Description of the Musk Rat or Muskrat from the Red Book

Appearance[edit | edit code]

Outwardly, the muskrat resembles a rat (it is often called a musk rat), but it is noticeably larger than the usual pasyuk - the weight of adult individuals can reach 1.8 kg, although, as a rule, they weigh 1-1.5 kg. Body length is 23-36 cm, tail length is almost equal to body length - 18-28 cm. Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced.

The muskrat's body is thick, the neck is short, the head is small and blunt-faced. Its appearance indicates adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle. The ears barely protrude from the fur; The eyes are small, high set. The lips, like those of beavers, grow over the incisors, isolating them from the oral cavity, thanks to which the muskrat can chew off plants under water without choking. The tail is flattened on the sides, covered with small scales and sparse hairs; A ridge of elongated, coarse hair runs along its underside. There are swimming membranes on the hind legs, and a border of short hairs along the edges of the toes.

Muskrat fur consists of coarse guard hairs and soft undercoat. The color of the back and limbs ranges from dark brown to black. The belly is lighter, sometimes grayish-blue. In summer the color brightens. The fur is very thick, dense and lush, which makes it waterproof. The muskrat constantly monitors its fur: lubricates it with fatty secretions and combs it.

Another adaptation to the aquatic lifestyle is the increased content of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles, which creates additional oxygen reserves when diving under water. Another special adaptation is heterothermy, the ability to regulate blood flow to the limbs and tail; A muskrat's limbs are usually colder than its body.

Natural enemies

Muskrats are an important food source for many predators. The animal is hunted by minks, elks, lynxes, wolves, foxes, cougars, raccoons, wolverines, bears, coyotes, snakes, eagles, hawks and alligators. In Eurasia, the common jackal hunts the animal more often than others.

Cayman turtles and monitor lizards, otters and herons, large frogs, pike and largemouth bass are not averse to feasting on baby muskrats. Elk, caribou and wapiti sometimes eat the vegetation from which musk rats' lodges are made in winter, depriving the animals of winter shelter.

Lifestyle[edit | edit code]

The muskrat leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, settling along the banks of rivers, lakes, canals and, especially willingly, freshwater swamps. It prefers shallow (1-2 m deep), non-freezing reservoirs with banks covered with dense grassy vegetation.

Muskrats are active around the clock, but most often after sunset and early in the morning. They feed on coastal and aquatic plants - reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges, horsetails, arrowheads, and pondweeds. In spring, the muskrat feeds on young stems and leaves, in summer and autumn it eats root parts and rhizomes, and in winter only rhizomes. It also eats agricultural crops. The admixture of animal food (shellfish, frogs, fish) is constant, but insignificant[2].

For housing, the muskrat builds holes and huts. He digs a hole in a high bank. The length of the burrow passages varies, on steep banks 2-3 m, on flat banks - up to 10 m. The hole of the burrow is located under water and is not visible from the outside, and the nesting chamber is located above the water level. It happens that nesting chambers are located on two floors and connected by passages - this is provided in case of changes in the water level in the reservoir. Even in the most severe frosts, the temperature in the muskrat nesting chambers did not drop below 0 °C. On low, swampy shores, the muskrat builds above-water dwellings - huts up to 1-1.5 m high - from the stems of aquatic plants (reed, sedge, cattail), held together by silt. The entrance to them is also located under water. It also builds floating and open nests - feeding areas. In addition to living huts, muskrats also build storerooms where they store food for the winter.

On the surface of overgrown reservoirs, “channels” are visible, along which muskrats prefer to move

Muskrats live in family groups that have their own feeding areas. The inguinal (perineal) glands of males secrete a musky secretion with which they mark their territory. They are intolerant of aliens, only forming groups during wintering. In spring, females drive their grown offspring away from the site; During overpopulation, cases of cannibalism are known. In spring and autumn, muskrats, who do not have their own families and feeding areas, make long migrations in search of free bodies of water.

Due to their abundance, muskrats play an important role in the diet of many predators, including elks, raccoons, otters, raccoon dogs, barn owls, harriers, alligators, and pike. Particularly great damage is caused to them by minks, which live in the same biotopes as muskrats and are able to penetrate their burrows through underwater passages. On land, muskrats are hunted by foxes, coyotes and stray dogs. Even crows and magpies attack young animals. Occasionally, muskrat holes and huts are destroyed by wolves, bears, and wild boars. Usually the muskrat escapes from enemies under water or in a hole, but in a hopeless situation it can desperately defend itself using its teeth and claws.

