How About Dang Voles

[Willowy]

Vole activity is picking up as the fall progresses. I have taken everyone's advice on how to fight voles and have tried poison in cans, poison in holes, mouse traps and I reluctantly spread a vole deterant late this summer. I have read that deterants will only move them elsewhere. I'm trying to head off a bad winter and I am currently focused on getting the leaves up before the snow flies. I'm seeing the most activity where leaves have built up; giving the voles shelter and privacy to do as they wish - like EAT MY HOSTA ROOTS!

Out of desparation, I added some peanut butter to all my cans that hold some poison. Hopefully the smell will attract the little critters - as of this morning - no takers.

My Dee's Golden Jewel (below) was surrounded by three mounds of Gold Drop - voles took out one. I was recently searching out holes and found 12 in the area that Dee lives.

Is there anything else I should try - short of snakes or additional cats?

[notmartha]

have you tried the poison earth worms made by tomcat?
They are for moles but if i see a hole of anykind it gets a worm and bye bye bye!!!!!

I know it works great on moles!!!

[Chris_W]

I use the bait blocks since they hold up long through the winter and really attract the voles and mice. You will see bite marks on them almost instantly if the voles are really active. The pellet baits don't last long enough. Oh, and we have 4 cats that are really good hunters.

If you have ornamental grasses near your hostas I do recommend cutting them down now. Those get used quite often for nesting areas, or drop some chunks of the wax bait blocks into the center of them.

Good luck!

chris

[Willowy]

Thanks for the advice notmartha and Chris. I just added my first large grass to the garden. While it is not large this year, I have the same problem with a siberian iris in my perennial garden. I recently dug it up, cut it in junks and gave away a lot of it - just because it was housing voles. I will try the bait blocks from Tomcat.