Ok here's the situation I'm trapping a small pond In a retirement village. They think they have a rat problem due to all the bank erosion. I set It up on Monday with baited BGs and hagz bracket set ups and some colony traps. Caught 2 rats I'm just about sure that Is the whole population.
So here's the question there are tons of small holes up on the banks In the lawns. They don't go anywhere and they are about 2" In diameter and about 2" deep. There Is no pile of dirt around any of the holes. And Like I said they are pretty far form the waters edge so I'm ruling out Crayfish.
The complex manger just feels like these are the work of muskrats but I told them they weren't. So can anyone explained what made them.

He's blaming all his erosion problems on wild life but he's totally wrong.

wind and wave erosion takin out the soft stuff between the hard stuff.

The holes the holes.

if i had a muskrat for every place i've been like that with no muskrats,i'd have some muskrats.

Beav-Given what you described I would strongly suggest geese or ducks muddling around along the shore getting at the grass roots or grit in the soil. They may not be in there during daylight but might use it as a night roost.

Moosetrot

Skunks?

could be squirrels digging up stashed nuts? or grubbing skunks?

Sounds like skunks to me.

x2

That would be my first guess also since I have a lot of this going on in my yard right now.

There would be dirt around some of the holes if that were the case.

What did those rats look like? Were they healthy? Or were they on the thin side ?
The reason I ask, one hungry rat can make at least 25 holes a night. X that by 2 and it's 50. X that by 10 days and you have a lot of holes. That being said, I'd guess squirrels lol

Just for grins set two skunk traps and two squirrel traps.
I've seen crawdads 200 yds from the bank in the right soil, but your holes don't sound like crawdads.
Scatter 20# of flour and look for tracks..

there are native crayfish or crawdads that can be several hundred yards from water - often seen them in pastures and prairies

Sounds like someone is messing with you. Look for a homeowner that is laughing more than normal while peeking out the window at you. Lol

Its Muskrat alright,the one that says you are the forum know it all.

I have seen that where frogs are digging out of the mud in springtime.

Could it be voles?

the Russians did it.

No trees anywhere to be seen so I don't think It's tree rats. No dirt around any of the holes they look like they have been drilled.

No rat toilets and the 2 rats I caught were very thin. Like I said the grass around the pond Is like a manicured golf coarse.
I like the response that It may be geese. The place Is covered In goose crap.