What could be digging near my small pond

lucyphoebe · #1 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 12:12 PM

Something has been digging,and throwing a lot of earth into the pond.Has anyone any idea what it might be?

salukiwhippet · #2 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 12:29 PM

We need a bit more information than that!

Are there holes, or are they just shallow scrapes? What shape and size? Is there faeces in or near them?

Pics would help too!

Oh, and welcome to WAB!

James

aland · #3 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 01:44 PM

It is more than likely to be rats or a rat, for some reason they love to dig their way in to water, We are having a nightmare this last two years, catching them one after the other, They come to us from a piggery over the road even in day light,

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 01:51 PM

Also what is the habitat? is it a suburban garden pond or a pond in a remote valley for example.

Rat
Water vole
Wood mouse
Rabbit
Water shrew
Mole

Would be possibilities

With no description of burrow size or if it even is a burrow could also suggest it being a fox, badger, cat, dog or grey squirrel.

lucyphoebe · #5 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 04:10 PM

I will take a photograph tomorrow.There is a large pond just across the road,I know there are water voles there,but don't know if they would bother coming over here.Thanks

vole-woman · #6 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 06:35 PM

Hope it's water voles!

lucyphoebe · #7 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 05:42 PM

Hi Again,I've taken some photographs,I think there is more than one "culprit" There are little tunnels which have entrances of around 4" wide-there are entrances and exits.Under the fence,there are much larger "tunnels",probably around 12"-15" wide.I hope the photos help! Thanks. Just realised,don't think I'm allowed to add my pics.

salukiwhippet · #8 (**permalink**) 25-01-2010, 06:10 AM

That sounds odd. 4" is a bit of an odd size - a wee bit small for a rabbit and a wee bit big for a rat - though I have seen both at about that size. 12"-15" would point to fox/badger, though I did ferret some warrens on friday that had entrances approaching that size and they were definitely rabbits.

Are there polished runs about 2"-3" wide going from hole to hole?

Pics would really help!

Can't you put them in the WAB Gallery or do you need to have a certain number of posts?

James

thebeard · #9 (**permalink**) 25-01-2010, 12:22 PM

you can upload images to the library no matter what, just go to the Gallery, click on upload photos, and upload the to the library, then they can be put on straight from your pc.