Re: Mysterious Holes

I'm a glutton for punishment I guess (after the big aphid debate) and I'll
jump into this one.  If it is a vole (and it sounds pretty much like it could
be) you could be in for trouble.  The iris growers in our area (VA, MD, WV)
have had really bad vole problems the past few years.  They eat daylilies,
irises, hostas, roses, and apple trees (roots) among other things.  Last year
I had my first encounter with the little varmits.  The ate quite a few of my
irises in the early spring.  I made lots of phone calls and did a lot of
reading on what to do and started trapping with mouse traps baited with
peanut butter.  Put a pot over the trap.  I trapped 18 voles, 2 frogs, 2
giant slugs and one garter snake.  When it finally warmed up Don brought a
black snake home for me and I didn't have any more trouble.  I have a few
this year but not nearly as many.  Here are a few more methods.  Cornmeal
mixed with cement dust (they eat it and can't digest it) put all this under
pots over their hole. Dry ice (block holes and the CO2 will gas them, good
for gophers too), they make poison pellets but if you have cats don't use
them.  Remember that moles eat grubs and worms, not plants. Good Luck.

                                          Ginny
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index