Gardener and Orchard-to-be Newbie here:
We have *lots* of problems with voles - how do you get the advantage of cover/tree-guild plants and mulch (living or otherwise) and yet mitigate/avoid voles eating up young (and expensive) baby fruit trees (along with everything else)? Voles are especially bad on a slope (for example the side of a Hugel) and also specially bad under heavy growth or heavily mulched areas. I understand animal predation techniques (no snakes here, alas, and voles vastly outpace aerial predators here also) and am considering renting a neighbor's cat who is already skilled (ha!).
I am having difficulty integrating all that I have read about mulching and guilds w/what I see actually being implemented/successful where I am here in Zone 2b/3 which is: grass or nada up to drip line of fruit trees, with ZERO mulch/companion plantings within the drip line, or anywhere within the toss-of-a-rock from the tree trunk. Most first hand advice I'm getting from those in the local "trenches" is that the "usual" vole deterrent's here are not successful (Castor oil, tech, objectionable bulb plants, hot pepper powder, onions/garlic, etc).
My apologies if this should be in the pest forum (which I have read all of... I think), but my question is more about guilds - which I really want to implement, but in a feasible way. Thoughts or Suggestions? (for anyone who has the time)
