Muskrat Question

[bill9044]

I have been driving by some sloughs and ponds lately that have always had rats in even when I was a kid. I am not seeing any rats. There is a green algea slime on the ponds. Some full some just the edges. Would that algea keep the rats out of the ponds? I have never trapped these sloughs and I don't know of anyone trapping these sloughs. I also don't really see any huts forming and my trapping sloughs have huts starting.
Can anyone shed light on this subject or seeing the same thing with the algea?

[HunterDave]

I found this for you Bill:

"If phosphorus gets into the water in which muskrats occupy, it can cause algae blooms, once the algae blooms die and decay it leads to murky, warm water. This is toxic to muskrats and can cause a sudden downfall in population. If the nitrogen in the soil around a pond leaks into the water from runoff after a heavy rainfall, it can cause the oxygen to be "dissolved" by the nitrogen. This can "kill" the affected bodies of water."

http://prezi.com/n1yiir9hnrw-/the-cl...n-of-muskrats/

[bill9044]

Thanks Dave. All of these ponds are bordered by agro. They do spray thier crop. I appreciate the info even thou it may not look good.