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Voles
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Subject: Voles From: Bobert Date: 01 May 07 - 04:07 PM Hi Folks, Bob's not here and I just came in from a portion of the garden and looked in Gardens Alive mag. for some help with this murderous voles. Nothing. Nothing! I've tried mousetraps with peanut butter which worked great in WV but are snubbed here by this mtn. voles. I've tried dropping castor beans into their holes. So far, no clear result, though I swear I've seen ads for ground up castor beans to discourage them. Just new holes everywhere I go. Hostas are up, temporarily, I'm sure, because once I drag out the hoses and try to rehydrate these dry woods, the voles will be happier than ever! Has anybody found anything that works? Maybe I dreamed it but seems like I read somewhere that something else on a mousetrap worked well but can't remember what? Jelly? Hmmmmm. Don't mean to sound so serious but hauling wheelbarrows down into the woods and up to the drive again in search of amendments, water, plants, etc., is hard darned work to return in no time to find vole holes surrounding the new plant. Of course I've planted with Permatil for years but lately it seems they chew right threw those stones and spit 'em out and keep going until they find roots. Bob (Bobert) will probably be here for your answers momentarily as he's on his way home. I'll be cooking and hoping somebody somewhere has a workable answer. Glad you're all (mostly) his friends! Eve (P-Vine) |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: MMario Date: 01 May 07 - 04:19 PM The only thing we found that worked *outside* was cats. Inside, our voles and the mice like peanut butter; though we did find they didn't like the cheap brand. (Of course not!) Two of our three cats that come indoors consider themselves "off duty" when inside. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rasener Date: 01 May 07 - 04:24 PM I have put crushed mothballs down the holes. I don't think they like the smell. I have just done that this week and am hoping they bugger off into somebody elses garden LOL |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: beardedbruce Date: 01 May 07 - 04:37 PM http://www.critter-repellent.com/vole/how-to-get-rid-of-voles.php |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Amos Date: 01 May 07 - 04:42 PM You can try smoke grenades -- they send noxious fumes along the tunnels and such and presumably choke the little guys. I dunno how efficacious they are. But I just wanted to say, nice to hear from you, P-Vine, and thanks so much for takin' care of Bobert all these years, as he is a genuine keeper. A |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: concertina ceol Date: 01 May 07 - 04:42 PM under the ground lived old king vole he lived so peacefully he ruled in might and splendor there was none so grand as he but men came along to harry him out, and lift him from his bed they filled the ground with poison and now king vole is dead with profuse apologies to Mr Kirkpatrick and all concerned ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bill D Date: 01 May 07 - 04:46 PM Cats did it here when we moved in 20 years ago...haven't seen any since. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Joe Offer Date: 01 May 07 - 04:50 PM Our rattlesnakes eat the voles, I think. I wish they would have eaten the Devil Chickens that ate our garden last year..... But hey, I don't think this is a music thread, so I moved it. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 01 May 07 - 04:58 PM Go down to the local farm supply store and get a jar of a thing called "Pro Zap." It's oats coated with 2% zinc phosphide. Use rubber gloves (don't take chances) and use the little scoop inside to place a scoopful of the poison in each vole hole. The critter will eat the stuff, whirl around, and die -- generally underground. The stuff costs about US$6.00 per jar of 12 ounces or so. Use the kind of gloves you can throw away -- latex or nitrile -- when you're done. Peel them off so that they come off inside out. I don't know what zinc phosphide dust would do to people, but don't take chances. And don't let Bobert have any, no matter how much he begs and pleads! |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: wysiwyg Date: 01 May 07 - 04:58 PM Hi darlin'! Miss you like crazy! (That's to the P-Vine, Bobert, you nut) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Peace Date: 01 May 07 - 05:02 PM "I have put crushed mothballs down the holes." Try garter snakes. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 01 May 07 - 05:04 PM Or you could have ol' Bobert creep around with a .22 and blast the critters. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 01 May 07 - 05:05 PM Come ta think of it.... Have Bobert pour a whole lot of gasoline down the holes. Then toss a match in. If you're lucky you won't need to plow any more this year.... |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: bobad Date: 01 May 07 - 05:09 PM There is a zinc phosphide bait (Restricted Use) available for vole control; however, I would be reluctant to use this material around a home. Be that as it may, it is registered in Mississippi. The other method is to trap, using snap traps baited with apple, potato or some of the plant material on which they are feeding. This may not work, particularly if the voles are feeding on bulbs or tubers below ground http://msucares.com/newsletters/pests/pestmonitor/feb01.html |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: kendall Date: 01 May 07 - 05:43 PM A pellet gun works well. