Properly constructed ponds usually discourage muskrats from digging into the banks. There are several ways to control muskrats. The first is simply eliminating starchy water plants, such as cattails, bulrushes and arrowhead. These are favorite foods of muskrats. Muskrats can also be trapped or repelled by chemicals.
Trapping is the most effective and economical way to control muskrats.
If possible, trapping should be done during the legal trapping season. Selling muskrat pelts can earn the pond owner extra income and quickly pay for the traps. To chemically repel muskrats, place calcium carbide, moth balls, or napthalene flakes in each hole and seal it with dirt or sod. These chemicals temporarily prevent muskrats from digging into the dam. Muskrats move from pond to pond in the spring and fall.