Re: [APML]: Vermin at the observing site?

[Christopher Scott <CJScott@worldnet.att.net>]

Michael,

>  what kinds of animal life have you had unpleasant
> encounters with? 

Well, how about raccoons? There are quite a few rather large, rather
bold ones here. Almost nightly they come crashing down out of trees or
through the blackberries and over to where I am set up. One night I was
observing the Orion Neb when my scope stopped tracking. When I looked
down there was a raccoon sitting happily under my tripod holding one of
the large aligator clips from my 12v battery. I tried to shoo him away
and all he did was stand up, walk out from under the tripod, and sit
back down--all the while still holding the clip! 

I think all this was a rather clever ruse to try and take my attention
away from the real action--his even larger buddy was nosing around
inside of my eyepiece box! By the time I heard the second one chatter,
he had already pulled a piece of foam out of the box and was happily
munching upon it. Seems he does not have a taste for Naglers though!

Time for the lights to go on, which just drives them away to the fringes
of the yard where you can see the glowing beady eyes waiting for the
human to turn the light out and stick his head back on that big three
legged thing. Leaving to get a cup of coffee or other beverage is risky
too. Invariably there will be a raccoon or two investigating the set up
for any tasty treats left behind. 

The other less robust but even more troublesome are the slugs we have
around here. Living in the Pacific NW as I do, slugs are our state bird
so to speak. Nothing like trying to clean slug slime off of a mirror or
lens. How about reaching in the accessory case and wondering what this
piece of slimy rubber is or finding one happily riding along the telrad
of my LX200? (Anyone else carry a salt shaker in the accessory case?)

My remedy to these problems was to build an observatory. Now the big
problem is spiders. Spiders must be the long lost souls of astronomers
of old--they seem to inhabit observatories in such great numbers that it
must be the case. However, the slugs have het to figure a way in and the
raccoons stand on hind legs up the hill from the observatory and watch
me intenetly. I think that maybe they want some more foam to chew on. 

> Any favorite mosquito-control tactics?

Easy, just light up your favorite cigar. I have found that Arturo Fuente
Churchill or Cannones in the Maduro rapper to be excellent. Also, the
raccoons seem to like the cigar butts better then the foam rubber! ;-)

I don't like to use bug spray as DEET will eat away your coatings and
plastics!

Good luck on the new book!

Regards,
-- 
Christopher Scott
Director: Alvin D George Observatory
Staff: Pettinger-Guiley Observatory
Tacoma Astronomical Society