Q I have trouble every couple of years with muskrats chewing on the rubber hose that goes to the battery on my boat. It costs a couple hundred dollars to fix it. I've tried mothballs and loud noises with no success. What can I do prevent this damage?

A Normally, trapping and removing a nuisance muskrat is the solution, but in this situation trapping won't work. The only thing you can try is deterrents. Spraying the rubber hose with Ropel or a similar repellent might work, but it would require continual applications.

Another option is to encase the hose in a material that the rats can't chew through, such as a hardware cloth or something similar.

Minnesota Nuisance Wildlife Control

House has swamp water Q What causes our water to suddenly smell like a swamp?

A It depends. Too much organic matter (algae, dead leaves, etc.) in the water source can impart a swampy or woody odor. This commonly happens every spring when the snow melts in Minneapolis and several other communities that draw their water from the Mississippi River. For some reason, however, it also happened this past summer. The smell may be unappetizing, but it doesn't mean the water is unsafe to drink. Typically, this is a short-lived problem and either self-corrects or is resolved at the water treatment facility.

Sulfurous or "rotten egg" odors often are caused by hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced by sulfide-reducing bacteria living in wells or plumbing systems. You can periodically shock-chlorinate well and plumbing systems to reduce populations of odor-producing bacteria (harmless to humans), but the bacteria will grow back. You also could continuously chlorinate the well and plumbing system (this can cause red-water problems if the water contains much iron).

When odors are only present in hot water, typically the source is the water heater. Installing a new water heater can trigger sudden increases in sulfide odor because the magnesium corrosion-control anode in new heaters stimulates production of the gas. Smelly water can be eliminated or reduced by replacing the anode with one made of less active material (such as aluminum rather than magnesium) and then chlorinating the water-heating system.

Do not remove the anode. Although that would not affect safe heater operations, it does shorten the heater's life. The anode acts as a sacrificial rod, slowing the corrosion process. Removing the anode also would void the warranty. Consult the manufacturer before altering your water heater.

Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-7032, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com.