Slow on land, the muskrat swims well and dives well. She can do without air for up to 12-17 minutes. Vision and smell are poorly developed; the animal mainly relies on hearing.

What does it eat?

A muskrat eats - photo The
muskrat's diet includes aquatic plants, for example, reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges, horsetails, arrowheads, and pondweeds. In the spring, the muskrat feeds on young stems and leaves, in the summer and autumn it eats the root parts of plants and rhizomes, and in the winter it eats only rhizomes. In addition, the animal can also feed on agricultural crops. If plant food becomes scarce, it switches to animal food, shellfish, frogs and fish fry.

Reproduction[edit | edit code]

Pregnancy in a female lasts 25-30 days; There are an average of 7-8 cubs in a litter. In the northern regions there are 2 broods per year and reproduction is limited to the warm months - from March to August; in the south, reproduction is almost uninterrupted, and the female can feed 4-5 broods in a year. In the first weeks after birth, the male brings food to the lactating female, thus creating conditions for high survival of the cubs. The cubs are blind at birth and weigh about 22 g. On the 10th day they already know how to swim, and on the 21st they begin to eat plant foods. By the 30th day, young muskrats become independent, but remain with their parents for the winter. In the spring, young muskrats disperse.

Muskrats reach sexual maturity at 7-12 months. The maximum life expectancy is 3 years, in captivity - up to 10 years.

How can you really ruin an Americano?

It is not uncommon for Russian or American bars to have the wrong kind of coffee drink, which was prepared in a coffee machine using a longer extraction (instead of the usual pouring time of 25 seconds, it is 50 or longer). Such a drink will be bitter and have a burnt taste. A characteristic feature of low-quality Americano is an empty taste and a clearly noticeable sour aftertaste. When setting the extraction time to 30-45 seconds. The result is not an Americano, but a completely different Italian drink - espresso lungo. This “long espresso” is prepared as follows: 60 ml of water heated to 90 degrees under pressure is passed through 7 g of finely ground coffee (1 tablespoon).

Video: Americano and Long Black coffee recipe

Importance for humans and population status[edit | edit code]

The muskrat is one of the most important commercial fur species; it produces a valuable, durable pelt. The meat is edible; in North America this animal is even called the “water rabbit.”

In a number of places, the muskrat's digging activity damages the irrigation system, dams and dams. It damages agriculture, especially rice farming; Having multiplied uncontrollably, it destroys aquatic and coastal vegetation. It is a natural carrier of at least 10 natural focal diseases, including tularemia and paratyphoid fever.

The muskrat is a numerous and widespread species, since it is prolific and easily adapts to changes in its habitat - the construction of irrigation canals, etc. However, its numbers are subject to natural cyclical fluctuations - every 6-10 years, for reasons that have not yet been studied, it sharply falls.

The coffee bean is the beginning of coffee

All coffee begins with a coffee bean. Suppliers are from over 40 countries. Colombia is the largest producer. Second place is occupied by African countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania).

The most widely consumed varieties are Arabica and Robusta. Coffee bean is a natural product. Its production depends on weather conditions. The quality of grain differs every year. To say unequivocally that a particular type of coffee is good or bad would not be fair. It is important what quality the harvest was harvested in a particular season.

Introduction to Eurasia[edit | edit code]

V. Ya. Generozov “Muskrat - the American muskrat - and its acclimatization on the Solovetsky Islands” (Solovki, 1927)

The muskrat was first brought to Europe in 1905 - several pairs of muskrats were released near Prague, where they quickly became accustomed and, in the absence of predators, began to actively reproduce and spread. By 1933, the muskrat had become quite common in Western Europe. This rodent was first brought to Russia (USSR) in 1926, and by the end of the 40s, the muskrat was on a par with the squirrel as an important commercial animal. From Russia, the rodent penetrated further - to China, Korea and Mongolia.

In many European countries, muskrats are considered pest animals and are actively exterminated; especially in the Netherlands and Belgium, where muskrat holes destroy the banks of canals and ponds, dams and dikes, and the animals themselves spoil fishing nets.

In 1926, on the initiative of the hunting professor V. Ya. Generozov (1882-1963), who had studied the organization of muskrat farming in the USA and Canada even before the revolution, the first batch of muskrats was released on several Solovki lakes - thus, for the first time in the USSR, experience in acclimatization and breeding of these animals. In August 1929, Professor N.K. Vereshchagin for the first time released a hundred Canadian muskrats on the mainland - on the territory of the modern Uvatsky district of the Tyumen region.

