Garden problems

This may sound silly, but can you advice me on how to get rid of voles? I have a small allotment garden, which I tend to get some fresh veggies and also improve my gardening skills, and now those rodents are currently wreakign havoc on neighbouring ones and I fear that they'll soon wreck my plants too. I've tried using repellents and it doesn't work. In my homeotwn we neevr had such a problem since pets keep them away, but it's a community garden and keeping pets is not allowed :|

 

When we moved to our present home in 2001, it was infested with rodents - rats and mice both inside and outside the house. Before we moved in, the workers doing the cleaning and repair of this old house set up traps using poison with bait of dried fish. They have caught more than 10 rats on the first day and half the number of mice. However, there were still indications of rodents when we had moved in so we ourselves set up the traps. We used the mouse poison that is not fatal to rodents for it would take days before the rodent dies. But that mouse poison is safe for dogs. We have a dog so care if required. It took a month before the rodents were totally eradicated. The pest control guy said that rodents have that habit so all you need is to deter that habit so they wouldn't come back.

In the case of the garden, you can set up a dog or a cat to guard your garden for 2 weeks. When the vole gets nothing because of the sentinel then it will not come back anymore. However, as you said that pets are not allowed so you probably have to rely on the poison.

 

I didn't expect so much advice, so fast - thanks guys

Now you've suggested it, I vaguely recall some of my parents' neighbours used a similar machine once, but it was years ago. I guess there's no downside to trying, however?

@Corzhens I think I will try setting traps first, I don't like the idea of leaving poison in my garden, even if it's not harfmul to humans and there aren't any pets around (or shouldn't). However, if the pests are too smart for traps, I'll opt for rat posion - or maybe there's even special for voles?

 

I can't help you with voles, but I can help with anyone who needs to stop squirrels. Plan mint around your garden. Squirrels hate the smell of mint. I has worked for me.

 

I never realised the squirrels were even pests, in my country they stay in the woods anyway and I doubt I've seen one in garden more than several times in my life. What did they do in your garden, steal nuts?

 

No, they were much bolder than that. They neatly and politely pulled up my smaller plants and scampered away with them. I had never had this happen until this year. Once I planted mint they have never come back.

 

I had no idea they were capable of that, maybe we have different, less assetive species of squirrels there. I'm glad to hear you were able to get rid of them, and have your mint as a bonus but I'm afraid it won't work with voles. These bastards aren't that easily scared.

 

You can raise either a cat or a pretty active and predatory medium or small dog breed to hunt down the voles. I would suggest against the next one due to its inherent cruelty, but you can buy a strong mice glue to create a trap with it and
then put a bait. Is pretty efective, but ruthless.

 

@Endure OK, but as I've said, it's an allotment, I don't legally own the garden and so I have to follow the local rules, which ban pets for some reason, not to mention I don't live there, so I wouldn't be able to keep a cat or dog at the place.
Call me ruthless, but I'm not concerned witht he welfare of the rodents and other pests I was brought up in country and I consider killing them natural order of thing, especially if a cat or dog does it - it's their innate behaviour, you've signed up for this when you decided to get Wuffles.

 

Mouse/rat traps! get a dozen or so and set when you leave, every time you leave!
Collect each time you visit and bury well with some lime!
Cheap and easy, make it a regular routine even when they are gone!

 

I've never tried this but I've heard that cat poop can help solve a vole problem. Voles and all other rodents are terrified of predators that hunt them and as that will warn them that there is a predator nearby, they may not want to stick around. If you have a cat I suppose this won't cost you anything to try and find out if it works.

 

@John Snort Thanks for your tip, that's a surprisingly logical idea, i didn't think of it myself first, but now it seems like it could help. I'll try it and let you know if this worked.

 

I used to think that cats will hunt and kill things and bring it as a gift. They are actually trying to feed you. My freeloaders, on the other hand, will sit next to the squirrels and share a meal instead of running them off. I have to keep my garden in a screened off enclosure so the pests (and pets) stay out of it.

 

But yuo have a great story of inter-species friendship to tell. It's funny that cats and squirrels could go along so good, have your cats been so nice to ther animals in the past, or are they just making an exception for squirrels? Perhaps you will be able take advantage of it and domesticate the squirrels

 

I'm very grateful for your suggestion, since it appears to be working! The voles haven't siappeared completely yet, but I've noticed they were less active over the last week. I'm not sure yet if it's not a coincidence, I'll let you know in few weeks, but so far, it seems to be a viable solution.

 

Voles can really destroy your crops. They like to feast on potatoes, turnips, onions and sweet potatoes. The best way to control is by use of a trap. You can also buy poison from a farming expert. Handling poisons is sometimes difficult that is why I recommend a trap.

 

I would just use rat poison in the garden. Drop a few pellets here and there and they will slowly disappear. You good for as long as the pellets are still there or have washed away.