The water rat belongs to the subfamily vole andis its largest representative. The length of the body reaches 20 centimeters, the tail is ten cm. The animal is covered with dense long hair and has a fur layer on the legs in the form of a fringe, which improves its swimming abilities.
Habitats are often the banks of rivers,ponds, lakes, sometimes a water rat can be found far from water in fields, meadows, in vegetable gardens and gardens. During the flood, the vole migrates to more arid areas, after a drop in water level returns to its place.
Водяная крыса наносит ощутимый урон садам, destroying their root system, gnaws the bark of trees in winter, especially young plants suffer from the invasion. He loves vole to eat potatoes and other vegetable crops, does not hesitate to insects, frogs, earthworms and fish.
Wrecker digs shallow complexextended holes in the ground, with a significant amount of soil thrown to the surface. The water rat destroys a fertile layer of the earth on the cultivated agricultural grounds. The animal emerges to the surface in thickets at the edges of ditches and areas. Outcrops can be found in heaps of rotted manure or peat, in places littered with polyethylene, branches, stones, as well as under barn houses and near landfills. In warm weather, the rodent can open its passages on the surface of the soil and in places where the earth is released.
Before getting rid of rodents, it is necessaryput your site in order and continue to maintain cleanliness there. You can not litter it! Later, in the fall, tree trunks should be tied up with shingles and branches of spruce. It is possible to reinforce polyethylene bottles cut along the young trunks; in the days of thaw it is worth trapping snow around the trees. Special chemicals – rodenticides, which need to be used in the fall or spring before settling and breeding pests, allow getting rid of rodents.
Lures are very effective, based onwhich - grated carrots, also used oats, pickled peas, pumpkin, potatoes or zucchini. Usually they are used in the spring. In the autumn period, after the rats have made food for the winter, the best bait of poisoned grain. Usually a water rat comes across a trick on warm days when it comes to the surface.
Although many baits aredrugs with relatively low toxicity to humans and other animals, it is still best to keep them away from food, birds and domestic animals. For the manufacture of baits use trim pipe, special feeders. Carcasses of captured animals, packaging of products and bait residues must be deeply instilled or burned in a timely manner.
Good results when getting rid of rodentsgive poison baits made by gardeners themselves. For catching water rats take flour (30-40 grams), gypsum or alabaster (20-25 grams) and a small amount of sunflower oil. In addition, prepare a different composition: mix the powdered sugar (20 grams) with rosin (20 grams) and brown (15 grams). In the manufacture of baits can not touch the solution with his hands, and you should use a wooden stick and plastic utensils. Rats will not take a solution that has a human smell.
Poisoned food should be placed in the evening nearburrows. It is necessary to lay out until that time, until it is clear that someone was touching the bait. After that, open holes should be sprinkled with soil. If after a few days it became noticeable that they opened, then catching water rats should be continued.