Recipe for homemade Americano

This process does not contain any difficulties; it is quite simple. What you will need:

• Freshly ground coffee in the amount of 7-9 g.
• Hot water - 125 ml.

Cooking method

Place a medium-sized cup in the coffee machine and start the espresso preparation process. When there is 30 ml of coffee in the cup, turn off the machine and add 125 ml of water. We get an excellent Americano.

Cappuccino and Americano are coffee drinks prepared on the basis of the main component - espresso coffee.

. The main difference between the drinks lies in the method of preparation and the additional components included in the coffee.

Espresso means "fast" in Italian.

" To prepare it, hot water (about 90 0 C) is passed through 8-22 grams of ground coffee. Served in a 60-90 ml cup. If desired, milk, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon, and alcoholic beverages are added to espresso. By combining different ingredients, new coffee drinks are created.

Not all lovers of invigorating aromatic coffee know the difference between Americano and cappuccino. Translated from Italian Caffee

Americano

- “American-style coffee.”

Americano is a coffee drink made from espresso. A double portion of water is added to a standard espresso shot (7 grams of coffee + 30 ml of water)

. Served in a cup

150 ml

. Simply put, Americano is a well-diluted espresso.

There is an opinion that Americano appeared during the Second World War. At the time when the Americans entered Italian territory. The military ordered coffee in large quantities from the cafe, as they were accustomed to consuming exactly that amount. However, the Italians drank strong coffee in small portions. To satisfy the needs of Americans, they began to simply dilute a standard serving with a large volume of water and contemptuously call such a drink “Americano.”

Currently, there are two options for preparing Americano:

1. American - prepared in a coffee maker using filters;
2. Americana in the European version - boiling water is added to the prepared espresso.

An Americano prepared using the first method contains more caffeine than a drink prepared using the second method. This should be taken into account when drinking your favorite drink.

Another espresso-based coffee drink is cappuccino.

. The recipe is simple - 1/4 espresso + 2/4 milk foam + 1/4 milk. Cappuccino of Italian origin. It is customary to serve the drink in a cup of

250-300 ml

.

According to legend, cappuccino was named after the Capuchin monks. They say that the monks loved coffee very much, but the beans were expensive. And to save money, they began to dilute coffee with milk. This is how a new recipe for making coffee was created, which was named after the order.

To keep the coffee warm longer, it is served in a porcelain cup. The cup is heated before cooking.

Literature[edit | edit code]

• Generozov V. Ya. Muskrat - the American muskrat - and its acclimatization on the Solovetsky Islands. - Solovki: Print Bureau USLON, 1927. - 75 p., appendix: ill., map.
• Muskrat in the Soviet North: Sat. articles / Ed. N. M. Mikhel. - L.; M.: Publishing house of Glavsevmorput (Leningrad), 1940. - 96 p. — (Proceedings of the Scientific Research Institute of Polar Agriculture, Livestock Husbandry and Commercial Economy. Series “Commercial Economy”; issue 12). — 650 copies.
• Sludsky A. A. Muskrat and its acclimatization in Kazakhstan / Responsible. ed. A. V. Afanasyev; Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. - Alma-Ata: Publishing House of the Kazakh Academy of Sciences. SSR, 1948. - 182 p. — 2000 copies.
• Lavrov N.P. Acclimatization of the muskrat in the USSR. - M.: Tsetsrosoyuz, 1957. - 532 p. — 5000 copies.
• Muskrat: Morphology, systematics, ecology / Ed. ed. V. E. Sokolov, N. P. Lavrov; Rec.: E. N. Panov, V. B. Sukhanov; The Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Evolution. morphology and ecology of animals named after. A. N. Severtsova and others - M.: Nauka, 1993. - 544 p. — (Types of fauna of Russia and neighboring countries). — 825 copies. — ISBN 5-02-005412-7.
• Chashchukhin V. A. Muskrat: causes and consequences of biological invasion / Review: Doctor of Biological Sciences. V. V. Rozhnov, Doctor of Biological Sciences V. I. Mashkin. - M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, 2007. - 136, [8] p. — (Alien species of Russia). — 500 copies. — ISBN 978-5-87317-382-2.
• V. Belyaev. When and how to catch muskrat // magazine “Hunting and Hunting Management”, No. 10, 1972. pp. 24-25

Blend - from the English word mixture

Typically, factories that produce coffee do not store coffee beans. It is delivered by suppliers in batches. Each batch undergoes thorough testing. Not only the quality of the grain is checked, but tasters also taste it.

