Re: vole damage pics, now traps

Kitty,

Don't forget to cover the traps with a box or large pot to protect the
birds. I never had a problem with rabbits or voles until the fields behind
my home were developed and 500+ homes constructed. I guess the critters had
enough to eat back then. Now they are more protected from predators too.

Dan


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics


> Oh my! it makes sense that feeding birds would attract voles.  How does
one
> choose?  I have only one feeder these days - the only one that is racoon
and
> squirrel proof.  And the birds drop plenty of seed beneath it.
> I'm going to see about picking up some traps today or tomorrow.
>
> Kitty
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Daniel Roman" <djroman@worldnet.att.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 11:16 AM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics
>
>
> > Kitty,
> >
> > Our neighborhood has 4 feral cats that come to my pond for drinking
water.
> I
> > would think that they would control the voles and to some extent the
> > rabbits. I have been setting traps for the last 3 years and the numbers
> are
> > consistently high. Our Hort agent said that if you have a bird feeder in
> the
> > yard you will always have a lot of voles and mice.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 10:11 PM
> > Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics
> >
> >
> > > Dan -
> > > 15 yrs ago when I had vole problems I used a contained trap that held
> bait
> > > and water.  It worked well.  I've had no real problem since.  But it
> could
> > > be that the populations simply have cycled and are high here this
year.
> > > Also about 5 yrs ago it might have been bad, but my youngest cat
Seamus,
> > was
> > > just a little guy then and was able to get to the vole nest.  Brought
me
> > at
> > > least 60 baby voles.  At the talk I attended today, the speaker showed
a
> > > trap just like you described and used in the same manner.  I may have
to
> > get
> > > myself a few.
> > >
> > > Ktity
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Daniel Roman" <djroman@worldnet.att.net>
> > > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > > Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 8:41 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics
> > >
> > >
> > > > Best way to reduce vole damage is to reduce their numbers during the
> > year.
> > > I
> > > > use two snap-traps under a large plastic tub set along a wall in my
> > > garden.
> > > > Only voles and mice can get in. I bait the traps with peanut butter
> > coated
> > > > with bird seed and set them against the wall. Last year I caught a
> total
> > > of
> > > > 74 voles and mice. The previous year numbers were a little lower. I
> > seldom
> > > > have any vole damage now but I wish they made similar traps for
> rabbits.
> > > >
> > > > Dan in PA
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > > From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> > > > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 8:13 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > yikes is right.  It's too early though for me to lift the straw
> > covering
> > > > the
> > > > > Hosta babies and do anything with them.  It may have been 55
today,
> > but
> > > > only
> > > > > 40s for high later and can easily go back to teens for highs.
March
> > is
> > > > like
> > > > > that around here.
> > > > > Kitty
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > > > From: "Marge Talt" <mtalt@hort.net>
> > > > > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 7:26 PM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [CHAT] vole damage pics
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Yikes, Kitty, they were having fun in your garden this winter!
I
> > > > > > know I have similar under the leaves out in the woodland garden;
> > have
> > > > > > seen some signs of surface tunnels.  Hope they didn't hit your
> hosta
> > > > > > babies but if you've got voles, they will find them.  They
chewed
> > the
> > > > > > roots off half a dozen large clumps for me last year as well as
a
> > > > > > rather large Aralia cordata.  Finally just dug them all up and
> > > > > > planted them in  5 gal. nursery pots with the bottoms off; sunk
in
> > > > > > the ground with bottom filled with 3/4" driveway gravel and top
of
> > > > > > pot about 3" out of the ground.  I'm hoping that will foil the
> > little
> > > > > > beggars.  No telling what they did under the snow we had, but so
> far
> > > > > > the pots look OK.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> > > > > > mtalt@hort.net
> > > > > > Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> > > > > > -----------------------------------------------
> > > > > > Current Article: Battling Bambi
> > > > > > http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date
> > > > > > http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > All Suite101.com garden topics :
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> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----------
> > > > > > > From: Kitty <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> > > > > > > Hard to tell yet about plant damage.  I'm concerned about
damage
> > to
> > > > > > a bed of
> > > > > > > 100 baby hostas.  That's where the red-arrow-marked trail led
> to.
> > > > > > Of course
> > > > > > > the hosta aren't up yet and the bed has straw cover so it may
be
> > > > > > awhile
> > > > > > > before I know.  The main visible damage so far is the grass.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
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