How to get rid of Voles

[bob-loblaw]

At our previous place, we had voles for at least five years running. We backed onto a big wetland area and with tons of trees. All the homes have chain-link fences. Basically, if they went into one yard they'd go through them all. In one spring, a neighbour two doors down replaced his entire lawn. They still came back the next year. Heck, I actually killed one with my weed wacker one time. I've seen then running through the rock garden, and even found them in the middle of my lawn in the summer of the grass was too long and thick.

After trying to trap and kill them I found it was impossible to stop them from returning. In the spring, I'd just cut the lawn short, rake it as much as I could then fertilize. Lawn is pretty amazing, and usually new growth would cover up the tracks in 2-3 weeks.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by bob-loblaw

At our previous place, we had voles for at least five years running. We backed onto a big wetland area and with tons of trees. All the homes have chain-link fences. Basically, if they went into one yard they'd go through them all. In one spring, a neighbour two doors down replaced his entire lawn. They still came back the next year. Heck, I actually killed one with my weed wacker one time. I've seen then running through the rock garden, and even found them in the middle of my lawn in the summer of the grass was too long and thick.

After trying to trap and kill them I found it was impossible to stop them from returning. In the spring, I'd just cut the lawn short, rake it as much as I could then fertilize. Lawn is pretty amazing, and usually new growth would cover up the tracks in 2-3 weeks.

Yea this is basically the case. Once you get them you'll have them forever.

In our previous house we had them most years so we just had traps out all the time, all year round. When they were bad over the winter we'd catch several as soon as we started putting traps out and then the odd one every couple weeks.

Then as soon as you stop with the traps (thinking they're all gone) they show up again and decimate your lawn next winter.

[Muta]

Maybe they'll just leave on their their vole-ition.

[troutman]

Have you considered badgers?

[missdpuck]

Yeah, but honey badger don’t care.

[manwiches]

Just caught another today, after starting off with 2 to start the Spring, when I thought they were gone. I have a ground deck, so not at all surprising they are there still. It's directly adjacent to my grass though, and I will lose my s$$t if I see tracks in my grass again like last Spring before I got them under control with multiple traps and poison. Last year I caught 13 voles, and 5 mice. I was beyond pissed.

I'm going to bust out the anti-freeze this weekend. F$%# them.

[Tyler]

Poison bait in place, hoping for a week full of vole carnage

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Poison bait in place, hoping for a week full of vole carnage

A week ago I raked out all our deadgrass, built-up leaves, and crap under and around all our front yard junipers. Lots of vole damage this year. At least one tribe there and another in the back yard. Put out 2 poison traps last Tuesday but haven't spotted any cadavers yet. Will give em another couple days and then move the trojan horse to the back tribes breeding grounds. Last year this poison seemed to substantially work.

[Hockeyguy15]

The only issue with poisoning them is if you don't find the bodies and another animal eats the carcass they can get sick or die.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

The only issue with poisoning them is if you don't find the bodies and another animal eats the carcass they can get sick or die.

I'm supposed to fill in the vole dens with dirt in a bit so they decompose and stay underground.