reprinted from Mid-Atlantic Koi

Lots of folks have been calling us here at Suburban Water Gardens, Inc. over the years and we've given them information on how to control these nocturnal pests.

What we have found to be best for these animals - and for other animals that are giving you pond and Koi related problems - is to go to an Italian Delicatessen and get the hottest chili peppers you can find. Come summertime you can grow them in the garden, but in the meantime if it's out of season just simply buy them. Cut them into quarters and buy a jar of peanut butter, one that the kids are not likely to use. Cut the chili peppers into quarters and put an ample amount of peanut butter around the entire hot pepper. You want to put the peanut-buttered pepper around the pond and around the property line, in an attempt to attract the raccoons.

After a short period, the raccoons will get the scent of the peanut butter. They will start eating and you may hear a large slap around 2 o'clock in the morning when the raccoon is eating the hot pepper with the peanut butter around it. That loud slap is usually the raccoon giving you the paw,

You'll find that this method works very, very well for lots of different predators, but I understand that it doesn't work for herons and egrets because of the type of gullet that they have and this hot spice doesn't seem to bother them.

I would use this method several times over a 30-day period. Don't forget we are not dealing with intelligence; we are dealing with instinct. Take a break for a few weeks and then try using white bread with Tabasco sauce and mask that with honey, again attracting the predator. After a short time, they'll realize that you're place is not a good place to eat.

Some folks out there are having an Otter problem. Try to get cheap meat; heavily coat it with Tabasco sauce; and put honey or something around it. I'm sure that it will be some type of deterrent, but I don't have any experience with otters. I have been using this method with raccoons, possums etc. since the late 60's with great success. I have yet to run into an Italian raccoon which would enjoy these culinary tidbits.