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Alice Date: 01 May 07 - 06:15 PM cats |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Sorcha Date: 01 May 07 - 06:30 PM I never did get rid of them at the old farm house. We moved to town. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bobert Date: 01 May 07 - 08:24 PM Hey, don't knock vole poisin if ya' ain't tried it... |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bobert Date: 01 May 07 - 09:52 PM Well, many thanks to all of you who took time to give me more peace in my dreams tonight. Since voles have 5 kits? every 3 weeks, it's pretty obvious that Kendall, the cat, just can't keep up, though the boy tries hard. He brings me one every few days and I praise him mightily but that's just not enough. Guns, etc. obviously won't work since the buggers are underground except very rarely when I might see one being chased by Kendall. They are some big whoppers--bigger than a mouse by far and a lot more destructive, eating the roots of hostas, azaleas, even my favorite 5' camellia this winter, leaving me with a dinner sized root ball and no tap root to speak of! Grrr.....Garter snakes so far haven't made themselves known but I make a lot of "noise" with my foot traffic and wheelbarrows, maddock pounding and digging so any snakes aren't really obvious. They're missing a great treat, though. I will try apples or potatoes on the traps but have heard of no poison, so far. the best idea I've seen here probably, if I can find it, will be the ProZap stuff to use with gloves. I'll search mightily here in "no man's land" and then probably have to go to the city or internet for it but it sure seems worth a great try, considering that camellia and countless other victims. I'll take the deer any day; at least they have the grace to sniff Liquid Fence and walk away in a huff! Hi, Susan! I miss you, too...sorry I won't sit here and type unless I'm just desperate. What a bummer. Just a digger at heart, I reckon. Thanks to you all. I'll let you know how I make out. Thanks for your sweet thought about my Bob--you're right--he's darned worth it!! Eve (oops! P-Vine) |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 01 May 07 - 09:58 PM Get yourself from PETN detonating cord (this might be a bit tricky to obtain). Snake it down through all the vole holes. Put a blasting cap on one end, back of a pretty good way, and either light the fuse or push the old blasting machine handle down. This will not only take care of your voles, but very likely parts of your house, garage, garden, trees, neighbors.... On the other hand you'll make new friends among the other prisoners. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Dickey Date: 01 May 07 - 10:28 PM I had some a few weeks ago. I put some mole poison in the main hole. Later on I used some smoke bombs in several holes. I haven't seen any since. I don't know if it was the poison or the bombs that got rid of them but I am expecting them to come back. I saw a Vole repellant with 10% castor oil mixed with some kind of powder that you sprinkle around at Lowes and I saw some 100% castor oil at a feed store but it was nearly $40 per gallon. It said you mix it 10% with water and spray it in the holes and along the runs. If they come back I will try the castor oil repellant. When they leave, moles take up residence in the vole's tunnels and I have never been able to get rid of moles. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 01 May 07 - 10:46 PM Frankly, I don't care if they're dead or just repelled -- as long as they stay on the other side of my property line the little buggers can eat golfers for all I care. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Mo the caller Date: 02 May 07 - 06:00 AM Are these US voles? I dont think UK voles do much harm. Moles however drive us mad (and them you listen to a gardening programme with people complaining about worm acast on their lawns!) |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bobert Date: 02 May 07 - 07:36 AM Yeah, we grow the caster plants and harvest their beans and have been droppin' a few beans in the holes but we are now out of them until fall... I hates them critters 'cause they get the P-Vine all worked up... I like the dynimate idea but given the fact that we moved over 500 plants when we moved here from Wes Ginny and I dug a lotta of the holes they are in I don't relish the idea of blowin' 'um up... But I reckon if I knew I'd get all the voles and they would never return again it'd be... ...kabooooommmmmmmmm!!!! Bobert (not the P-Vine) |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: MMario Date: 02 May 07 - 08:17 AM there might be something to those fox urine pellets they are selling. and if Kendall is litter trained you could try using the "used" stuff in their holes-- after all - He is the local carnivore... |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 02 May 07 - 09:23 AM I think I'll drop by the local huntin' shop and see what sorts of bottled pee they might have. I'll betcha a few drops of moutain lion or lynx or coyote'd chase 'em away. Or I'll talk to my buddy Scott, who runs the zoo. They got a grizzly down there...'course, Scott might have some tiny little objection to tryin' to get Charlie to pee in a bottle.... Hey, Bobert, them critters are killin' the plants you moved anyway -- why not have some fun gettin' rid of 'em? |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Big Al Whittle Date: 02 May 07 - 09:48 AM are voles a big problem in America? they don't crop up much in conversation over in England. voles = field mice yeh? |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: MMario Date: 02 May 07 - 09:52 AM we have voles AND field mice. The field mice have longer tails. I'm not sure hwat other differences there are. