Water rats in a summer cottage: how to detect the enemy and win the war against him

The water rat - as people often call this furry animal - actually has a very distant relationship with rats. Biologically, it is closest to hamsters, although it has more impressive dimensions, as well as a long, bare tail (for which it is nicknamed “rat”).

The real name of this animal is water vole. Due to its habitat in coastal areas and its ability to swim and dive well, inexperienced summer residents often confuse the vole with a muskrat or nutria. Indeed, at a quick glance, there is a slight similarity between these rodents, but the vole is a completely different animal. It is much smaller than its “distant relatives” (up to 20 cm long, up to 300 g in weight), distinguished by short ears that almost do not protrude from the fur and a long, round cross-section (not flattened) tail. The length of the tail in different individuals can be up to 2/3 of the length of the body; it is not naked, but covered with sparse hair.

The water vole's fur itself is thick, gray or reddish-brown, the belly is usually lighter than the back. At one time in Russia, the vole was officially considered a commercial fur-bearing animal, whose skins were used to make clothing and accessories.

Description of the species

The water rat is not a classic rat. The water vole is known to the general public under this name. In appearance, the rodent rather resembles a small muskrat or a growing nutria.

The body of the animal reaches 20 cm in length. The weight of the body fluctuates around 300 g. The entire body is covered with fluffy fur. The color can combine different shades of brown, gray and black. The modest ears are practically invisible from under the hair. But the tail is impressively long.

For a long time in Russia, water rat fur was used to make clothing and accessories. The animal was officially a commercial animal.

The tail appendix makes up a bold 2/3 of the carcass size. Round in cross-section, it looks dense, thick and strong. Short hairs are scattered throughout the area. It was for this part of the body that the vole began to be confused with a rat and was nicknamed accordingly.

Lifestyle

The species is distributed throughout the country, except for deserts, arctic zones and high mountain ranges.
The water rat chooses coastal areas to live. In spring and summer, it can most often be found near ponds, swamps, lakes, rivers, and large streams. The animal can also be found in nearby meadows and fields.

This rodent prefers colonial life. The size of the "flock" can be completely different. At a minimum, this is a mother and cubs. There can be from 2 to 4 litters per season. Each includes 5-12 individuals.

The water vole is amazingly active. It is an excellent swimmer, able to dive deep, and copes equally well with climbing logs or leaning trees. Activities are equally successful during the day and at night at any time of the year.

Nests of one colony can be located at distances of several meters from each other. They are connected to each other by branched labyrinths underground. If the soil seems too wet to the rat or the time of flood has come, it will move into a hollow tree or make a house out of reeds on dry land.

The “huts” of such a vole can be distinguished from others by their spherical shape. During periods of decreased humidity, migration will occur in the opposite direction, closer to the water.

The main food is the green and underground parts of plants. Mainly vegetative roots, stems, flowers, bark, buds and succulent leaves are selected.

Small rat

The taxonomy of the rat does not end there; its continuation is the small rat. The Pacific or Polynesian rodent is found in the Philippines, New Zealand, as well as the countries of Asia and New Guinea. The habitat of the animal is forest and forest-steppe zones.

Depending on the distribution area, the length of the animal’s body varies. The animals inhabiting the mainland of the continent reach up to 15 cm, small rats living on the islands do not grow more than 11 cm. The weight of the animal is also small: only from 40 to 80 g. The fur of a small rodent on the back is brown, in the abdomen - light tones Its distinctive characteristics also include a pointed muzzle, large ears and short legs. The tail has a length commensurate with the size of the body, and is covered with scaly rings.

The diet of the small rat is very diverse, it includes: seeds, fruits and parts of plants, as well as insects, spiders, bird eggs and tiny chicks.

Small rats reproduce throughout the year; the reproduction process becomes especially active in the summer.

Decorative pets

Why does he appear at the dacha?

In addition to periodic floods, other conditions can drive a water rat from its permanent habitat:

• excessively increased number of colonies;
• settlement of competitors;

• depletion of food supply;
• the onset of cold autumn.

Relocation from relatives occurs, as a rule, once every 6-7 years. The number of individuals in one territory becomes so large that it is already difficult to obtain enough food and disperse. The same thing happens if rats, mice, ferrets and other rodents suddenly move into the habitat. In such conditions, the water vole looks for new permanent homes to live.

During periods of cold weather, migration is temporary with rare exceptions. The animal digs holes away from cold water, buries old supplies there and replenishes them with local food. Summer cottages are ideally suited for these purposes.

Expert opinion

Mityuk Stefania Bogdanovna

Vegetable gardens within a radius of 5 km from water bodies are in a special risk zone. This is how far an animal is willing to go in search of food.

