Didn't find anything under searching. I inspected a large floating marina and boats slips today with muskrat issues. The problem is how to go about trapping. I can use floats but am also planning on making stools that I will attach to the structures as well. The place is also covered up in otter and at least one small beaver. Anyone have an any extra ideas?

See if you can find bank dens that the muskrats are using.

No bank dens so far. Apparently the rats are denning under the structure in the floats

Anchor a small conibear, baited with a carrot, to the dock.

I wonder what the rats food source is

Looks like they like 1500$ pneumatic lines for the lifts. There are lawns surrounding marina but I have only found a little digging and mussel middens. I kinda have my doubts as to the number of rats as well. Beaver seem to chew on plastic as readily as rats do and there is definitely a juvenile beaver in the area. This has been going on for a while so the rats are more likely. I have a few places to set travel routes but this is in deep water.

For muskrats in situations like that. These traps are hard to beat. Pricey, but worth there weight in gold.

http://nongriptrap.com/

I had a similar set up a few yrs ago and used stools and floating colony trap and wore them out.......more on the stools, actually.
Baited with parsnips (since they stay white longer) and a sliver of carrot, all wired to the stick.
If ya don't wire it down, they will swim up and clean off your bait.

Interesting.
I'd be afraid of someone stealing or damaging such a costly device.

If you think that way you will struggle. those traps make you $$$ (I have 5 of them) and if your doing this job as a business that is your goal plus add wording in to your contract that if your gear is tampered with, damaged, or stole the client pays to replace gear.

Wow. They work that good...
Interesting.
Maybe I will have to look close at one.

I've looked hard at those traps. Figured they would work great on golf course ponds

ACP,

There was an article in, I believe, the February issue of F-F-G magazine on a guy trapping otter in a marina. I recommended these traps to a friend of mine in Washington state, as foothold are now banned.

Seem to work great, but I hated losing a $4.00 Conibear to a thief, let alone a $200.00 trap.

This trap would be illegal in Wisconson, as it would be construed as a colony trap. I just found out that colonies are now illegal in WI.

Great new trap idea, would like to get one to see how it operates. I think that this trap could home built, just like how the colony traps got their start.

For sure not legal in all states.

But you guys have to get over the mentality of costs.

The original post was stating about a marina. Figure the cost involved in running a few traps everyday, or several multi-catch type traps. Money saved for you, and your client.

I should have kept my mouth shut,,,,,,,, then they all would be still wondering..................

Muskrat Love, colony traps for muskrats are perfectly legal (and VERY popular) in Wi.

I imagine it varies by state. Around here people aren't going to spend a ~couple hundred dollars on a trap, especially to use in a PUBLIC marina. Maybe rat jobs in this area just pay less. Part of the issue is clients here generally wouldn't be willing to pay the reimbursement fee if this got swiped.
But thanks for showing it to us. It does look kind of nifty. I won't rule it out on certain jobs.

your contract SHOULD have the phrase "trap theft or damage expenses are the responsibility of the customer".

I just caught eight nuisance rats in that very trap at a houseboat.

If you are in this to make money (business), you would be foolish to not include in your proposal, contract, permission letter to access property etc... a statement that will inform the property owner of a trap fee (word it how you want to) that will cover your traps 100% or partially in the event they are damaged or grow legs and walk off on you. That way the cost is already in the original price, no chasing money if something happens, and you get a fee for service and equipment used. Everything you do and use on a property typically has a cost to you. Hobby trapping and adc'n are a completely different animal.