OUTDOOR CORNER: FINDING A SOLUTION FOR PESKY MUSKRATS

Is your pond leaking? Do you have holes in your dam? If you do, then you may have a problem with muskrats.

The muskrat is a short-legged animal with grayish, dark-brown hair and an 11-inch black tail that is scaly, hairless and narrow. An adult muskrat averages about 2.5 pounds, not to be mistaken for a beaver that can weigh up to 50 pounds. Muskrats will breed from spring to fall, having several litters of four to seven young.

Muskrats are mainly found near marshes, ponds and slow-moving streams. The muskrat is nocturnal, but sometimes will move during the day. They primarily eat aquatic plants, but they will also eat legumes, grasses, grains, garden crops and apples. They will occasionally eat crayfish and mussels. Although muskrats may damage some agricultural crops near the water, the principal cause for concern is their activities in dams and levees.

Muskrats burrowing into pond levees can cause leaks. They dig into levees to make homes. These burrowing activities can weaken levees. The burrows start under water, then rise to a chamber hollowed out above the water level. If a population of muskrats are detected, you have several options to reduce their numbers.

Muskrats can be controlled through aquatic weed management. Since muskrats are especially attracted to ponds containing aquatic vegetation, reducing these plants can help reduce muskrats numbers. Cattails, burr weed and arrowheads are all plants that are favored by muskrats. If muskrat control is the main goal, then these weeds must be held to a minimum.

Trapping is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to control muskrats. Muskrats can be killed using a small conibear trap. Traps that are set in runways or den openings can be productive. The trap should be suspended under water and should be braced and tied to one or two stakes.

The Missouri Wildlife Code states that if your property is being damaged (beyond reasonable doubt) by muskrats, the owner may capture or kill the animal at any time without a permit. Muskrats can not be transported, sold or given away, but must be reported to a conservation agent within 24 hours. During the trapping season, the muskrat pelts can be sold.

Muskrat digging can also be stopped by placing the rock rip-rap on the levee. The rip-rap layer needs to be at least six inches thick and should extend one foot above the waterline and three feet below the water level. This process should protect the bank from muskrat activity.

In conclusion, muskrats have been known to cause major problems in the past; however, they can be controlled with simple techniques that the pond owner can use.

For more information, call the Missouri Department of Conservation at 290-5730.

Chris Kennedy is a fisheries specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.