Pets in the fight against rodents

If you have a rat-catcher cat in the house, the problem with rodents can be solved very quickly. One or two cats that like to hunt will catch part of the rat population within a short period of time, and the rest will simply prefer to leave the area.

True, not all cats are able to take a rat. More often than not, dogs cope with this more successfully, especially those with well-developed hunting instincts. But, of course, you shouldn’t intentionally have an animal in your house just because rats have appeared on your summer cottage. It is better to borrow such a pet from your neighbors for a while.

Advice. If the cat is not taken out to the country, or does not leave the house when traveling outside the city, then the contents of the pet’s tray can be used to repel rats. Wood litter soaked in cat urine works especially well. It can be buried shallowly in holes around the site. The rat, digging holes in the ground, will stumble upon it. She will consider that a predator has appeared on the territory and will try to get away from there.

Damage caused

In vegetable gardens, the water rat creates real terror. In just one winter, a family can turn a cultivated area into a source of chaos. Consequences of this proximity include:

• 
  large crop losses

  . Each individual eats more than 10 kg of food per season. Not only plants in the garden are used, but also stocks of root crops and grain from the cellars;
• garden damage . Flower bulbs, apple bark, and trunks of berry bushes are destroyed. Trees begin to get sick easily from wounds;
• destruction of turf . Along with the roots, the top layer of soil, which is very important for plant protection, is damaged;
• damage to the aesthetic appearance . Holes and piles of discarded earth appear on the territory. Visually, the presence of a rat can be confused with moles;
• increased weed growth . Volatile spores of thistle, gillweed and other “bad” grasses instantly settle on damaged turf. It becomes very difficult to get them out. Without proper treatment, the damaged area will remain so the next year;
• disappearance of beneficial insects and amphibians . In especially hungry times, the rodent does not hesitate to eat small bugs, midges, and frogs.

In addition, the water rat can cause serious harm directly to people. Dangerous infectious diseases (hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, leptospirosis) are transmitted to humans through damaged food and bites. Therefore, it is extremely important to weed out damaged root crops and promptly identify the pest that has taken up residence.

Rat poison against water vole

You can poison a rodent with poison.
Buying poison is not difficult. You can attract the animal with bait. To do this, use the crust of bread, cookies, and grain. They are ground with rat poison, and bait is placed at the base of the holes. Having tasted such a delicacy, the vole will surely die. And in order for the water rat to do this more willingly, it should initially be fed with the same bait, but without poison. When the animal calms down, it will eat the treat without fear. Then feed the water rat poison. However, this not very humane method of struggle has several disadvantages. Other animals, and even pets who like to walk around the garden, in the garden, or in flower beds, can become poisoned. In addition, after death, the water rat will begin to decompose. Finding all the corpses may be difficult. And it’s not just the unpleasant aroma, but the bacteria and microorganisms that are present on the decomposing body. For example, potatoes, beets, and carrots can be hazardous to health.

Signs of presence

It’s not at all difficult to guess that it was a water rat that visited the site. If they can be confused with moles based on the piles of discarded earth, then the remaining signs are very individual:

• trampled beds with stumps of gnawed plants . People call them “feed tables”;
• holes of different sizes and at different distances . Moles have approximately the same characteristics;
• eaten root vegetables. Water rats not only drag beets, potatoes, and carrots into holes, but also gnaw on the spot everything that they cannot carry away;
• nests at the roots of garden trees . They become especially noticeable in winter, when the labyrinths emerge from under the snow;
• there are many individuals of the species in the area . If there are pests in the fields, in other areas, near water bodies nearby, they are unlikely to miss a specific area.

Of course, the most striking indicator would be to spot a water rat in person at the crime scene. Many of them have the audacity to openly dominate foreign territories.

Prevention of occurrence

Now you know many ways to combat voles, but it would be best if they did not appear in your garden at all, wouldn’t it? There are a number of specific preventive measures that should be taken for this:

• Harvest. It should be carried out promptly and carefully: there should be no remains of vegetables and root crops, spoiled fruits and tops on the beds. All this needs to be either thrown away or buried in compost.
• Plant processing. To prevent damage to the trunks of garden trees, coat them with a solution of lime and copper sulfate. You can also build a protective “belt” for them from roofing felt, plastic or branches of thorny plants.
• Digging. In the fall, when you close the dacha season, be sure to dig the beds deeply. This will help the earth rest, destroy rodent burrows, and destroy some insect pests.
• Cleanliness and tidiness. Take care of your garden plot. Make sure that weeds, fallen leaves, carrion and other organic waste do not accumulate in the beds and under the trees. Put it all in compost, for which be sure to set aside a fenced area somewhere in the far corner. In addition, the remains of grass and tops should not lie in the boundaries, and water should not be allowed to stagnate.
• Cats. Even if your cat is a lazy fat cat who doesn't care about mice, his scent can repel voles. Let your pet run around the garden. If you don’t have a cat, you can imitate its presence by scattering cat litter around the area. This product is saturated with a subtle odor, which rodents will also perceive as an alarm signal.

