AT A GLANCE
Through her set feeding activity voles the Health of the apple tree very much to. Depending on the species, the animals gnaw on the bark or the roots of the fruit tree. This weakens the tree and can even kill it if the root system is eaten away.
How can voles be controlled ecologically?
There are three reliable methods, around To get rid of voles permanently:
- Place several live traps, baited with roots or vegetables, in the aisles and release the rodents elsewhere.
- Placing calcium carbide in the mouse holes will safely repel the pests.
- The noise-sensitive animals avoid plots of land on which a robotic lawnmower is used.
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It is important that you coordinate all these measures with your neighbors. Unfortunately, small-scale combat actions are usually not crowned with long-term success.
How can I preventively protect the apple tree from voles?
Since the mice seem to prefer young apple trees, it has proven effective to woods through chicken wire(€17.00 at Amazon*) protected to set:
- Wrap around the root ball with tight wire. This should have a mesh size of no more than 20 millimeters.
- Make sure that the mesh completely encloses the root area.
- Fix the metal mesh, which is impenetrable for rodents, a few centimeters above the ground around the trunk.
- hold the tree disc free, since dense grass and looser mulch(€27.00 at Amazon*) form an ideal shelter.
Tip
Release captured voles
The voles caught in the live traps should be transported to the release site in the trap, which you only handle with gloves. So that the small rodents do not migrate directly back into your garden, put the animals back in nature at least one kilometer away.
