Re: voles

Voles have been a huge problem here also, not only with Siberian irises,
but with selected hostas and Japanese irises. I find that they are quite
selective, but when they find a cultivar that they like, they will do
major damage. I agree with Harold that cats are the best answer. I'm
allergic to cats, but my neighbor has two that spend most of their day
in my garden. They have made a difference.
I considered using warfarin (rat poison), but decided against it, since
it could kill the neighbor's cats and my dogs. Several people have told
me that they have had success placing the poison in a section of pipe
that the dog cannot get to. My brother has used mouse traps, which he
places by the hole and covers with a plastic pot. I've had mixed results
with that system. 
I have also planted daffodils around Siberians to deter voles. I am not
sure that it has helped, but others have reported success with it.
With hostas, I find that 'Patriot', 'Minuteman' and 'Halcyon' are vole
food. Even with the neighbor's cats around, I gave up on them, but other
cultivars planted close by have not been touched. 
With the Siberian irises, I find that they prefer the new (and
expensive) ones, which they can completely destroy. Damage can be
reduced by not mulching as heavily, especially in late winter and early
spring. I've had damage to an established clump, but have never lost one
to voles. 
With Japanese irises, I have found them to be quite selective, going
down a row of seedlings where they burrow past many clumps, only to
neatly trim the roots on a single plant, however, it usually comes back.

Dennis Hager
on Delmarva



Harold wrote:
> 
> Our general area had a major vole infestation last year. What solved the
> problem in the long run was cats. Two cats were ours and several other cats
> that I believe to be feral clean them out. When I identified specific
> problem areas, I used regular mouse traps. Victor has a real neat trap that
> you squeeze to set. A second squeeze will release the spring. Makes it safe
> to pick up and easy to empty. I had two frames full of potted irises. When I
> watered the pots, a vole would run from the first box to the second. When I
> started watering the second box, it ran back to the first box. The vole had
> two tunnels into each of the two frames. The vole was eating the potted
> irises. When I first used the traps, I watered the first box so the vole
> would go to the second box. I then set the traps at the tunnel entrance to
> the first box. I started watering the second box and as the vole ran back to
> the first box it ran across the trap and got caught. It took less than 60
> secords to catch the first vole. There was no more iris damage in those
> frames. My neighbor set the traps in the openings to their nests. He had
> success with that technique.
> 
> Harold Peters
> Beautiful View Iris Garden
> 2048 Hickok Road
> El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
> harold@directcon.net  www.beautiful-view-iris.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Margaret Boehm" <mmboehm@attglobal.net>
> To: "sibrob" <sibrob@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 7:50 AM
> Subject: [sibrob] voles
> 
> > I received the following email from a dear friend and excellent gardener
> > who is also a passionate siberian iris lover:
> >
> > "We did some raking and clean up yesterday before it got cold and
> > discovered that the dear little voles had a yummy winter - they
> > cleaned out a huge amount of siberian iris in the front - Dewful.
> > There's some left, but boy are they destructive."
> >
> > Have any of you ever had this problem and if so what did you do?
> > Margaret Boehm
> > Wilton, CT zone 6
> >
> >
> >
> > To post to Sibrob: sibrob@yahoogroups.com
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> 
> 
> To post to Sibrob: sibrob@yahoogroups.com
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

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