Moles and voles are a gardener’s equivalent of horror movie monsters – they pop up when you least expect it, and tend to destroy everything in their paths! These small pests pose a big threat to your garden and aren’t always easy to do away with.
But, if you do have a mole/vole problem, breathe easy- here’s what you need to know to outsmart and get rid of these burrowing critters.
Moles or Voles?
So their names rhyme and they’re both big trouble, but moles and voles are actually pretty different from one another. Moles are typically 6-7 inches long and gray to dark brown in color. These insectivores live and feed underground and are known to be anti-social, but that’s really not the reason you don’t want them around. It’s the inadvertent damage they cause, digging tunnels looking for earthworms and grubs that makes them very unwelcomed. And then there’s the case of these tunnels providing shelter to voles and other pests!
Voles look quite a bit like mice, only they have shorter tails. They are several different species of voles, all plant eating. Some target the roots, others, feed on bark fruit or foliage. They reproduce at an alarmingly fast rate.
Controlling moles and voles
There are many safe, non-toxic ways of sending moles and voles scurrying out the tunnels and off your land. You can always let the cat loose in the garden – but some gardeners don’t like the idea of their darling cat feeding on pests or bringing a dead one inside as a “present.”
Another clever way of keeping moles and voles off your grounds is by cutting down their food supply. Wrapping thick, hardware cloth around the trunks of young shrubs and trees will prevent voles from having a feast, and removing old mulch will rob both critters of hiding spaces.
The most effective environmentally-friendly pest repellent: A simple castor oil solution capable of repelling both moles and voles. Our Mole-Relief products chase off both moles and voles by creating an unpleasant smell under the earth’s surface (don’t worry, it won’t stink up the garden above-ground). Mole-Relief doesn’t kill moles or voles – it simply drives them away by making your yard an unpleasant place for them. And it doesn’t introduce harmful chemicals into your lawn!