Field vole problem (again!!) :(

[penstemon]

Border collies are far too evolved to be messing around with blood meal.... There is a product called "Plantskydd" (not pronounced the way it looks) which is blood meal, but has no odor to it. Also works.

[John85]

What kind of trap do you use?
I caught a dozen but then they became too clever.Changed the bait but in vain;
Any suggestions?

[Robert]

What kind of trap do you use?
I caught a dozen but then they became too clever.Changed the bait but in vain;
Any suggestions?

I use mouse traps - no bait! Never.

Always on their run ways and if possible where they can not run around them.

Trapping next to their borrow entrance has been ineffective for me. The voles seem cautious when they first leave their borrow.

[pontus]

Thank you everyone for your help,

I am definitely using the cage method now wherever possible with chicken metal wire, ...

I also found some old grinded cowhorn which i used as fertiliser which really stinks, so i sprinkled some of that around the spots i had seen vole activity...I will also try and find and sprinkle some bloodmeal,

i saw one of teh neighbours cats kill a vile a few days ago, which is a good sign..

unfortunately my show garden aand nursery is next to a field, where i suspect most of them come from... I also heard from a gardener that as you say, its a good idea to keep a strip of grass cut very short around the garden, so that they would be scared of crossing in view of raptors... so i have done that as well...

It is strange that voles eat cardiocrinums....they also ate alot of colchicums once for me... arent these plants highly toxic? are the voles immune to them or do some die after eating them anyway?

i read that snowdrops and arcissus are toxic to rodents so they leave them alone, is that true?

Pontus

[ArnoldT]

The voles are probably immune to the colchicine that is found in the Colchicums.  There are many examples of one substance that is poisonous to one species and not another.  Think chocolate and dogs or onions and horses.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Glad the cat is killing the vile voles!

[John85]

The problem with traps is that there are a lot of shrews that are caught too and they die very quickly because they cann't cope with the stress.
Any way to avoid that?

[Robert]

Pontus,

Here in Northern California, the voles do not eat Narcissus or Galanthus, however they often drag the bulbs around in their tunnels. For us, this is not much of an issue with the Narcissus and Galanthus that have larger bulbs. Smaller bulbs, mostly seedlings, can get pulled away from their original site and are frequently lost.

The problem with traps is that there are a lot of shrews that are caught too and they die very quickly because they cann't cope with the stress.
Any way to avoid that?

John,

If we still had shrews in our area I would never trap voles. From my understanding, shrews are far more effective at controlling voles than trapping could ever be. We are fortunate in that, generally, only voles end up in our traps. In the past few years I have only accidentally trapped one lizard and one sparrow. I do not like it when I accidentally trap non-target creatures, one reason we never use poison.

[johnstephen29]

Hi Robert how do shrews control voles? The shrews we have in my part of the world are only tiny little things. Unless your referring to the two legged female variety

[johnralphcarpenter]

Hi Robert how do shrews control voles? The shrews we have in my part of the world are only tiny little things. Unless your referring to the two legged female variety

Be careful!

[Maggi Young]

I was thinking  that myself, Ralph - be a shame if the lad were to have to spend the New Year's night in A and E    ..............

[johnstephen29]

All good light hearted banter Maggi, Andrea knows what I'm like and I would never intentionally cause offence.

[Maggi Young]

We know John - just teasing!

(Besides, if the worst I've been called is a shrew I'd be well-pleased! Not to mention surprised!!) 

[johnralphcarpenter]

I once had to organise an international conference, held in Warwickshire, with delegates from UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. On the first evening we took them to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, to see "The Taming of the Shrew". A good time was had by all, but the Americans did express surprise at the choice of play - Not at all PC!

[Robert]

Hi Robert how do shrews control voles? The shrews we have in my part of the world are only tiny little things. Unless your referring to the two legged female variety

Interesting question! I don't know anything about the two legged female kind. 

As for the other type - maybe another creature is called a shrew around here. Maybe a weasel? or something along those lines.