Posted on 12/19/2021 1:47:49 PM PST by Mean Daddy
Finding out that not much works for voles. Trying a product called Volex but not holding my breath. Tracking powders look promising provided they walk through it and groom but powders are hard to come by. Thinking about getting a car battery, putting two rods in the ground and picking them off with a pellet gun. I know they have rodent systems that puts propane and oxygen in the hole, ignites and instantly kills but can't find anyone in my area that does that. Not sure I want to go that route either since it's a neighborhood.
Gophers, Moles or Voles?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTEzqB5wjcE
I use gas. These look like 1/4 sticks of TNT that send a stinky, suplhur smeilling gas down the hole and thru the tunnels. Does it kill them? Probably not. But it does drive them to my neighbor’s yard (heh, heh, heh...)
Moles eat worms and grubs. When the lawn or garden is moist, they operate near the surface where their food is and the opposite in the dry parts of summer. So I spray the lawn for grubs and worms, driving the moles deeper and making less damage.
There is an exterminator in my town that has Rat and Russell terriers who will turn them loose in your yard or barn. I’m told it is very effective but brutal to watch.
It’s not who voles, it’s who counts the voles!
How about A-Voles. Got anything to get rid of them?
My “ranch” is called ‘Vole Haven’
I’ve tried the noise maker battery powered stakes they sort of work, but I found the most effective for me was to kill off (or reduce) the food supply with that bug killer spreader pellets (2x), but even that is iffy. Barn cat might work, and I have a couple of cats (one mayoral cat and one stray that I don’t discourage), but even a really gusher of a weather system seems to drown them out just for a bit.
Sooo.... I have heard of flax seed oil supplements or castor oil gels, which I have yet to try).
The quest continues...
Adopt a female cat and don’t get her spayed. When she has kittens, she will need to generate milk to feed them so her appetite will be voracious, and she’ll hunt down voles and other small critters to supplement what you feed her.
Search YouTube for jugging for moles/gophers.
Voles moved into my wife’s garden this past summer.
MAN ... what a PITA they are.
I picked off a couple with my Ruger .22 MKII pistol, but you have to sit there for what seems like hours till they pop out of their hole ... and if you don’t get them emerging from their hole, forget-a-bout-it they are fast.
Yes like many others said ... get a good cat or Terrier.
Lol!
I read this and I think I might be having a stroke. It just isn’t making sense.
I’m in Louisiana, so no voles here. Love photographing coyotes hunting voles in Yellowstone though.;)
We have moles, tree rats, flying squirrels & chipmunks as well as mice & rats in my wooded lot. Moles really make a mess tunnelling everywhere. An outside cat took care of that problem in short order! Have never witnessed them actually digging one up, but always get dead mole kittie “presents”. I guess the cats do dig them up? I haven’t had moles since the cats. I would highly recommend a cat or two as I haven’t had a problem since. Assume a cat would do the same with voles?
I volunteer with Companion Animal Alliance’s shelter on the LSU campus for their TRN (trap/neuter/return program). We trap feral/community cats that are not readily adoptable. Maybe there is a similar organization in your area you could contact & I’m sure would be thrilled to adopt a cat with you. You would help a homeless animal that would in turn help you with your pests - win-win. Cat would have all shots & neutering at no charge - sure you could find a similar shelter. Here is a link to CAA in Baton Rouge with some info that may help you if you decide to go the cat route. I highly recommend as cats took care of my mole problem!
What the hell is a vole, and how exactly do you attack it with a car battery?
They look like a mouse. You take two metal rods and put them 3-4’ apart and hook up the negative to one rod and positive to the other. Prolly won’t kill them but they’ll prolly try to get out. They do the same for night crawlers. They come to the surface trying to escape the current but it doesn’t kill them.
Good ol Rocky Top,,,,,oh,,,,Voles!
They’re like a mouse but they don’t like peanut butter or other baits that mice do. Had a lot of luck with moles using scissor traps. If you ever need help, let me know and I can tell you what’s worked for me.
Rent a couple rat terriers for a week.
The problem is keeping the cat around. Our house abuts a pasture so short of getting a harness and putting them on a line, don’t know I’d keep them around.
That would be great. Thank you.
Interesting. I’ll put that on my list to try. Thank you.
Just set out snap traps where their runs are and bait it with peanut butter.
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