Carolina Gardening: voles ,palmettos, and grief, 0 by donnacreation

donnacreation wrote:
Thanks for the helpful links. Mountain beauty, I came upon your website yesterday, and I learned a lot. I was thinking about having barn owl nesting boxes built, but, Ardesia, from your link I learned that predators can't control large infestations. I've repeatedly tried 2 different types of mouse traps baited with with a tiny smear of peanut butter, but each morning I've been puzzled (and incredibly frustrated) to find the peanut butter gone and the traps unactivated. I didn't mulch this season, hoping that taking away their ground cover might help. I realize now that my love of creating lush, dense gardens is my downfall. Also living in a rural, heavily wooded area doesn't help. I've read that installing mesh wire is useless, too.
I must check out PermaTil, Ardesia. Last summer, I lost a large pittosporum to voles. When I replaced it, I lined the bottom and sides of the hole with crushed gravel. I don't know if this is working, but it does seem logical that it would be a deterrent. My next tactic is researching poison options. I wonder if local farmers use poisons. I'm going to call my local Clemson extension agent, but on Making It Grow, Amanda McNultey said that she doesn't have ground voles because she has cats! I'm really feeling defeated, but I won't go down without a fight! DEATH TO GROUND VOLES!