Where is vole hole 4

Figure 3. Surface runway system of the prairie vole. Photo by Stephen M. Economic Importance Vole damage is costliest during the winter when a shortage of preferable foods forces them to eat the inner green layers of bark of trees and shrubs.

The gnawing required to reach this layer can severely damage or kill many young trees and shrubs, including orchard, windbreak, and landscape plantings Figure 2. Voles cause damage to field and forage crops, especially during spring when young plants are emerging from the soil. Voles clip off the young plants and dig up the seeds, sometimes causing significant reductions in stand density.

Voles can damage or consume flower bulbs, garden plants, vegetables, and field and forage crops. Voles can scar lawns by constructing runways and clipping grass very close to the roots. Though the damage done usually is not permanent, it may detract from the appearance of a well-kept lawn.

They also eat leaves, shoots, roots, tubers, and seeds of most grasses and broad-leaved plants. Their damage may be severe enough to prevent self-seeding of annual landscape plantings. Damage Identification Signs found at the scene will help you identify the species causing damage. Prairie and meadow voles leave characteristic surface runways that are visible after snowmelt Figure 3. The runways consist of closely clipped vegetation, about 1 to 2 inches wide. Small holes lead to underground runways and nesting areas.

Pine voles have extensive underground burrow systems, and spend little time above the leaf litter and ground cover layer.

Damage that is primarily underground versus aboveground , coupled with the absence of surface runway systems, typically is caused by pine voles. Voles usually damage woody plants during late fall through early spring. Voles tunnel through snow, and may gnaw on trees and shrubs up to the height that snow accumulates. The gnawing marks left by voles will be irregular in appearance and at various angles.

Pine voles, and occasionally meadow and prairie voles, tunnel belowground and feed on roots of trees and shrubs. Voles have been known to travel in tunnels developed by moles to gain access to flower bulbs and other plant roots. Damage of this type often is mistakenly blamed on moles. Moles feed on insects and earthworms and rarely consume plant materials.

Populations of voles, however, can increase quickly and be cause for concern. Generally, a direct relationship exists between populations of voles and the expected overall level of damage. Before undertaking control, consider the extent of the problem in relation to the cost of control.

For example, a few voles could damage a highly valued tree or flower bed and warrant control. At other times, they may go virtually unnoticed, making control unnecessary.

Usually, it is more cost-effective to respond quickly to signs of damage than to wait until damage becomes severe. Habitat Modification Reduce the suitability of habitat for voles to lessen the likelihood of future damage. High vole populations cannot become established without food and protection from predators.

Grass and weeds can be controlled around young trees and shrubs through cultivation, herbicides, and mowing. Normal cultural practices employed in establishing windbreaks, orchards, and other woody plantings often are effective in reducing habitat and potentially high populations of voles. Unfortunately, voles often thrive under plastic weed barriers laid on the ground to control weeds around shrub and tree plantings, requiring the use of other control methods.

Remove bird feeders or substantially reduce spillage from feeders to help lower the availability of food for voles. Although drastic, voles are less likely to traverse weed-free zones that are 15 feet wide. Voles from adjacent areas, however, may use the cover of snow to invade even the best manicured property. Although habitat modification is critically important to reduce vole damage, it often is not enough to end vole damage near woody plantings.

Exclusion Exclusion can be used to protect highly valued flower beds, gardens, shrubs, and trees from vole damage. The fence should be about 12 inches high and the bottom should be buried 2 to 3 inches in the ground. Where pine voles are a problem, the fence should extend about 6 inches belowground as well. Rabbits and ground squirrels also will be excluded if you make the fence 18 inches tall and bury it in the soil a few inches. Figure 4. A plastic cylinder above or cylinder of hardware cloth or other wire mesh will protect trees and shrubs from vole damage.

Again, the cylinder should be tight to the ground or buried slightly and should extend higher than the maximum depth of snow in winter, including drifts. The height of the cylinder should be at least 18 inches above the snow depth, if possible, where rabbits are a potential problem also.

When making the cylinder, overlap the edges at least 1 inch and fasten securely so gaps do not form that could enable voles to enter. Cylinders of galvanized hardware cloth should last about five years, so make them large enough in diameter to accommodate expected trunk growth if they remain in place during the growing season. Cover the tops of the tubes to prevent the entrapment of cavity-nesting birds.

Repellents Repellents made with thiram and capsaicin are registered for controlling vole damage on ornamental plants. I "planted" those around the garden, and affected areas of the yard and it worked! Will predator urine cause established vole population to move away from yard to the woods, or does it just repel future vole infestation?

I have gophers voles and moles Some ultrasonic pest repeller devices are meant to repel voles along with mice and certain other rodents. Check the instructions of the manufacturer, and if you are using it outside, make sure that you get one for outdoor use. In general, these devices have mixed reviews as to their efficacy, but it might be worth a try! In fact after 2 days I found 2 new tunnels dug right next to one of the devices with their den being literally right beneath one of the sonic waste of money devices.

