Re: birds and other critters and muskrats

Kathy,

Getting rid of cattails will help as long as there are no other food sources
near the pond. A certain type of grading around a pond can prevent muskrats
from setting up housekeeping but this is usually done when the pond is being
built. Your local extension office may have info on muskrats and pond
design.

Dan in soaked PA zone 6


----- Original Message -----
From: <Cornergar@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] birds and other critters


> I am fortunate enough to know how wonderful it is to have a pond. We
> regularly see a Great Blue heron and kingfishers in season and have had
> several different kinds of ducks at various times including wood ducks
> actually nesting in the wood duck box. Most of the time the box is
inhabited
> by sparrows and the like. The pond  also attracts deer and raccoons and a
> pair of coyotes which we enjoy but also, muskrats! The conservation people
> say if we would get rid of the cattails the muskrats might move on. But
the
> red winged blackbirds love to nest in them. the muskrats have so riddled
the
> banks with tunnels that we are having a problem keeping water in it. It
was
> originally dug with the help of state conservation money to attract
migratory
> waterfowl so the pond is only  3-4 ft deep. I still love it even when it's
> half empty. And I pump water from it for the gardens and greenhouse when I
> run out of collected water midsummer. But most of all I love it for
spreading
> the one clump of iris pseudacorus to every corner of the pond (that isn't
> choked with cattails). All in all, a pond is a good thing! Kathyz5
>
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