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Controlling Voles
Many property owners have a hard time telling
the difference between moles and voles since both live underground where
they construct networks of tunnels. However,
these two commonly found critters are actually
quite different from one another. Voles are
rodents that are about 4 to 6 inches long
and have short tails. Since they have a high
birth rate, hundreds of them can populate
a fairly small area. They are vegetarians
that eat your plants. Moles, on the other
hand, are 6 to 8 inches long. They have large
front paws with sharp claws and tiny eyes
and ears. Only a few of them will be found
in a large area, but they will create deep
tunnels for getting around and for shelter.
They eat the insects in the soil, not the
plants.
If you would like to control voles, consider
the following:
- Trapping voles is the most effective way
of getting rid of them. The traps must be
placed in actively used tunnels. Some traps
will kill these animals, but you can also
use non-lethal pit traps that are placed
level with the bottom of the tunnel. The
animal will fall into the trap and cannot
get out.
- Small garden areas can be protected with
physical barriers made from hard wear cloth
or sheet metal. These barriers must be placed
in a trench, which completely surrounds the
area you wish to protect, at a depth of about
8 inches. The barrier needs to extend about
5 inches above the ground to keep the critters
from climbing over it.
- Natural predators such as snakes, weasels,
foxes and birds are effective in eliminating
voles in less urban areas. House cats can
hunt down a few of these pests, but they
cannot control large populations.
Old wives tales remedies such as installing
vibrators, planting castor beans, or making
homemade brews are rarely effective means
of controlling voles. Also, be aware that
in many communities it is illegal to poison
an animal or shoot them with any kind of
firearm. |
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