And please dont catch and release this horrible disaster on someone elses property. One pregnant female vole can turn into a colony of over 1, voles in a single year. They must be killed. However, if you have a pond with fish, do not place any of these sonic devices within 75 feet of the pond.

As soon as i set the sonic devices out my fish started going crazy trying to crowd into the farthest corner of the pond away from the devices. I moved the devices and the fish instantly relaxed. I watch this great youtuber. Does nothing but mouse traps and rat traps. He's tested utrasonic multiple times. They don't work at all.

However peppermint oil was very effective. I have the mounds of earth for the moles. I can see the runs in my beds where the voles tunnel while they chew the roots off my plant's. They destroy the plants and do not eat the vegetables. They've destroyed tomatos, eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and more, much more. We've tried repellents, poison beans and worms none worked! Put hardware screen in the bottom of the beds, that worked!

Now we have to do the whole garden. I have two cats out there too. We tried milky spore to get rid of the grubs. Not sure if it's working yet. It takes a while for that to happen. Hey I'll try peanut butter and the bucket ideas what do I have to loose.

I kid you not, these critters shoved a poison worm back up through the hole I put it in. I think they were trying to tell me something. I have very few in my yard anymore since I have a cat Shadow that will kill every one she gets her paws on. Whether it's my shady northern exposure or my backyard wildlife habitat with no tilling and lots of groundcovers, I have always had voles everywhere. And I was going to add to your list until I saw the last point--a cat who can patrol the garden and yard.

I don't let my cats roam, but one or two go outdoors with me for a time nearly every day when I hang out the laundry and work outside.

Once they discovered the garden had voles they decided voles existed as an important supplement to their diet, and the problem was, for the most part, solved. When we haven't been able to go outdoors for a period of time, my work schedule usually, the difference is noticeable. But then they manage to find a way into the basement, so at least the cats still have some environmental enrichment.

I have been thinking the past few years that grubs are what attracts voles so if I use grub repellent voles won't have anything to come to. Skip to main content. By The Editors. If you have partially eaten carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables, you probably have a vole problem. Kind of amusing, like a bugs bunny cartoon. If you see chewed-up bark near the base of trees and shrubs, look closely.

Voles also tunnel through any root system, causing damage to trees and shrubs. If you see young trees or shrubs leaning over, it may be due to voles. Control and Prevention Prevent Voles Make your yard inhospitable to voles! Prevention is very important to keep vole numbers down. Voles like dense, heavy vegetative cover, weeds, and meadows because it provides them with protection from predators and provides nesting material. Cut back brush, mow, weed, and create a clean space.

Remove woodpiles and hiding places for voles from near your garden, shrubs, and trees. Keep your lawn mowed and bushes trimmed up from the ground. Avoid putting dense mulch too close to trees and shrubs. Keep snow cleared from the base of trees and shrubs. Protect young trees by wrapping the lower trunk with a guard. Bird feeders are another attraction for voles and should either be removed or the ground kept very clean to keep vole numbers down.

Fortunately, voles are a prime food source for many predators such as snakes, hawks, owls, foxes, and badgers! Try Havahart live vole traps situated perpendicular to the widest vole runways or near the nesting sites at the base of trees and shrubs. Bait traps with peanut butter. Set baits midday to early evening when voles get more active. Reset the traps as often as necessary until you eliminate the population. The key to trapping is persistence. You may want to cover the traps so that pets and children do not accidentally find them.

Repellents have mixed results and need to be reapplied after it rains. Garden stores sell fox or coyote predator urine which usually turns off voles. You can also pee in your own yard! Bulb control?

You can discourage voles from nibbling on bulbs by adding gravel to the planting hole surrounding the bulbs. When you plant bulbs, drench or powder them with a fungicide to keep voles at bay. Plus, check our list of rodent-proof bulbs. Vole damage to tree bark is best prevented by encircling the tree with a light-colored tree guard mesh.

The guard should be tall enough to reach above the snow line in the winter and the base should be buried in the soil or have a soil ridge around the base. Make sure that the guard is loose enough so that it does not constrict the tree. Voles in the veggie garden? Protect plants by fencing the area with a half-inch of mesh hardware cloth , at least 12 inches above the ground and buried 6 to 10 inches deep.

Some readers have suggested a variety of irritants sprinkled into vole tunnels from natural to chemical : cayenne powder, garlic, onion, castor oil, a little nitrogen fertilizer, and ammonia. Where are Vole Holes 5 and 6 on HorseIsle? Where is vole hole 2 on horseisle? Vole hole 2 horseisle? Where is vole holes 5 and 6 in horseisle? Where are the vole holes on HorseIsle? Horseisle vole hole 5?

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