After checking, the grain is roasted. There are three degrees of roasting:

1. For Sweden and America, the grain is lightly roasted;
2. For European countries, the grain undergoes a medium degree of roasting;
3. For Italy and France, the grain is heavily roasted.

Next begins the process of blending, that is, mixing different types of coffee. Each manufacturer comes up with its own individual bouquet of aromatic varieties. And consumers choose which blend they like best.

The downside to packaged ground coffee is that during grinding, the coffee bean heats up and the aromas escape. Manufacturers use special technologies that prevent the mill from heating up. As a result, the effect of freezing grain and preserving aromas is achieved. Of course, there is nothing better than freshly ground coffee.

Lifestyle

This small mammal is native to North America from Alaska to the northern regions of Mexico. At the beginning of the last century, the animals came to Europe, where they took root well. Today, the habitat of muskrats is the entire European territory of Russia, the northern and central regions of Europe, Siberia and the forest-steppe to Yakutia and Korea. The southernmost population lives along the rivers of Israel. For life, animals have chosen low-water rivers, peat quarries, lakes and forest ponds, and wetlands. Animals spend most of their time in the water, moving onto land to gather food for the winter. An animal can stay under water for up to 15 minutes without breathing. Such a long time is due to the special composition of the blood - animals have an increased content of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles.

The animal is most active during morning and evening twilight. They see poorly and have a poorly developed sense of smell, but very sensitive hearing.

Muskrats feed on various plants:

• Reed,
• Reeds,
• Sedge,
• horsetail,
• Agricultural crops,
• Leaves and twigs of bushes,
• Roots.

In addition to plant foods, they eat river mollusks, small fish, and frogs.

Muskrats are territorial animals. Each family lives in a specific area, the boundaries of which are marked by males with a special secretion secreted from the inguinal glands. The animal lives in burrows, which it digs on the banks or in huts, which it builds, following the example of beaver huts, from branches, roots, grass, and silt. The entrance to the home is always located under water for greater security of the home. The height of the hut can reach one and a half meters and have several separate sections for storing food. The animal also sets up its burrows with several sections. The length of the passages can reach ten meters.

In areas where there is a very large population of muskrats, numerous lodges cause serious damage to the irrigation system.

In nature, the lifespan of a fur-bearing animal is a maximum of 3-4 years. In captivity they can live up to 10-12 years. The difference is due not only to the abundance of food when kept at home, but also to the absence of predators. Natural enemies include:

• Enotov,
• otters,
• Coyotes,
• Fox,
• Volkov,
• birds of prey,
• Fourty,
• Crow,
• Predatory fish.

During cold and snowy winters, muskrat burrows can devastate wild boars in search of easy food. The most dangerous predator for the muskrat is the mink.

Where does it live?

The muskrat was originally found in North America from Alaska and Labrador to Texas and northern Mexico. It was introduced into Europe several times, as a result of which the species spread widely in Eurasia to Mongolia, China and Korea.

In Russia, the muskrat's habitat starts from Finland and extends through the forest zone of the European part to Siberia, the Far East and Kamchatka.

In addition, the muskrat lives in Israel, along the banks of fresh rivers.

Appearance of a muskrat

The appearance of the muskrat is very similar to that of the gray rat. The average weight is about 1.5 kilograms, and the maximum can reach 2 kilograms. The length of the body of an adult varies from 20 to 35 cm. The animal has a long tail, the length of which can be 10-15 cm. There is no difference in size between males and females. The animals have a short neck and a plump body. Thick fur, not subcutaneous fats, gives the body its fullness. The muskrat's skull is very similar to that of a rat, with pronounced jaws and a flat forehead. The animal's muzzle is long, with high-set eyes and small ears. The tail of the animal is flat, with sparse hair. Short paws have small membranes between the toes.

Muskrat fur is short and thick, very dense. It is these qualities that prevent it from getting wet when it is in the water for a long time.

Animals have a short and very soft, dense undercoat. The color of the muskrat is various shades of brown with an abundance of red and black hair. The belly of the animal is much lighter than the outer hair of the back. There is a big difference between what a muskrat looks like in winter and summer. The animal's winter coat is much thicker, the fur is darker and shiny. The summer skin seems more reddish, the fur is loose.

Otter

The otter is a small predatory animal that has been able to adapt well to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Lives in deserted places near water. Otter skin is highly valued due to its high quality not only in our country, but throughout the world. Nowadays, they are successfully bred in captivity, creating conditions close to those to which they are accustomed in the wild.

