Popular How To’s
Photo by : Monika Surzin / Shutterstock .
Dealing with pests can be one of the most trying look of gardening . Whether it ’s insects or animals , it seems like there ’s always something disturb our plants . vole are one of those creatures that can wreak mayhem if not properly identified and control . Voles cause equipment casualty to lawns , gardens , golf course , crop , plantation , and young tree . Damage can be severe when populations surge .
There are many dissimilar way to dole out with vole . Effectiveness depends on many factors , include property size , type of method , vole population , meter of year , and conditions . Here are some suggestions :
On this page:5 Ways to Get Rid of Voles|Methods to Avoid|Precautions|Vole Damage : Identify , Repair , Prevent|Voles 101
On this page :
5 WAYS TO GET RID OF VOLES
BARRIERS
Most vole species are piteous climbers , so physical barriers can be an effective way of keep them from damaging plants .
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree guard : Protect young trees with ametal , conducting wire mesh , or plastic guardaround the lower trunk . Bury the bottom of the barrier 6 inch below the soil surface so field mouse ca n’t burrow underneath . Make certain the guard does n’t constrict the trunk . arrest periodically to make trusted voles have n’t made their way in and are cover inside the guard .
fence : Protect vegetable plots or other garden area with a wire fence around the border . Mesh size should be 1/4 inch or less . ensure the fencing extend at least 12 column inch above the ground , with the bottom bound swallow 6 to 10 inch below the ground surface to preclude voles from grasp underneath .
crushed rock : Gravel makes an effective roadblock , as voles do n’t like to dig through a layer of small rocks . Mix coarse gravel into flower beds or make a moat of gravel around beds to keep field mouse out . When plant bulbs , add gravel to the planting hole .
plant life voles wo n’t eat : While voles will feed on most plant life , there are a few they find wicked . These includecrown imperial(Fritillaria imperialis),daffodils , grape hyacinth , hellebores , iris , salvia , andsnowdrops .
plant that repel voles : Voles will forefend most plants in the allium home . Plantornamental alliumsin garden beds and admit garlic , onions , and schnittlaugh in edible plots to dissuade voles .
Provide home ground to further natural predators such as Snake River , owls , hawks , and foxes .
Repellents are designed to make the environment and solid food sources of vole inhospitable so they will move elsewhere .
Natural repellents : These amount in liquid orgranular formand may comprise a motley of ingredients that voles find loathly , including castor oil , citronella , mint , cedar , thyme , garlic , or pepper . Spread around areas where voles are present according to instructions .
Homemade repellant : Make your own homemade repellant with ingredients such as garlic , onion , oppress mint leaves , cayenne powder , or chili pepper . Mix with water or soap and water system . Apply with a spray , repeating after it rain .
Traps can be effective if populations are minor or are confined to a limited area . Using a larger number of lying in wait rather than one or a few will yield better results . Placehumane trapsalong vole runways or tunnel entrances , using peanut butter as bait . Check traps daily . Relocate voles if allowed in your field .
When should you call a professional?If you ’re in need of a flying solution , have a orotund arena to treat , or are intemperately infested , you may need to call in a master . Once they ’ve total in and gained the upper hand , you may be able to take over and maintain control .
VOLE CONTROL METHODS TO AVOID
POISONS
Chemical toxicant and baits should never be used to verify pest of any kind , as they are often ingested by pets and good wildlife . Poisonous pest controls pose a major menace to birds of prey such as eagle , hawks , and owls , as well as many wild mammals as they can become secondarily poisoned by feed an animal that has ingested the poison .
OTHER
Remedies such as fumigant , flooding , electromagnetic or ultrasonic devices may be less effective or inefficient at control vole .
PRECAUTIONS
Voles rarely come into lineal tangency with humans , but can carry diseases such as rabies , hantavirus , plague , salmonella , tularemia , and tick - bear illnesses such as Lyme ’s disease , Rocky Mountain spotted fever , and babesiosis . When working around surface area that voles frequent , ensure to wear close - toed shoes and gum elastic gloves to nullify potential contact with vole water and feces .
