GetGardenTips.com – Your Garden Informations Just another WordPress site
I think this is a pretty good subject for you. How come? Because they’re already in your garden. They eat everything they can get their hands on. In other words, you really need to know what you’re up against. Sometimes, they are referred to as field mice or meadow mice.
They are capable of doing visible damage by tunneling close to the surface, about 2 inches wide. So, voles are one of the few lawn and garden pests that can destroy your grass. Here’s how to get rid of voles and keep them out of your yard.
Best Natural Solutions to Get Rid of Voles
💊 1. Castor Oil
Besides being non-toxic, castor oil won’t even harm voles. So, this would be a simple task. It only takes a few sprays of castor oil to get the job done. Be sure to spray it around the tunnel’s entrance. Its unpleasant smell and taste will immediately repel voles.
🌶 2. Capsaicin
The oil found in hot peppers is called capsaicin. This spray is available in different types, specifically for vole control. Because of its properties, the voles will stay away from the capsaicin
🦉 3. Owls
For vole control, owls are proven to be excellent predators. You won’t be able to eliminate all the voles in your yard, but you can certainly reduce their number. Buying and mounting owl nest boxes is the best way to encourage owls to nest in your yard.
How to keep voles out of your yard?
1. Change the habitat
Your yard needs a habitat change. Taking care of this involves removing all brush piles. It makes a great nesting site for voles, so don’t encourage them. Additionally, ground cover should be removed. Typical examples would be low bushes, trash, wood piles, and even the spaces underneath small raised sheds. It would also be a good idea to avoid using mulch around trees. Voles like to hide under this mulch.
2. Build a fence around the garden
A little fence can also give you a sense of control. In order to prevent voles from digging through your fence, you should bury it about a foot underground. Since voles can’t climb, this method is worth trying.
3. Fence your trees
Girdling may also be an issue. A vole’s girdling does not follow a uniform pattern and can come from any direction. You can therefore prevent it by building a fence. Put this fence around the trees to prevent voles from girdling them.
4. Set some vole traps
There are different types of traps you can use. If you want to be a cheap ass, just get yourself a bunch of those old school Victor Traps (that’s what I’d do). There are also a few great live traps on the market. Havahart is, of course, familiar to all of us. These are great traps. You may also want to consider Sherman Traps (Model SNG). They are also very effective.
Make sure the traps are placed at 90° angles to the runways of voles, no matter which design you choose. Use an oatmeal/peanut butter mixture or apple bits as vole bait. You can’t go wrong with apples.