How to fight

The best fight is prevention. It will be much more difficult to remove rats than to reduce the attractiveness of the site for their settlement.

The main safety measure is to maintain the dacha in a well-maintained condition. If there is a lot of garbage in the garden, thickets of bushes, unharvested crops, carpets of rotten grass, favorable conditions are created for the pest. In such an environment, it is very easy for a rodent to hide its home and get easy food

Regular cleaning of the garden, digging up the soil, and clearing the shoreline of nearby bodies of water greatly reduce the likelihood of a vole appearing. It helps a lot to lay a fine mesh netting in the planting holes.

When the flock has already started, you need to act decisively. We will have to resort to extermination measures, possibly a whole complex.

Traditional methods

Experienced gardeners say that you can deal with water rats without much expense. The working “old-fashioned” methods include:

Burnt wool

The smell of burnt hair is unbearable for rodents. In a humane version, a set fire to a piece of any skin or fur from an old fur coat/boot/hat is thrown into the hole. Inhumane - they burn the dead carcass of a rat or mouse.

Ash

Ash is a caustic alkali. It easily sticks to the paws, is eaten with food and causes acute poisoning in the animal. If you scatter ash over an area, you can get a beneficial side effect in the form of fertilizing the soil.

Black elderberry

It is beneficial to plant a couple of such trees on the site. Elderberry roots saturate the soil with odorous cyanide. The rats won't stay with her scent.

Cats and dogs

Natural enemies of rodents chase and strangle their prey. Few litters will want to remain under the gun of a hunter.

Conifer needles

Spruce or juniper branches are generously sprinkled on the ground and tree roots for the winter. They act in the same way if raids on surrounding territories begin. The needles injure the sensitive paws of rodents, which repels them.

Expert opinion

Mityuk Stefania Bogdanovna

All these measures can have both long-lasting and weak effects.

Repellent

If traditional methods are ineffective or undesirable, they switch to sound scaring and traps:

• Classic mousetraps, rat traps, nooses, buckets, boxes with bait (old root vegetables) are installed at the entrances to burrows, hidden in bushes, under grass near tree roots and in reeds near ponds. The industry produces suffocating traps on springs, with electric discharges (Victor), and adhesive ones.

• Audio exposure is provided using special ultrasonic devices. This option is preferable in areas with few trees so as not to block the waves. The Tornado 400 device is most effective.

You cannot use toxic substances and traps in dachas where pets and children roam. They may unwittingly become victims.

Such measures are suitable for moderate numbers of uninvited guests. Dangerous conditions and the first victims will force the colony to migrate further away.

Chemical bullying

Are there water rats on your property?

It happened, it didn't happen

The most radical way to exterminate water rats. Other animals, insects, and, if used carelessly, people themselves may suffer from the drugs. Therefore, it is recommended to resort to extreme measures only in case of strong stubbornness of rodents or their high numbers.

The poison is poured into holes, water, and placed with food as bait. After eating, the chemical begins to decompose the nervous system, blood, affects the digestive tract, and paralyzes breathing. The result is a painful death of the animal. The corpses must be collected a few days after the “attack” and burned.

Expert opinion

Mityuk Stefania Bogdanovna

Modern drugs mummify the victim, so the carcass will not decompose, smell, and it is easy to miss the moment of destruction. It is necessary to monitor the area after treatment so that the cat or dog does not eat the carrion. Poisoning can be fatal.

Proper use of chemicals involves repeated baiting after the first time. The second approach excludes the appearance of adaptation of the rat body to small doses of poison.

Experienced summer residents found the following drugs to be the most effective:

Each site owner determines the advisability of using a particular method in his own personal opinion. If there is an excessively large influx of water rats or there is no desire to fight it on your own, you can always call a professional service for treatment.

Where do they live?

One of the smallest species is the South American fish-eating rat (Neusticomys monticolus) with a body length of 10–12 cm and a tail of approximately the same length. The golden-bellied water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) from Australia, New Guinea is the largest - 20 - 39 cm and has a shorter tail (20 - 33 cm).

