Re: help, voles!

**J* B* <j*@usol.com>**

Andy is correct.  An ID is very important.  Small tunnel holes with  
no debris around the entrance can mean chipmunks; not necessarily a  
wonderful thing either.  Voles can dig a tunnel if they decide that  
is important but more often they use someone else's work.  An empty  
tunnel is haven for beneficial snakes or pesky mice.  I had a vole  
problem one time and used the old fashioned Victor wooden based mouse  
traps - they come in a pack of two these days.  I put out about six  
traps in the area I suspected to be inhabited by these mini- 
terrorists and baited them with a dab of peanut butter.  In two weeks  
I caught 16 voles.  We had a male cat at the time but I think he was  
more a lover than a mouser.

Jeff Ball
jeffball@usol.com
810-724-8581
Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com

On Aug 2, 2007, at 5:25 AM, Hamptongar@aol.com wrote:

Rich:

First make sure you really have voles.  Most voles simply scurry in   
leaf
litter and on the surface though they may use mole and chipmunk   
tunnels.  Best
way to know what you've got is to trap one and get a  positive id.   
Use an old
fashioned mouse trap baited with small pieces of  apple.  As I recall  
voles
are the most reproductive mammal in North America  so early control  
is really
important.  I also agree, nothing like a good  mouser.  Critical to  
control them
before winter as that's when they can be  extremely destructive to  
shrubs and
trees at ground level and perennial crowns  and roots.

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener is a registered  trade mark and is published every
Thursday in The Southampton Press, The Press  and the Easthampton Press

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