Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Go Back   Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community > Main Forums > The Off Topic Forum
Register Forum Rules FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 04-11-2009, 10:35 PM   #1
Jedi Ninja
Scoring Winger
 
Jedi Ninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Exp:
Default Voley cow!

These little buggers have sure done a job on the lawns in my neighbourhood. With this crazy winter, guess they have been living under the snowbanks and have had lots of time to eat their way through miles of turf. Some lawns have been hit so hard they look like they have been rototilled. It'll be a good year for those in the lawn care industry.

Anyone know where I can buy vole trips and vole bait stations? I think the mouse ones are too small.
Jedi Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2009, 10:56 PM   #2
CaptainCrunch
Norm!
 
CaptainCrunch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Exp:
Default

__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
CaptainCrunch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 12:04 AM   #3
FiftyBelow
Powerplay Quarterback
 
FiftyBelow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

Buy a cat?
__________________
FiftyBelow
FiftyBelow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 12:06 AM   #4
Dan02
Franchise Player
 
Dan02's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

snow finally melted in my backyard and it looks like someone was building a tiny maze.
Dan02 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 08:15 AM   #5
Cowperson
CP Pontiff
 
Cowperson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: A pasture out by Millarville
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedi Ninja View Post
These little buggers have sure done a job on the lawns in my neighbourhood. With this crazy winter, guess they have been living under the snowbanks and have had lots of time to eat their way through miles of turf. Some lawns have been hit so hard they look like they have been rototilled. It'll be a good year for those in the lawn care industry.

Anyone know where I can buy vole trips and vole bait stations? I think the mouse ones are too small.
I think you're describing mice . . . . . the unusually long-lasting snow pack, from early December, had them camping underneath. They are active through the winter.

Most likely, with the snow cap now gone, they've also disappeared into stealthier surroundings.

Northern Pocket Gophers, ugly little suckers sometimes confused with voles, leave large mounds of dirt that they've tunnelled out of the ground . . . . you will never see them as they are nocturnal, subterranean and the bait for catching them is light. But they're inactive through the winter, hibernating. They're only now becoming active as the ground thaws. These are a fair bit bigger than mice.

Richardson Ground Squirrels, the common gopher you see squished on the highway, is the biggest rodent.

Sorry about your lawn but it's over . . . . the damage is done and the culprits are probably gone.

Cowperson
__________________
Dear Lord, help me to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. - Anonymous
Cowperson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 10:17 AM   #6
BOSSY
Scoring Winger
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Exp:
Default

Had a Vole last summer in the garden, then a week later about a dozen holes in the front yard... I tried rat traps didn't work so got some rodent poison from Home Depot (it's like grain treated with poison) dropped a little in each hole and what do you know no more Vole.
BOSSY is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 12:39 PM   #7
Circa89
Scoring Winger
 
Circa89's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Exp:
Default

Voles are elusive to catch. These guys primarily subsist on grass roots so offering bait rarely works, except for right now! Right now is the best time to catch the guys. They will take bait and it is possible to catch them in regular old snap traps because they are out searching for alternate food sources this time of year.


Its easy to tell if you have a Vole (if you see one). They are like puffy mice that look like they have had their tail caught in the lawnmower.


And just to address Cowperson's claim the the Richardson ground squirrel is the largest rodent, that is not true.

The Capiberra from Brazil is the Largest Rodent. Alberta's larget rodent is the Beaver, followed by the Porcupine. The smallest is the Pygmy Shrew.
Circa89 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 12:48 PM   #8
BavarianHorde
Backup Goalie
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Exp:
Default

Are you sure Bugs Bunny didn't make a wrong turn at Albuquerque?
BavarianHorde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 12:59 PM   #9
Hack&Lube
Atomic Nerd
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

awwwwwwwwww

Hack&Lube is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 01:31 PM   #10
Jedi Ninja
Scoring Winger
 
Jedi Ninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Exp:
Default

Here's a picture from a web site to show what this looks like.


Jedi Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 01:54 PM   #11
Jedi Ninja
Scoring Winger
 
Jedi Ninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Exp:
Default

Caught one! (See below.) Appears to be our little buddy in the photo above. Short and stout with a short furry tail. I'd say it's a vole.



Jedi Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 04:30 PM   #12
Hack&Lube
Atomic Nerd
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedi Ninja View Post
Caught one! (See below.) Appears to be our little buddy in the photo above. Short and stout with a short furry tail. I'd say it's a vole.
What happened to little buddy?
Hack&Lube is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 08:11 PM   #13
Jedi Ninja
Scoring Winger
 
Jedi Ninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube View Post
What happened to little buddy?
Caught him in a humane trap. He ate all the bait in the trap, so I'm guessing he ate himself to death. To be honest, I was somewhat relieved that he was dead, not sure how I would have disposed of him, other than taking the trap to Superstore and letting him go.
Jedi Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Jedi Ninja For This Useful Post:
Old 04-12-2009, 08:25 PM   #14
Rathji
Franchise Player
 
Rathji's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Supporting Urban Sprawl
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jedi ninja View Post
caught him in a humane trap. He ate all the bait in the trap, so i'm guessing he ate himself to death. To be honest, i was somewhat relieved that he was dead, not sure how i would have disposed of him, other than taking the trap to superstore and letting him go.
__________________
"Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job is when we're working by the hour."
Rathji is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 08:52 PM   #15
BOSSY
Scoring Winger
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Exp:
Default

Wow man having batted one last summer with various things including a Halibut spear, pellet gun and rat traps... you are a Jedi and a Ninja!
BOSSY is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2009, 10:31 PM   #16
johnnyluv
Scoring Winger
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

I can't differentiate between their corpses, but my dog has caught several mice or voles in the past little while. I don't know if they're as expedient as a cat, but some dogs are good options for small rodent killing missions.
__________________
"Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies" - Demetri Martin.
johnnyluv is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:32 AM.

Calgary Flames
2024-25




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright Calgarypuck 2021 | See Our Privacy Policy