Table of contents
- What are voles?
- detect voles
- prevention
- predators
- growths
- Lawn curbs and mouse wire
- raised beds
- vole control
- buttermilk
- feces and urine
- fur
- sounds and movements
- Light
- seal holes
- Water
- fall
- poison bait
- Diversion
Voles can destroy roots and thus entire plants. Preventing them biologically and preventing their spread is therefore of crucial importance. Here's how it works.
What are voles?
The scientific name of these mammals is Arvicolinae. This subfamily includes more than 150 species. Due to this enormous variety, there are significant differences in size and weight. When voles are mentioned directly, these species are usually mentioned:
- ground vole
- field mouse
- shrew
A notice:
Although the shrew is not scientifically a vole, the tiny animals are often mistaken for one. They are visually recognizable not only by their small size, but also by their very pointed nose.
detect voles
The animals themselves are rarely directly visible. However, they leave traces that are comparatively easy to recognize. This includes:
- Eating marks on tubers, roots and other plant parts
- possibly unpleasant smell of feces and urine
- small holes in the soil on beds or the lawn
- inexplicably incoming plants
The holes in the ground are often noticeable when mowing the lawn and weeding, because voles are rarely found in houses and other buildings. However, unlike the traces of moles, there are no heaps of earth at the exits and entrances.
prevention
As always, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, appropriate measures should already be taken when laying out the garden.
predators
A natural design of the garden also allows the predators of the voles to settle and create a natural balance. It is already sufficient to let the grass stand higher in a small area, to offer perches and hiding places such as piles of stones.
Predators include:
- foxes
- cats
- marten and weasel
- Birds of prey such as the common buzzard
growths
Some plants deter voles. Among them for example:
- imperial crown
- Garlic
- daffodils
- sweet clover
- grape hyacinth
- spurge
- onions
A notice:
Plant the plants as evenly distributed as possible in the garden. Otherwise, the animals only learn to avoid them.
Lawn curbs and mouse wire
The burrows of voles can be 50 to 80 square meters. Gardens with demarcated and subdivided areas are therefore less interesting for them. A certain protection can be created by dividing beds and using mouse wire around roots. This method does not offer a guarantee against the animals, but the risk of an infestation is reduced.
raised beds
Raised beds are another way of preventing voles and other pests. If the floor is sealed, the animals are much less likely to enter. The raised beds also have other advantages. Below:
- faster and higher yields
- Protection against snails
- Prevention against rats
vole control
If there are already mice in the garden, the preventive measures mentioned can still be useful. However, more is required for direct combat.
buttermilk
Fermented buttermilk has a very strong smell. This should keep the burrowing mice away. However, this has not been proven. Although the home remedy is organic and simple, cheap and can be produced within one to three days, its effectiveness is questionable. In addition, the overall smell can be annoying. Especially with several holes or larger areas, an enormous amount must be used. This can attract insects, among other things, and generally make staying in the garden uncomfortable.
feces and urine
Dogs and cats are natural enemies of voles. Their smell alone can therefore act as a deterrent and help to combat them. The most effective are feces and urine. You can fill these funds directly into the holes of the voles in the form of used cat litter, for example. However, some mice get used to it over time.
fur
To simulate the presence of dogs and cats, fur can be used instead of feces and urine. After brushing, the combed hairs are best formed into small matted balls and placed in the exits of the mouse holes.
Tip:
Only use animal home remedies if there is no allergy. Otherwise, the allergens it contains can make it difficult to stay in the garden.
sounds and movements
Frequent work and movement in the garden, such as mowing the lawn, children playing or pets also contribute to the control of voles. They make the area less attractive for the animals, so that frequent use of your own green can have both a preventive and a deterrent effect.
Alternatively, there are also special devices on the market that are supposed to have a repelling effect through particularly high frequencies. However, the animals often get used to it and the hoped-for effect does not materialize. However, other useful animals and pets can also be disturbed by the sound, such as children and young people. Therefore, exercise caution when using it.
Light
Voles are also active at dusk and at night in the garden. If they are disturbed by motion detectors and bright light, they quickly look for a new habitat. Make sure that the sensors are aligned in such a way that movements at the entrances or the holes in the mouse passages trigger the switching on of the light. A possible disadvantage of this simple remedy is that other nocturnal animals are also driven away. Since these are owls, foxes, cats and martens, the natural predators of voles are also driven away.
seal holes
It is often recommended to seal the holes in the aisles. For example, stones can be filled in or slabs can be placed on top of the dhow. The potential disadvantage of this is that the animals create new exits. After that, the earth only has more holes. In combination with other methods and means, covering can still help to make your own garden an unsuitable habitat for voles.
Water
Flooding the animals' burrow can be very effective. It is also biological and therefore environmentally friendly. This measure often has to be repeated several times in order to have an effect.
fall
Live traps but also deadly traps are very efficient methods of combating voles. Live traps are gentler, but the subsequent release of the animals requires more effort. Suitable baits include:
- carrots
- celery
- Jerusalem Artichoke
poison bait
Poison baits and poison in general can work quickly, but pose a danger to children, animals and the environment. This means a risk, both for useful animals and for pets and children. If safe use cannot be guaranteed, you should therefore refrain from doing so.
Diversion
Rather than fighting the voles, protective measures can be taken and distractions created. It makes sense to plant plants that the animals prefer in the near-natural section of the garden. These are the species that can also be used as bait. Root vegetables and beets, such as carrots, celery and Jerusalem artichoke are easy to care for and ideal.
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