Otters are found in many parts of our country, although their numbers are small.

Types of otters

:

• marine;
• river;
• gigantic;
• ordinary;
• homemade.

At home, they grow and reproduce well, although there are certain difficulties.

The main one is home improvement. First of all, it must be spacious; there must be at least 1.5 square meters per individual. A tilting pool is also necessary.

They feed mainly on fish, which they should receive about one kilogram per day. In order to receive numerous offspring from them, considerable experience will be required.

Young animals reach the size of adults by 2 years of age.

If you decide to train and keep a wild animal at home, you may encounter a lot of problems, but if you buy young ones that are not yet four months old, then everything will go much easier. It is known that some specimens survived in captivity for more than 15 years.

Breeding otters as a business is quite a successful direction, but to get a good result you will need to not only learn the habits of this cute animal well, but also make a lot of effort.

This video shows how caring a mother an otter can be.

Reproduction

Muskrats reach sexual maturity at the age of seven to ten months. Pregnancy in females lasts about 32-33 days and ends with the birth of seven to eight cubs. The female gives birth to her first litter in early spring. In the northern regions, a couple produces offspring only twice, but in the southern regions the number of litters can reach up to five. In the southern regions, the breeding season lasts all year round. This is due to sufficient food supply and a warmer climate. At first, the female does not leave the nest. remaining with their offspring all the time. The male brings food for the whole family. The weight of newborn cubs is about 25 grams. They feed on their mother's milk for the first two months, but already at the age of three weeks they begin to eat plants and roots.

The cubs always spend the first winter with their parents and only in the spring do they go in search of free territory and set up their own homes.

Differences between Americano and cappuccino

From all that has been said above, we can formulate the main differences between cappuccino and Americano:

1. Caffeine concentration
   . Since both drinks are based on one shot of espresso, the caffeine content in them is the same. However, 220 ml of milk and milk foam are added to a cappuccino, and 120 ml of water to an Americano, and therefore the caffeine concentration in an Americano is higher than in a cappuccino.
2. Additional ingredients
   . An Americano consists of espresso and water. A cappuccino is espresso, milk and milk foam.

Related species

Water rat

The muskrat's closest relative is the water rat. The animal has a more rounded body and a shortened muzzle. The weight of a water rat depends on the time of year and feeding conditions, but on average it is about 200 - 300 grams with a body length of up to 25 cm. The water rat moves more by jumping, is not a bad swimmer, but prefers to spend most of its time on land. Prefers to settle near water bodies and in wetlands. With the arrival of cold weather, animals move closer to human homes - they can live in basements and sheds, garages and even in residential buildings.

Nutria

Muskrat and nutria belong to the same family and to a layman they look very similar. However, the difference between the species is large: nutria is much larger, it has a large head with rather small eyes and ears. The short muzzle ends in long and stiff mustaches. The weight of nutria can reach up to ten kilograms with a body length of up to a meter. In appearance, the nutria swimming along the river looks more like a beaver. The animal's fur is dense, thick, and can be either reddish-gray or almost brown. The long tail is practically hairless and serves as a rudder. Nutria feeds on plant foods, preferring roots and young shoots of sedge and reeds. They do not eat insects and frogs, as well as small fish, as actively as muskrats.

Very often the muskrat is confused with the otter, although these animals are not only not close relatives, but also have completely different appearances.

The otter belongs to the mustelidae family. But this is not the only difference between the two animals. The animal settles near bodies of water and leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, feeding mainly on fish, shellfish, frogs, bird eggs and birds. Often the otter also hunts the muskrat. Otters always dig their burrows on the shore. The body of the animal is long and has a well-streamlined shape. The length of an adult, including its tail, can reach one and a half meters. Weight - about 6 - 10 kg. The color is predominantly dark brown. The animal's muzzle is elongated, with large and expressive eyes. The animal has sharp teeth. The otter's legs are short but strong. There are membranes between the toes that allow the otter to swim perfectly.

Commercial value of the musk rat

Muskrat has a high commercial value due to its waste-free nature. The skins are used to make fur products, and the meat is eaten.

Musk rat pelts are valued for their softness, durability and beauty. The best specimens are used to imitate mink in the manufacture of fur coats. Hats and collars are made from lower quality fur.

The main suppliers of muskrat skins are Canada and the USA. North American muskrat skins are of medium size (14-16 cm) and have a dense but light core. The fur of these individuals is distinguished by long silky hair and thick underfur.

