Then install a bolt thru the metal pipe just below the bottom of where box will be, as a stopper to prevent it from sliding down.
The plan is to have bottom of PVC roughly 18" above 12ish inches of water.
23, this is in Ga, but pretty cool what SCDNR does. Not here dang it. I have the boxes too.
I understand I will have to deal with water level issues, but during last couple months we have had some serious amounts of rain at times and very stable water level. Even when we went weeks without rain.
But hey, gonna plink some turtles, cuff some coons, and hopefully nest some Wood Ducks, YEEHAW!
Fred, not a pond, but over 3000’ of creek bottom running through property with constant supply of water from huge, obviously spring fed pond, or some call it lake across road on uphill side. Not my land.
Think I will put a camera along the bank to see what goes on for awhile at one of the boxes, with a coon cuff trap in view.
Anyhow, Thanks again and reply with your predictions, HaHa, as Sman would say.
Fred, I saw that your father had passed…Sorry sir. God Bless.
NN
Just to mention, bought these boxes off Amazon arrived today made by Woodlink.
Was skeptical even with the 5 star rating. Got here in 2 days, and they are sweet. They sent screws to mount to the backer, which I am using 2 x 6 or 8 with U bolts to go around pipe, then countersunk so they don’t stick out for flush mounting of box.
Wooden slats for ducklings to walk up, and bag of cedar shavings to get started. Front door opening with locking mechanism.
With price of lumber and material, I decided to do this.
NN
Thanks for that DoubleN. That post got side lined by our neighborhood troll and then Ef moved the thread to the lounge. What ever. Just took mom a bowl of shrimp and grits and she gave me a container of sausage rolls. Life is good. I just don’t understand the callousness of a troll. Sure we banter over a lot of stuff, but you would think some things would be left alone. I would like to meat said troll one day.
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Id sure like to see some finished boxes when you get em!