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: bobad Date: 02 May 07 - 10:02 AM Vole Mole |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: bobad Date: 02 May 07 - 10:03 AM Sorry Mole should read Field mouse |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bee Date: 02 May 07 - 02:26 PM Voles are harmless here in Nova Scotia, although the local Star Nosed Moles can be a bit of a pain. However, one sniff of a cat and they pack up the MoleHoles and leave town. I think MMario's idea of dropping 'cat treats' down a few vole holes is a pretty good one. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Big Al Whittle Date: 02 May 07 - 08:13 PM what if the cat goes down the hole and gets stuck? |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 02 May 07 - 08:43 PM You get a dachshund to get him out. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Alice Date: 02 May 07 - 11:10 PM A friend who lives on the edge of town has lots of voles on her property. They have moved into the house. Her daughter took the cat to her apartment and my friend needs to get that cat back! The cat was the best defense against the voles, especially in the house. Trying to block up the holes in the walls did not work very well. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 03 May 07 - 09:31 AM Okay, Bobert, here's whatcha do. Go down to the local gun store (Virginia's full of 'em) and buy yourself a Holland & Holland .700 Nitro Express. Yeah, I know, it'll be a bit expensive and it's only a double rifle and the ammo costs US$100.00 per round, but wait.... Once you get the rifle and a few hundred rounds of ammo, go down to the local bar and hire one of them manly redneck deer hunters who never miss. If you tell him that you got a gun he can't handle he'll probably do it for nothin'. You get a pair of cheap binoculars so you can act as his spotter, and the two of you stake out the backyard. Let him do the shooting!! This is very important!! Now, when you see a vole you point it out to him and he shoots it. Generally only one shot will be needed, 'cause if he hits the thing he'll disintegrate it. In fact, with a .700 Nitro Express he can stop a charging rhino -- the sucker throws a bullet of 1,000 grains of lead (your average .22 is 40 grains). And that's why you need someone else to shoot the voles: if a .30-06 has a recoil of 1, the .700 Nitro Express has a recoil of better than 10 (it's l'il brother, the .600, has a recoil index of 9.4). Sure, there are a few problems to this plan, like the three year wait for the rifle to be built and the US $200,000.00 price tag. But won't that all be worth it to disintegrate the voles in yer backyard? |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Schantieman Date: 03 May 07 - 03:35 PM Don't know 'bout USA but here'bouts it's yer black velvety gentleman wat lives down an 'ole wats called a mole . E causes troble by diggin in yer garding an makin' 'is lil moleills all over. Now, yer vole, 'e's a differnt kettle o'fish altogether. Youm got yer field vole wat duz nobody no 'arm not nohow; then yous got yer bank vole wat likewise duz no 'arm coz it live in yer woods and yous got yer water vole wat don't do no-one no 'arm neither. So unless it be yer velvet gentleman wats diggin up yer garding oi'd leave 'im be. In fact oid rather av moles than a prty lil garding, me. S |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Bobert Date: 03 May 07 - 07:41 PM Yeah, Rap... Great idea... I'll get right on it, good buddy... |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: Rapparee Date: 03 May 07 - 09:03 PM Voles in the US are suspected of carrying hantavirus. I called the Zoo. They said they'd get Charlie the Grizzly to pee in a little bottle for me but it would cost around US$1,000 per ounce. Scott, the Zoo Director, suggested I just use a repellent or live trap them. I thanked him for that advice and, since he lives just up the street from me, I suggested turning them loose in HIS backyard. For some reason he was against the idea. Didn't want them for the zoo, either. And he wouldn't lend me a mountain lion for a few days. Shucks. |
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Subject: RE: Voles From: GUEST,Wonderin" Date: 03 May 07 - 09:32 PM |
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Subject: RE:A Vole-u-able Tip From: Severn Date: 03 May 07 - 09:38 PM In an attempt to have Joe elevate this thread back up into the music section, You might try a "pied piper" approach, as they did in the Days Of Voled. Just sing out: VOLE-AR-E Ohhhhhhhh, Ohhhhhhhhhhhh So sahr-rey Wo-Ohhhhh-ohhhhhhh-ohhhhhhhhh ...or however that went. Maybe it's in Digitrad..... ....and after you've wopped them in their ears, you whop them on their little heads as they run out of their holes to try to vacate for other environs. Then they can be shipped off to Shrewsbury to be buried with their close relatives. If that doesn't work, you can go back to re-enacting "Caddyshack" with them. |
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