Voles

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readersreader Brewster, MA Apr 27, 2009

Voles have eaten through the ornamental lily bulbs and Baptisia and even some grasses. What can be done to combat their pillaging??

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addicted2plants Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a) May 08, 2009

I've got them and they have taken years off my life and made me stop planting most bulbs... As much as I'm NOT a cat person I had a brown tabby that brought me several a week and put them neatly at the back door...Yuck! After he passed away pest control company brought bait stations and I try to bait them only once a year in very early spring right when they first come out to do a huge knock down. Think I remember they have a litter every few weeks! I am afraid to bait after that because we have several wonderful hawks and a huge owl I've seen and I'm afraid they might get poisoned. Also, tried in vain to buy garter snakes. We had lots in northern IL and never had the voles I have here...

I think the Deer Off I use for rabbits also helps keep voles away but can't be sure. If anyone has real cure then write me PLEASE!

Post #6521612
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hugeposiepatch Clearfield, PA(Zone 5a) May 08, 2009

This year must have been a bad year for voles--I had them early spring They ate the roots off of my last years daylilies I planted. Almost wiped out my new daylilies. Another girl is having trouble with them in her Iris beds. With bulbs you can plant them in 1/2" wires. Use chicken wire to make them.

Post #6521936
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jimmytomfarm Hatchechubbee, AL Jun 02, 2009

THANKS FOR THE INFO ABOUT VOLES, IN 1961 OUR NEWLY BOUUGHT HOUSE BOASTED OF HUNDREDS OF BULBS OF ALL VARIETY PLANTED OVER 45 YEARS BY THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. THE BULBS DISAPPEARED A FEW EACH YEAR UNTIL NOW THERE IS ONE DAY LILLY, ABOUT FIVE NARCISSUS, FOUR DAFFODILS, BUT TONS OF OXALIS. I BLAMED MY BROWN THUMB.

iT WAS NOT ME: IT WAS VOLES. OUR CATS KNEW. THEY BROUGHT US A NICELY KILLED VOLE EACH WEEK OR SO. BUT THEY COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE EXPANDING VOLE POPULATION.

tHE OXALIS ADDS LAKES OF SPRINGTIME COLOR TO A RATHER UNINTERESTING GARDEN.

Post #6629687
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crockny Kerhonkson, NY(Zone 5a) Jun 03, 2009

Go to YouTube and search for "kill vole" and watch eskibars video -- this really works -- after losing large areas of one flower bed and all my alliums in multiple beds we have started doing this and have caught a vole a day (we need more traps) ... I don't want to use poison for multiple reasons and since these traps are positioned over the vole holes they shouldn't be a danger for anything that doesn't come up out of that hole ... also caught a few regular mice (casualties of war) ...

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