How to keep your garden vole-free with simple, humane tricks
22 August 2024 15:21
A vole in the garden can be quite problematic. These animals can cause significant damage. How do you get rid of them? Discover a simple method.
A vole is a small mammal from the vole family. It looks like a cross between a mouse and a hamster and measures about 8 to 13 centimetres in length. Although it looks harmless, don't be fooled. It's a real pest in the garden. Once you notice it in your garden, you need to act quickly; otherwise, you will lose a large part of your crops.
Drop it into the burrow. The vole will flee in panic
Despite their small size, voles can cause serious damage in the garden. They are nocturnal creatures that live in tunnels. They dig themselves, which is why they are so hard to spot. These pests feed on buds, rhizomes, and plant seeds, severely damaging them.
How do you get rid of voles? These mammals are very sensitive to smells. Some scents attract them, while others repel them. These include the aroma of coffee, mint, cinnamon, spurge, currant, mint, thuja, or walnut leaves. The latter emit substances that repel voles. Simply place a few crushed leaves into the burrow, and the pests will flee from the garden within a few hours.
Reliable trick for voles
Voles are an important part of the ecosystem, so they should not be killed. It is unethical and inhumane. However, if none of the natural methods work in fighting the pests, you should resort to stronger measures, such as... herring. The smell of fish, especially herring, strongly affects voles and other rodents.
Similar to plants, place the fish in the tunnel and cover it with soil, so that the smell spreads throughout the burrow. You can also add some water in which the herrings were marinated. After using this method, voles will not appear in the garden for a long time.