Photo by : Dietrich Leppert / Shutterstock .
VOLE DAMAGE: IDENTIFY, REPAIR, PREVENT
HOW TO IDENTIFY VOLE DAMAGE
Voles create an extensive web of shallow underground tunnels 2 inch broad . The most seeable indication of their presence is the above - ground burrow openings that are plug into by well - used rails , which may be partially obscured by grass or groundcovers .
Voles impairment plant above and below ground , eating roots and bulbs when they tunnel and consuming flora stems and leave when above ground . all in patches in lawn areas are created where field mouse make runways and provender on grass .
Look for signs including muck , fresh trails with clipped or trampled sess , and flora that dead wilt or die . There may be gnaw print on garden industrial plant , vegetables , and around the Qaeda of trees and shrubs . Extensive tree root damage can cause dieback of the crown and lean .
These destructive rodents stay dynamic throughout wintertime , rust plant beginning , bulbs and barque while Baron Snow of Leicester blanket hides their activity . wintertime hurt may not be fully evident until spring when the snow thawing and vole become more active .
HOW TO REPAIR VOLE DAMAGE
Damage is unremarkably most austere in give when field mouse are most active . In many cases , works will recover on their own once the vole universe is under control . ruin runway and burrows with a excavator or rototiller to admonish novel voles from moving in . Rake up dead Gunter Grass and replant spare areas with grass ejaculate to restore lawn arena where runways are present .
HOW TO PREVENT VOLE DAMAGE
One of the best way to admonish voles is to make your yard less tempt . Voles need embrace to survive and will avoid open areas . They prefer overweight flora , as it provides protection from marauder .
Keep it neat : Prune shrubs , control condition pot , rakehell foliage and keep lawns mop . Create buffer around garden areas that are free of debris .
Protect tree diagram : Clear sphere around young trees and avoid dense mulching to discourage vole from nibbling the barque around the base . A 4 - foot buffer is commonly sufficient , as vole do n’t like to feed out in the open . For fruiting trees , blame up any fall yield .
strip it up : Keep areas underneath bird feeders clear to monish voles and other varmint .
VOLES 101
WHAT IS A VOLE?
Commonly referred to as meadow or field mice , voles are gnawer that are related to hamsters and lemmings . They have a mouse - like appearance , with a stocky build , rounded ears , and dense pelt that is browned , gray or black . Adults can reach 5 to 8 inches long , including the fag end .
Voles can breed at any time of twelvemonth , with crest breeding in spring and summer . They reproduce quickly which can add together up to a large vole infestation in a short amount of time . The average lifespan of a vole is 6 months to a year .
WHERE DO VOLES LIVE?
Voles prefer overt grassy area and field , but can also pretend into residential yard . Voles will rarely go inside home . The presence of voles is more potential in suburbs or prop that frame innate areas than in urban configurations . Voles burrow tunnels just beneath the soil surface where they eat and snuggle , but they spend time above earth as well . They are present in most regions and are alive year - round .
exposure by : S. Zykov / Shutterstock .
WHAT DO VOLES EAT?
mainly herbivores , the preferred solid food of field mouse is the stems and blades of sens . They will also corrode stem , light bulb , and tubers , feasting on the bark and roots of Tree and bush primarily in fall and winter when other food is more scarce . Other food informant may include insects , dead animals , vegetables , fruits , seeds , and nuts .
VOLE VS MOLE?
These two garden pests are often confused for their similar name and tunneling behavior . Since both are seldom seen , they can well be distinguished from each other by the telltale foretoken they leave behind . Moles make deep tunnels with shallow heap at the surface , while vole leave no mound behind .
Moles are insectivore mammals , eating primarily earthworms , grubs , and insects , while field mouse are herbivore gnawer . groin have a long snout , tiny eyes and auricle and paddle - like forefeet designed for digging , while voles more closely resemble mice .
VOLE VS MOUSE?
mouse have large ear and eye , and their snouts are more pointed . field mouse have a compact body-build , while mice are more slender . Mice have tails that stretch nearly as long as their soundbox , while field mouse have shorter tails .