The skins are manually sorted by color. The natural color of the fur varies from reddish-brown to the rarer black. The fur on the belly area has a silver or light brown tint, and the underfur is bluish.

Modern technologies make it possible to dye muskrat fur in almost any color. The most popular are mink and blue shades.

The main value of musk rat fur products is moisture resistance. The disadvantages include short wear; on average, such a product will last 4-6 seasons.

Musk rat meat is a delicacy. It tastes a little like rabbit meat, which is why Americans often call the muskrat “water rabbit.”

The meat of this rodent is considered balanced and healthy. The pleasant taste is combined with the tender and soft texture of the meat. Americans prepare muskrat dishes in a variety of ways: over a fire, on a grill, or in the oven. Before cooking, it is recommended to boil the meat for an hour or marinate it in spices.

In the USSR, muskrat meat was used to prepare canned stew.

Musk rat meat is recommended for consumption for the following diseases:

• metabolic disorders
• obesity
• diseases of the cardiovascular system
• digestive problems
• diabetes

Some people believe that muskrat meat should not be eaten because they are rodents. But these rodents do not feed on waste and carrion, unlike mice and rats.

In addition, animals have incredible cleanliness. Therefore, its meat is absolutely safe for consumption.

Interesting Facts

There are many interesting facts associated with the muskrat.

• Indian tribes believed that it symbolizes cunning and true male friendship.
• In captivity, the animal lives almost 3 times longer.
• In some countries, it is considered a pest due to the fact that it successfully undermines dams and other protective structures. There individuals are mercilessly destroyed.
• This rodent serves as a carrier of a number of diseases dangerous to humans and domestic animals: Omsk hemorrhagic fever, paratyphoid fever, tularemia, salmonellosis, coccidosis, paratyphoid fever.
• In the reservoirs near which the rodent lives, the oxygen regime is favorable for wintering fish due to the blowing holes in the ice created by the animals.
• For unknown reasons, the population size decreases cyclically approximately every 7 years.

The muskrat is a very flexible species, which, after being introduced into a new biological system, managed to adapt to it without causing much harm.

How to get rid of water rats in the garden

Prevention, as we know, is the best medicine. If a water rat appears, this rule also applies.

If there is a pond on your property or your neighbors already have these rodents, you can try to at least minimize the likelihood of them coming onto your territory. To do this, at a minimum, you should keep the area clean and tidy - mow the banks of reservoirs, small bushes and weeds along the fences, do not store plant debris in piles in inconspicuous corners or leave it in the aisles, remove garbage in a timely manner, dig up the soil deeply, and promptly remove crops and fallen wood. , protect tree trunks for the winter, periodically compact the snow in the garden.

If water rats have already taken a fancy to your garden, you will have to fight them “on the spot.” And there are several ways to do this.

In nature, this small rodent has many enemies - from large birds (owls, crows, seagulls, harriers, etc.) to foxes and ferrets. Therefore, if you have cats or dogs living on your property, usually their smell is enough to scare away a water rat. If your pets are real active hunters, then you have nothing to worry about at all; they will save you from voles.

If you don’t have domestic predators in your dacha, you’ll have to think about other methods of fighting water rats. You should not use toxic chemicals for this purpose - firstly, scattered around the site, they can dissolve and harm the soil and plants, and secondly, they can poison pets or representatives of “useful” fauna.

To guarantee the extermination of the water vole, arc and spring traps, box traps with bait, loops, and catch buckets are successfully used. These traps are installed at the entrances to discovered rodent burrows or simply in secluded places on the site (shrubs, thickets of weeds or near-water vegetation, etc.).

In large areas, specialized ultrasonic repellers can be used. In small areas, where there are only 3-4 units of fruit trees, before planting the seedlings in the planting hole, it is recommended to place a metal fine mesh so that in the future rodents do not get to the roots.

Some advise using traditional methods against water rats - the animals do not like the smell of burning wool and smoke bombs, prickly spruce branches placed on the site, thickets of black elderberry, etc. But you need to understand that such measures will, rather, be temporary and deterrent, but will not help in any way to physically get rid of rodents for good.

If one water rat on a site does not cause much harm, then a whole colony of such rodents in the autumn-winter period is quite capable of causing significant damage to your plantings and harvests, and getting rid of an entire group of animals can be a difficult task. Therefore, it is worth making efforts to prevent the occurrence of such a situation, carefully monitor the order in the country and apply preventive measures to repel the water vole.