It's NOT a turtle! Guess what it is???

[Lynn T]

My critter that is chomping my lilies is not a turtle.  It is worse than that and will be much harder to eliminate.  I went out this morning to clear the entire area around the pond of excess plants and have a good look.  While I was out there, I heard a noise, and looked up from my work just in time to see something get in the pond.  I could see where it had walked across the patio, sat on a rock by the pond and then got in.  I poked the bottom with the fish net, lifted pads and looked everywhere.  I went to the garage to tell my DH that it was IN the pond right now and he was headed off for a bike ride and could not be bothered.  I went back around and continued to look.  I heard something move in the sedge on the far end next to the house and walked over there with the pole.  Into the pond went something again so I stuck the fish net pole in and must have touched it or scared it and out the other end of the pond came a.......MUSKRAT!  OMG!  Scared me half to death.  There I was screaming and waving my arms in the air, chasing after it across the back yard, smacking the ground behind it with the fish net and screaming all the way until it jumped back into the lake.  NOW WHAT???

I called the homes association and of course, they don't care.  I told them to get out here with traps and get these things out.  They don't care.  I think I will take my homes association dues and pay a "critter gitter" to come with his cages and trap the thing and take it away.  I'll tell the homes association I paid my dues for lake mainenance.

I bet he will be back.  What can I do?  Suggestions?

[tracey_shafer]

Wow Lynn won't he eat all the fish also?

[thepitclub]

Wow, that poor fella's been a naughty boy! They are actually closely related to the beaver and are quite adorable. Being herbivorous, he obviously can't stay, but hopefully you can trap and relocate him.
 

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildlife/furbearers/muskrat.htm

[Julles]

I wish you had your picture posted, so I could more properly envision that gal who was jumping around and screaming and slapping the reeds with her net.   

Question:  Is your pond YOUR pond, or is it part of a large lake belonging to the subdivision, and the part you garden in is outside your yard?

Re the muskrat... I think you should trap it.  Here in Houston, the City will haul them away - they will even lend you a trap.  Don't ask me what kind of bait, though.  And perhaps you could put the trap IN the water?  Maybe practice feeding him a few days / nights before setting out the trap, so he gets used to being fed, and isn't suspicious once the trap appears.

Maybe Google can tell you how to get rid of him.

[Lynn T]

Question:  Is your pond YOUR pond, or is it part of a large lake belonging to the subdivision, and the part you garden in is outside your yard?

The lake that the muskrat came out of is a subdivision lake.  There is 12' of common area between the bank and where my back yard starts.  I have a large deep lot and my pond is clear up at the back of my house.  It sits between my deck and my patio and there is only three feet between the back of the house and the end of the pond.  So, the brazen little thing walked right up my yard, across my patio and into my pond.  He was tresspassing!  There is no way to fence, so I will have to get live traps.  The homes association did not sound like they really cared!  Maybe when I don't pay my dues they will?  I will have to put traps on the bank on the common grounds (near where he lives) and more traps by my pond in case he comes for another all you can eat lily bar run.  If I get him, he will find himself in another zip code really quickly.

[Kittyzee]

I'm not aware of a trap that when he's trapped he will be alive, although there may be.  They trap muskrats by putting a trap by the entrance or exit to their underwater openings into their lodges and when they swim out or in, they swim into the trap and drown.   :'(  Sorry about that, but that's what fur trappers use.  You can check around, there may be another form I'm not aware of....

[Lynn T]

Yes, they put live traps on land and put carrots in them they go for the carrots and get trapped.  I just got a call from the VP of the Board of our association.  I had left him a message about the problem.  He said the association has a contract with a trapper and there were traps several places around the lake.  He said it would be Monday but he would get something done.

I am going to try to borrow some traps and try the carrots and put the traps between my watergarden and where he would have to pass from the lake.  If I catch one the guy told me our animal control people will come and get it.  He has to go!

[CliffandJoann]

Good luck Lynn, hope you get him...

[Jerry]

a fur coat or maybe stew? or a muskrat ramble.

[Indiana Karen]

Lynn, I wish I could have seen you out there chasing that rascal!

We had one a few years back.  It had already done a lot of damage to our plants.  It would cut the stems into nice uniform pieces about a foot long and pack them in our skimmer boxes.  We were standing near the pond when he came running across the yard towards it.  I screamed for hubby to do something quick!  The muskrat met his demise with hubby's foot.  For some silly reason it struck me funny and I couldn't stop laughing.  Sick humor, huh?

Better put your boots on.

Karen

[Lynn T]

I wish I could have thought faster on my feet.  If I had been at all prepared for that, I would have tried to hit him or catch him somehow.  I just ended up chasing him back in the lake and there is nothing to keep him from coming back to the water garden as soon as I turn my back.  I worried about it all evening and kept watching for any sign of him again.  I hope I scared him to death.  I'm sure my running after him while waving my arms and screaming was a sight for the neighbors!

[karen J]

Wow, a muskrat! We had them in Virginia, used to live by a river. Never would have put two & two together on that one, but now it makes perfect sense. You are lucky that little devil hasn't decided to build a lodge in the side of your pond... (bye-bye liner). Hope you get rid of him before he does that!

I'm happy for you that you got some positive response/action from your association.

[Sandye]

I wish I could have thought faster on my feet.  If I had been at all prepared for that, I would have tried to hit him or catch him somehow.  I just ended up chasing him back in the lake and there is nothing to keep him from coming back to the water garden as soon as I turn my back.  I worried about it all evening and kept watching for any sign of him again.  I hope I scared him to death.  I'm sure my running after him while waving my arms and screaming was a sight for the neighbors!

Tee Hee!!!   Now the neighbors can call you, "The lady who chases muskrats across the yard."   

I hope your traps work soon, so the little fella can be relocated.  Good Luck!

[Vickie]

Lynn my friend Cathy in the water garden society on Hook Road has had them too. They ruined some of her liners. But they have land not just a lot.

[joeyb5980]

Wow I would never have guessed that!  At least you finally solved the puzzle.  I hope the trappers eliminate your problem TODAY!  Good luck!

[models916]

Watch out for the muskrat. They carry Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever or the tics that have it. No known cure.

http://www.cbwinfo.com/Biological/Pathogens/OMSKV.html

[perplexed ponder]

I had posted a week or so ago, that a co worker of my husband came home from vacation to find hi entire pond a mess! There was straw everywhere, packed into teh skimmer box too. he opened the lid and out jumped a muskrat! he said it was a disaster.

I think you chasing it that way may be enough to keep it away (the neighbors too!)

[Esther]

My uncles used to trap them to sell their pelts. Needless to say, their traps weren't very humane. Well  actually, they weren't humane at all.

[Ky Kim]

Eeewww, I can't imagine.  I've seen alot of critters around, rats, snakes.  I bet I would scream if I saw something like that and chase after it too. 

Last year we had opossum in our backyard aggervating our dog.  We ended up getting it cornered and lit him up with a few b-b's.  That's all we had.  It ended up leaving and never saw it after that. 

Were use to seeing those little blue tailed lizzards running around here.  One day I was sitting on my front steps, I saw one in the flowerbed.  Next thing I knew it ran up my arm.....not that I'm scared of them (we use to have an iguana), but I still let out a big scream.

Kim