How to Kill Muskrats with Poison or Other Methods

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How To Kill A Muskrat
There are some areas of the United States that are particularly prone to having muskrats present, and for those people who have lakes and ponds on their land, muskrats can often prove to be a massive pest. These animals can also become a much larger problem in a relatively short period of time, as they are very successful breeders and can increase the population significantly even in the course of one year. The main problems that are caused by muskrats will be related to the large amount of plant-life they consume and the undermining of the banks of rivers and lakes, which can cause great damage and is why some people will want to kill the muskrat.

Using Poison To Kill A Muskrat
If there is one method of killing muskrats that really must be avoided, poison is the most damaging way to kill a muskrat. One of the first problems with poisoning is that the animals will not die immediately, meaning they can wander some distance away from where the poison was laid, meaning that recovering and removing carcasses can be a problem. This can also be an issue because the decaying carcasses can often contaminate your pond or the lake, and they can also attract other animals that will feed on carrion.

Shooting Muskrats
For people who are expert marksmen and are also quite patient, it is possible to shoot muskrats, but they will usually have to wait for the animal to emerge above the surface of the water. Because of the swift growth to be found in the population of muskrats, this will often be ineffective because all of the animals would have to be shot in this way.

Trapping Muskrats
Another option for those wanting to kill a muskrat is to use a lethal trap. There are different types of traps available, but the most common is the body grip trap that will catch and crush the muskrat quickly. These will have to be quite well placed, and it is quite difficult to find a bait that will successfully attract muskrats too. Another type of trap that it is possible to use is a drowning trap, but this is one that really should be avoided as it is very cruel and means that the muskrat will suffer a long and lingering death. This type of trap is no more efficient or successful than a good body grip trap either.

You Don't Have To Kill The Muskrat
The first instinct of some people who find that they have a muskrat living in their pond or lake is that it has to be killed, but in reality there are a number of cleaner and more efficient options that can get rid of muskrats. Live trapping and removal of the animals is one option, but because of the size of the muskrat population, this can often prove to be inefficient. Another possible solution is to erect a fence around the pond that is embedded into the ground so that the muskrat cannot dig under it, but this can also become expensive for those with larger ponds.

Muskrats are quite particular about the kind of pond that they want to live in, so changing some small details about the pond will often help to drive the muskrats away. Muskrats depend on plants growing in the water for the majority of their food, so removing cattails and other plants can make the pond less attractive to muskrats. They also want water that is generally quiet and undisturbed, so introducing an aeration system that will pump air through the water is also a good way of making the pond unwelcoming to muskrats.

More in-detail how-to muskrat removal articles:

Information about muskrat trapping - analysis and methods for how to trap.
Information about how to keep muskrats away - prevention techniques.
Information about how to catch a muskrat - remove one stuck in the house.
Information about muskrat repellent - analysis of types and effectiveness.

This site is intended to provide muskrat education and information about how to kill muskrats with poison, so that you can make an informed decision if you need to deal with a muskrat problem. This site provides many muskrat control articles and strategies, if you wish to attempt to solve the problem yourself. If you are unable to do so, which is likely with many cases of muskrat removal, please go to the home page and click the USA map, where I have wildlife removal experts listed in over 500 cites and towns, who can properly help you kill your nuisance muskrat.

Click here to read more about how to get rid of muskrats.