Lives near freshwater lakes, estuaries, rivers, coastal mangrove swamps, and is tolerant of heavily polluted habitats. It feeds on invertebrates such as large insects, snails, mussels, crabs, crayfish, fish, frogs, turtles, young and adult birds, bird eggs, bats.

The other 17 species generally require clean, unpolluted freshwater streams. They eat a variety of aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small fish. All water rats find prey underwater using sensitive whiskers.

Most rodents are skilled swimmers and aggressive underwater predators. African water rat (Colomys goslingi) wanders through shallow water or sits at the edge. It feeds on ground insects and snails. Although most are nocturnal, some species are active during the day.

Find out more How to remove fungus from a wall in an apartment or cellar

Water rats of the genus Hydromys live in the mountains and coastal lowlands of Australia, New Guinea, and some nearby islands. The African waterfish is also found along streams bordered by rainforest. 11 water rats of the Western Hemisphere live in the southern part of Mexico, South America, where they usually live along streams of tropical forests and mountain pastures.

Work and career

In her work, the Rat is responsible and diligent; her hard work and perseverance allow her to achieve high positions and a good position. Rats often make successful careers and become leaders in areas such as politics, law, and entrepreneurship. They also produce talented artists, screenwriters, and scientists. In general, the Rat is capable of achieving success in any activity in which it is engaged, thanks to its determination.

Celebrities of this sign

Pope John Paul I, William Shakespeare, Peter I, George Sand, Charlotte Brontë, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mikhail Glinka, Thomas Hardy, Raj Kapoor, Leo Tolstoy, Jules Verne, Yves Saint Laurent, Marlon Brando, Maurice Chevalier, Prince Charles, George G. Bush. Actors: Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Alena Babenko, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Valeria Gai Germanika.

Nutrition

Dumbo rats, like all other rat breeds, are omnivores, which means they will eat anything and everything. It is best to start with grain mixtures. If your rat is a picky eater and likes to eat selectively, then look for grain mixtures where all the good stuff is mixed together. Follow the instructions on the package when deciding how much food to give your rat. It is also not recommended to use food made for other rodents. The food will not contain the nutrients your pet needs.

In addition to formula, you can supplement your rat's diet with fruits, vegetables, and plenty of protein. Rats need a high protein diet, and boiled eggs or boiled chicken are two treats they love. Carrots and apples are also favorite foods. Try not to give your rat too much fruit, as the sugar can be detrimental to their health in the long run.

Rats are not fed the following foods:

• chocolate;
• raw potatoes;
• bean curd;
• legumes;
• blue cheese;
• sausages;
• green banana;
• spinach.

With caution, rats are fed the following foods:

• beet;
• almond;
• turnip;
• pumpkin and sunflower seeds (no more than 15 pieces, as they contain fats that can lead to the development of diseases);
• radish;
• cucumber;
• cheese (no more than twice a week);
• sour cream (this is a fatty product, so the rat can be given no more than once a week);
• eggs (this is a delicacy for rats, which can be treated no more than once a week).

Rats also need plenty of water, so make sure their water bottles are kept topped up and the water inside is clean.

Getting Rid of a Water Rat

Human efforts are directed more toward expulsion than destruction. Use inhumanely and dangerously. Domestic cats, dogs, and other animals that are natural enemies of rats can suffer from poisoned bait. The exceptions are large fields, premises - barns, storage facilities. There you can fight with rat poison.

Traps are not suitable for use in open areas. The product performs well in barns, storage facilities, and cellars. They even use glue traps where possible.

The main task is to expel them from the garden, field, garden or prevent entry.

• Fence your plot of land or garden with a fence with small gaps, concrete the bottom or lay a row of bricks. The water rat will not undermine the ground.
• In the garden, plant legumes, onions, garlic, and peppermint in different areas. Rodents cannot tolerate these odors.
• Wormwood, tansy, chamomile, and peppermint are scattered across the beds.
• When holes are found, rags soaked in kerosene, gasoline, naphthalene, and acetone are stuffed into the hole. To make the smell last a long time, place the rag in a plastic bag and make a small hole in it.
• The wool is set on fire and placed near the hole. This smell drives out pests almost immediately.
• Scatter balls of burdock around the garden. Water rats are afraid of the weed because of its thorns. It sticks tightly to the fur, restricts movement, and causes a lot of inconvenience.
• Sprinkle wood ash. It irritates the skin and causes upset if it enters the stomach. Constant poor health forces the rodent to leave the intended territory.
• Trees are coated with lime in combination with copper sulfate. In the fall, a belt is constructed from different materials: pine branches, plastic bottles, roofing felt, etc.

The fight against rodents is carried out using folk methods. The main task is to expel them from the territory and prevent re-entry. There is no point in destroying fur-bearing animals recklessly.

