Dealing with Voles and Moles

I thought you might be interested in this review of the subject.

Voles or moles – which one is damaging your lawn and garden? They can be tricky to get rid of but before you do anything, figure out which you have and understand these interesting animals better.

Once you understand the problem you can look for the right solution. I’ll discuss some options in this post.



http://www.gardenfundamentals.com/dealing-with-voles-and-moles/

One year I had a snowbank that lasted an extra 3 weeks into the spring.  When it finally melted, the entire area under it was eaten up by voles.  I was a bit worried about my perfect yard (that was back when I cared what my yard looked like).  One month later the grass there had grown back and was better than the surrounding yard.  So don't fret about the tunnels and missing grass patches.

And a comment about mouse traps for voles.  If you do that, be sure that other critters can't get to the mouse trap.  One spring I tried the mouse trap thing and came home from work to fine a baby robin with his foot in the trap.  He was big enough to flap around the yard but he couldn't take off with the extra weight of the trap.  I spent 5 minutes chasing him around the yard until i finally caught and released him.  I don't think the neighbors saw me...

I am puzzled. The vegetable garden in front of the house has suddenly sported molehills. Or so I would like to think. If it's moles, happy digging.

But if my root vegetable garden has voles, I have a problem.

What should I do?? There is, as yet, no hole. Just neat pyramids of fluffy soil. No signs of tunnels where the snow has been. These are down deeper.

Trying to surround the place with hardware cloth would be an enormous undertaking. And expensive.

Looks like a mole hill to me.

I don't see tunnels in the grass like the OP for voles, just little holes and sometimes some loose earth by a bigger hole (the dogs digging up the vole holes are a far bigger problem than the voles!)

Have a look at this thread too : Sepp Holzer on moles and voles

Anyone have experience with the electronic mole repellants on voles?  They weren't an issue until last year and I really don't want to use poison.  

I have tried everything, and finally ended up with a barn cat.  He has solved the problem.  He does not come in the house, but we put a doggie door on the shed and he is happy in there (we live in a very cold climate - high elevation in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho).  We cut a hole in the side of a cooler and lined it with straw and he is happy there.  We have fallen in love with him!

Michelle Heath wrote:Anyone have experience with the electronic mole repellants on voles?  They weren't an issue until last year and I really don't want to use poison.  

I have been using the electronic repellants for a couple years now and they have worked great on voles, but I noticed a couple days ago that I had a mole mound of dirt next to one of my devices.  Guess they are not deterred  by them.   Going to plant onions and garlic there soon.