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Beaver/Muskrat Damage? Vandalism?

Home › Forums › Mayfly Data Logger › Beaver/Muskrat Damage? Vandalism?

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    • 2020-06-29 at 11:25 AM #14265
      Jake Lemon
      Participant

        Hi All,

        I recently had a station where the sensor cables was completely severed right above the sensor. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar. I’ve attached a few photos. I’m unsure if I’m dealing with vandalism or critter damage. Probably hard to tell from photos but if anyone has any relevant experience that might indicate what I’m dealing with please share.

        I’m considering starting to protect my sensor cables with cable sleeving or flexible pvc. Has anyone else done this or something similar?

        Thanks,

        Jake

        Attachments:

        1. ColdwaterSensorDamage-scaled.jpg

        2. ColdwaterSensorDamage2-scaled.jpg

        3. ColdwaterSensorDamage3-scaled.jpg

      • 2020-06-29 at 4:11 PM #14269
        Dave Bressler
        Participant

          @lemon, Jim Moore (@w3asa) with Great Marsh Institute has had beaver damage at two of his stations. He has come up with some ways to deal with it.  Jim, would you mind responding to this thread with the same post that you recently made to the Delaware Basin Sensor Stations online group?

        • 2020-07-09 at 5:08 PM #14296
          Christa
          Participant

            Thought I would vent/post about my recent loss due to vandalism…here seemed to be a good place lol! I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed, wait no, I’m mad. Totally stripped for parts foam shredded , battery shredded (why?), all cables cut and then thrown in the river, thankfully one lone zip tie was still attached and kept it from swept away. Even though it’s a goner, I at least know what happened to it.

            Attachments:

            1. 20200709_110121-scaled.jpg

            2. 20200709_110032-scaled.jpg

            3. 20200709_110903-scaled.jpg

          • 2020-07-10 at 8:32 AM #14300
            Jake Lemon
            Participant

              What a bummer Christa! I’m pretty sure my damage was a case of vandalism as well. The cut seems too clean to be critter related. The station was on private property but there is public access a quarter mile downstream. I wasn’t previously concerned about vandalism here though. I’m unsure how to mitigate that risk moving forward. Signage? Trail cams?

            • 2020-07-13 at 7:32 PM #14331
              Dave Bressler
              Participant

                I spoke to Jim Moore (@w3asa) today and he is going to write up a blog detailing his method for protecting wires from rodent damage (and maybe from people damage like Jake’s?).  But I don’t think this will help in situations like Christa’s.  Sorry Christa 🙁

                How to deal with severe vandalism like this is a tough one.  Christa and I were discussing motion cameras, etc.

                 

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