Interesting to know!

If optimal conditions are created for the life of a mammal, the field mouse will multiply very quickly. Up to 400 pests can be counted on one hectare.

The pest rests calmly in its shelter during the daytime, and goes out hunting during the day. This is the second reason preventing the fight against the earth rat. The rodent can rarely be found within the city. The stronger representatives of the genus - gray rats - do not allow them into their abode. Yes, they don’t need to. Why leave so many attractive places to live? After all, the main source of food for rodents is in the garden plot - these are the roots of plants and flowers, and loose soil that does not impede their movement. Rats live in the ground, making holes and passages, cutting off the entire root system of plants encountered on their way. This is the third reason why it is difficult to control pests.

Treatment of premises from mice and rats

Folk remedies

Traditional methods are also used to combat water rats. But these methods are more aimed at scaring away rodents, rather than physically exterminating them. Help get rid of these pests:

To prevent water rats, keep the area clean

• singed wool;
• black elderberry;
• spruce spruce branches and juniper branches;
• wood ash.

Rats cannot stand the smell of some plants, but black elderberry is especially effective on them. Its roots release cyanide into the soil, so all rodents tend to leave this place quickly. Spruce and juniper branches act differently, not due to their smell. Rats have bare feet and try not to step on needles or anything sharp. Therefore, it is good to cover fruit trees on the site with coniferous branches for the winter to protect their bark from damage by rodents.

Ash, which is a caustic alkali, also works well on them. It sticks to the rats' paws, and when they lick them, the ash enters the body, which does not have the best effect on the rodent's digestion.

Rats also cannot stand the smell of burning wool, and some gardeners use this old method of dealing with them. They set the rat carcass on fire and stuff it into the rodent's hole. As a result of such actions, other relatives of this rat begin to leave their favorite area. Instead of a rat carcass, you can use any trimmings, for example, rabbit skin or pieces of any natural fur.

When a scourge such as water rats appears on a site, it is advisable to act immediately, without waiting for these rodents to destroy the crop. It’s even better to prevent their settlement by keeping your area clean and using various repellent methods.

Meet the field mice

Most owners of summer cottages and private houses have had to deal with field mice on their property. These are small rodents whose body length does not exceed 12 cm and weight – 31 grams. The rather long tail is covered with sparse hairs and scales. The vole's fur on its body is soft and velvety, on its back it is reddish-brown, and on its belly it is whitish. A dark stripe runs along the back. The vole differs from the ordinary gray mouse in its smaller size, color and shorter tail. These rodents are distributed almost everywhere, except for the coldest northern regions. The animal moves quickly and silently. When danger is detected, it quickly runs away and hides; it is not easy to see the mouse. Moreover, during the daytime they usually rest in their burrows, and are active at night. They are smart, cautious and resourceful creatures. The appearance of rodents is usually detected by burrows and traces of their presence (damaged plants and household food supplies). A vole's teeth grow throughout its life, and the animal has to constantly grind them down. These mice eat roots, tubers and bulbs of plants, and seeds of various crops. In winter, they do not hibernate, but continue to actively feed, so they can gnaw the bark at the bottom of bushes and trees.

Voles reproduce quickly. They reach sexual maturity at two months of age. During the year, the female brings offspring 3-4 times, each of which contains from 4 to 8 pups. After two weeks, young mice are already able to live independently.

Voles can live up to 5-7 years, but they have a lot of natural enemies, so the average life expectancy is approximately 1.5 years. In summer they usually live outdoors. If there are human habitations or outbuildings nearby, then with the onset of cold weather these rodents tend to enter rooms where it is not only warm, but usually also has something to eat. It should be noted that mice show considerable intelligence and ingenuity to achieve these goals.

The most humane way to solve the “mouse” problem is to force the rodents to leave their burrows

Nutrition

River rats are omnivores. Near reservoirs they like to feast on reeds, sedges and reeds, and do not disdain other plants that grow near the water. They can eat grains, vegetables, fruits, gnaw the bark and roots of trees, and grass.

Rodents can also prey on small mice, insects, earthworms and even frogs. Rats feed in one place, which can be found by teeth marks on plants and dug up earth.

These animals are pests that can easily destroy crops in a garden or farm. A significant increase in the population to catastrophic proportions is observed approximately once every 8 years.

Then rodents, in search of food, begin to visit agricultural farms and destroy crops. Most of all, water voles like to feast on potatoes, beets and carrots.

In the fall, river rats begin to stock up, and therefore they drag everything edible into their burrow. At the same time, they choose only whole fruits and vegetables, as well as grains. All rot is left on the beds.