Do you think voles eat the plants in your garden? Are the tiny pests driving you crazy? Learn how to get rid of garden voles to rid your garden of these little invaders.
One of the most difficult aspects of gardening is controlling pests. Whether it's insects or animals, something always seems to be bothering our plants. Like many other garden pests, voles can cause a lot of damage in a short period of time. That's why it's particularly important to identify the vole in the garden in good time and combat it effectively.
Voles are known for creating criss-cross, closed tunnels in the garden. However, the unwanted guests are not always easy to recognize because they quietly attack the plants and secretly eat roots and flower bulbs. But before you take any measures to get rid of voles from your garden, you should be sure that they really are voles.
Voles or rats?
Voles are often confused with rats because of their similar appearance. However, they have shorter tails, rounder ears and a smaller body with hairy legs. Voles are 8-10 cm long and their tail can be up to 7 cm long. Their thick fur is colored from light brown to gray.
The small rodents are active during the day, while rats are usually more active at night. They also spend more time underground and build complex tunnel systems, while rats tend to live in nests above ground.
While voles cause significant damage to the garden,Rats are more likely to cause damageon buildings by chewing on insulation and other materials.
How do you recognize a vole infestation?
To make sure your garden is infested with voles, look for the following signs:
- Elongated, flat piles of earth with grass and roots.
- Shallow, 5 cm wide tunnels throughout the garden.
- Dead plants that no longer have a root structure.
- Holes in the lawn or at the roots of young trees.
- Conspicuous signs of feeding on the bark of trees.
- Dead spots in the lawn, where voles create burrows and eat grass.
Also read:How to get rid of moles with a plastic bottle or vinegar: it's that simple!
Drive away voles in the garden with castor oil
There are several ways to get rid of voles so they don't cause further damage to your garden.
An effective home remedy is castor oil, whose unpleasant smell and taste is said to deter tiny animals.
Test it first on a leaf of the plant you want to spray and wait until the next day to make sure no damage has occurred. Then spray generously all leaves of plants and the base of shrubs and trees. Always treat the plants in the early evening and never in the midday heat. Treat the plants again after heavy rain.
Also soak a cotton ball or rag in the castor oil and apply it to the passages.
Use hot peppers against voles
Another natural compound that voles dislike is capsaicin, the powerful compound in peppers that makes them taste spicy. You can purchase capsaicin at a garden center or make a homemade control agent.
To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of chopped chili or cayenne pepper with a liter of water and a few drops of biodegradable dishwashing liquid and spray all areas in the garden where you have noticed signs of an infestation. Repeat the process after it rains.
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Attract natural enemies
Voles are an important food source for many predators such as snakes, owls and foxes. That's why one of the most natural ways to combat voles is to attract owls to the garden.
Install owl nesting boxes on your trees to reduce the number of voles in the yard.
If you have a cat,leave them outside in the evening, when the invaders are most active. Dogs can also scare away the small pests and cause them to look elsewhere for a meal.
How can you keep voles away?
Planting certain fragrant herbs and flowers around the garden can help make the area less attractive to voles. Use mint, sage, thyme, garlic, onions, chives and daffodils to keep the small pests away.
Protect plants by placing a 6mm wire mesh around the garden or each individual bed. Since voles cannot jump or climb, you want the fence to be about 30cm high, but because they like to dig, make sure it goes at least 30cm deep into the ground.
Wrap the young trees with a tree protector to deter rodents from nibbling on the bark. You can also make wire baskets yourself to protect young trees and tubers.
Also read: “KEEP RATS AWAY FROM THE COMPOST: HOW TO PREVENT A PEST AND OTHERWISE DEAL WITH RODENTS IN THE GARDEN?”
