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moles and voles
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Posted by diana1959 7 (My Page) on Fri, Aug 21, 09 at 18:38
| I live in South Jersey, and can't grow a lawn. I have so many tunnels from moles and voles (yes, I have both somewhere. My cats bring me them sometimes). I don't want to use poison, if possible, but will if I have to. Does anyone have an idea on how to get rid of these pests? I've heard that if you eliminate the white grubs, then they'll leave. If so, how do you get rid of them? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: moles and voles
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| I can tell you from trying to rid my yard of grubs, and therefore, armadillos, that this is a very tall order. First, the poison is quite expensive, and second, it only last 8 to 10 weeks and then you have to do it again. If I were you, I would call a local exterminator. |
RE: moles and voles
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| Can't use poisons if you have an outdoor cat who hunts them. |
RE: moles and voles
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| Sorry. I should have said insecticide. (Bifen) |
RE: moles and voles
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| We have 2 cats who keep leaving mole parts around, but I think our problem is a lot less since I have seen both a blacksnake and a spotted kingsnake coming out of moleholes in our yard. They are natures best moletraps! A friend in the southern fruit fellowship even catches rattlesnakes and brings them to his urban yard to save his fruit trees- I won't go that far!!!! I do leave the nonpoisonous snakes alone, but kill the poisonous ones that enter our yard from our bordering woods. Good luck! |
RE: moles and voles
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Trapping is the only effective solution for moles and voles. I am a professional nuisance wildlife trapper so I know the subject well. Moles feed mainly on earthworms so ridding the yard of grubs only removes a small portion of his diet. The poisons formulated for moles range from the laughable (poison peanuts for a worm eating carnivore) to silly (poison gummy worms for a predator that eats live worms). Unless your willing to nuke the whole yard to kill the earthworms (and every other biotic) in the yard you will never remove the foodsource.
Voles on the other hand are vegetarians feeding on the bark and roots of your plants. Most rodenticide poisons are grain based targeted for rats and mice so you would have difficulty getting the voles to feed on the poison.
My suggestion would be to call an NWCO (nuisance wildlife control operator) in your area to deal with the problem. Be sure to check with your state agency that manages wildlife to verify that the NWCO is fully licensed also cross check with the agency that manages pest control (usually dept of ag) if the NWCO provides chemical controls. JMO I would avoid a pest control company that "also" does wildlife and go with a company that specializes in wildlife. The difference is mindset. You need a trapper that thinks animal, not one who's first thought is throw a chemical at the problem. Ask for references and membership in the trade organizations, mainly the NWCOA. (membership is more than average and most fly by nighters do not join trade organizations) Also verify insurance and worker's comp like you would do any other tradesman on your property. For more information on moles do a google search for themoleman. This is not my company nor is there a link to my company so I think it falls within the rules. It is the best website on the web that contains information on the biology and control of moles I have ever seen. I even use it to train my technicians. |
RE: moles and voles
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| Buy Milky Spore Disease powder. It's an organic product. You apply it in the spring or in the fall, I think it's two teaspoons every four feet, until you have the entire yard gridded out. Do this before a good rain or water in well. It's not all that expensive. My yard was totally torn up. Lost a lot of my plants. Even there were tunnels in my raised beds. Now, I look across the street and they have tunnels all over. I do not. I don't know if it's a mole or a vole because I have not seen it. The plants I lost could've died because the roots were eaten or because they dried out when the critter tunnelled underneath to eat a grub. I can't say this will work for everyone but it has certainly worked for me. It is supposed to last for several years. I wish there was a way to eradicate this animal totally. Hiring someone to come out and trap the mole was not a possibility for me as it is quite expensive. I suspect it's quite a money-maker but I wonder if it's effective. My mother fought moles/voles for years in her garden and she used everything she heard of, spring-loaded traps, poison peanuts, putting dog feces into or flooding the traces with water. She even chased one down and beat it to death with the back of a shovel. Of course when you kill one it is just the tip of the iceburg. I have linked the site where I ordered mine. But I'm sure you can buy it other places as well. I am not connected to them in any way other than that I am a customer of theirs. If you check my profile you will see that I have been a GW member for a long time. Mostly I hang out in the Oklahoma Gardening or the Money Saving Tips forums. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Where to buy Milky Spore
RE: moles and voles
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| I have had lots of voles. The holes were evident. Placed a mouse trap under a plastic hanging basket, inverted, then placed a stone on top. Got a bunch that way - no bait used. Then I got Bo, the wonder cat, who controlled them for years. Now cat Dub is doing the same thing. Voles did so much damage. Once noticed a large mahonia leaning - discovered all the roots were gone. Hate those vile creatures. Good luck, be persistant,
Rosie, in Sugar Hill, GA |
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