Voles are having one of their periodic population explosions
this year – at least at my house. I can
look out at almost any time of day and see them scurrying around on the edges
of my garden. They look like large, gray
mice.
Under the cover of
the snow this winter, they girdled some canes of one of my roses; a sorrow
which I discovered when everything melted.
They are currently nibbling on foliage and grass.
I have investigated the myriad holes and runways they have
developed in the bank at the edge of my garden.
The holes are small and open, and
there is a “runway” right outside each hole that the voles use to
travel. Voles like to be protected from
predator’s eyes, so the runways usually travel under grass or other vegetation.
I have
been using simple wooden snap traps to reduce their populations. I place the business end of the trap into
the runway, and they just run right into it, no bait needed. Traps need to be emptied frequently, but
the voles can be tossed down the hill for ravens or coyotes. For more information on controlling voles go
here: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06507.html.
