how to stop voles from eating plants

Prevent Voles

Voles like dense, heavy vegetative cover, weeds, and meadows because it provides them with protection from predators and provides nesting material. ...
Remove woodpiles and hiding places for voles from near your garden, shrubs, and trees.
Keep your lawn mowed and bushes trimmed up from the ground.

What keeps voles away from plants?

Protect plantings from voles with a fence that's buried 3 to 6 inches below the soil surface and bent outwards into an L-shape. Above ground, the fence should be from 4 to 12 inches tall. Use non-rusting, one-quarter-inch mesh. Hardware cloth works well.

What smells do voles hate?

Garlic. Similar to castor oil, garlic can help keep away voles with its pungent smell. You can either mix several minced garlic cloves into water to create a spray solution, or drop crushed cloves near your vegetation and vole runways.

What is the best vole repellent?

The Best Vole Repellents

Ultrasonic Pest Repeller.
Ortho Animal B Gon All Purpose Animal Repellent.
All Natural Rodent Defense Deterrent and Repellent.
Exterminators Choice Rodent Defense Vehicle Protection.

What is a natural way to get rid of voles?

Go Natural

Non-toxic ways to ward off voles include castor oil, derived from the seeds of the castor plant, and capsaicin, an oil found in hot peppers. Spraying either substance on your greenery provide a smell and taste voles are sure to find unpleasant.

What is the fastest way to get rid of voles?

Try Havahart live vole traps situated perpendicular to the widest vole runways or near the nesting sites at the base of trees and shrubs. Bait traps with peanut butter. Set baits midday to early evening when voles get more active. Reset the traps as often as necessary until you eliminate the population.

What do voles hate?

Some suggestions for repelling Moles and Voles include pouring ammonia down the holes and burrows of moles and voles. An alternative method is to soak cloth in ammonia and then shove the cloth down the holes. Another household chemical that is used in a similar fashion to repel moles and voles is chlorine bleach.

How many voles live in a colony?

How many voles are in a colony and what makes up a colony? There may be two adults, several juveniles, and a nest with up to 5 babies in a family colony. Adults are thought to defend their home habitat or territory from invasion by other voles.

What attracts voles to your yard?

Voles are attracted to areas with ample vegetation for food and cover. Rather than encouraging voles to live in your yard, take steps to remove these elements to help drive them out naturally. Mow your lawn and pull weeds regularly. Remove ground cover like brush, low-lying bushes & shrubs.

Does human urine deter voles?

Sprinkle some pet urine on your yard and voles will smell it, even from a distance. You can also purchase urine granules from some of the vole's wild predators, which might be even more effective.

Do voles infest houses?

Also known as field mice, voles usually invade the yard and damage vegetation. ... Voles prefer eating plant materials and generally don't do well indoors. As such, they rarely enter the house. When they do enter your house, you have several options for getting rid of them.

What time of day are voles most active?

Voles may be active day or night, but most activity occurs at dawn and dusk. Their activity is comprised of short, quick visits from the burrow through their runways and back. They typically will make 15 -20 forays from the nest, each foray lasting only about 10 minutes.

Can voles damage your foundation?

After the winter thaw, many a homeowner has discovered extensive vole damage around their foundation plantings. ... Fact: Voles aren't particularly difficult to kill; however, state and local regulations often stipulate what they'll allow because of environmental regulations.

Do coffee grounds keep moles away?

Coffee grounds give off a strong odor that instantly repels garden moles. To use as a repellent, either sprinkle some fresh coffee grounds throughout the lawn and garden, or toss your brewed coffee grounds into the garden each day after making your morning pot of coffee.

Will cayenne pepper keep voles away?

Hot chili powder or cayenne pepper powder can be used to deter voles because it is unpleasant to them. On a calm day, spread around areas where vole activity has been seen. Pour some in vole holes and tunnels, and work in the soil around plants to protect them. This must be reapplied frequently and after rain.

Will castor oil get rid of voles?

Chase Them with Castor (Oil, That Is)

One deterrent common to both moles and voles is castor oil.

How long do voles live for?

The average life of the smaller vole species is three to six months. These voles rarely live longer than 12 months. Larger species, such as the European water vole, live longer and usually die during their second, or rarely their third, winter.

What plants do voles hate?

When it comes to vole repellent plants, Lenten rose (hellebore) is one of the best. Lenten rose has glossy, green leaves and is a cinch to grow. It's one of the first plants to bloom in spring. Plant hellebore carefully, as this beautiful perennial plant is not only toxic to voles, but also to people and pets.

How do I get rid of voles with Juicy Fruit gum?

How to Kill Moles With Juicy Fruit Gum

Cut several sticks of Juicy Fruit up into pieces about 1/2-inch square.
Dig into a mole tunnel using a small hand spade or shovel. ...
Place one of the sections of Juicy Fruit gum into the hole.
Cover the hole back up with dirt.

What do voles like eating?

Voles are mostly herbivorous, feeding on a variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, bulbs, and tubers. They eat bark and roots of trees, usually in fall or winter. Voles store seeds and other plant matter in underground chambers.

Where do voles nest?

Habitat. Voles can be found throughout North America in dense grassy fields, gardens, meadows, woodlands, along lakes and rivers and in agricultural areas. Voles make their nests in underground burrows around tree roots, ground cover and beneath fruit trees.

How do I repair voles in my lawn?

Take Action Now to Correct Vole Damage

Rake the debris and excrement from the runways to promote growth.
Fill pathways with topsoil.
Fertilize and overseed areas that do not recover.
Prune and fertilize trees and shrubs that have been chewed by voles.