I've Got A Vole Problem

[Birdyman88]

The last two years, I have voles that are girdling the base of of some small trees behind my house. They're targeting the saplings, but have gotten a couple of larger trees around 4-6" diameter. They seem to prefer black locust, but they have gotten several winged elm. They got about 10 trees last year, and I just discovered 2 more yesterday, one being a favorite locust just behind my fence that is about 6" diameter. I had a black racer that used to hang out back there, but the last time I saw him was in spring 2019, about the time the owls started hanging out back there. I got rid of the wood piles in spring 2019, so I suspect the snakes may have moved on.

1) Do you think it's worth putting the wood piles back out there and maybe trying to reintroduce a racer or a king snake if I can get my hands on one?
2) Do you think putting some putting some wire around the base of the smaller trees might help?
3) They seem to pick on the locust and elms, but don't touch the hickory, oak, cherry, or redbud - thoughts on why?

 

[Reach]

Maybe call your local herpetology group, see if they have a recommendation on how to get snakes to stick around, and maybe they can give you one that’s been relocated from somewhere else?

 

[Birdyman88]

Maybe call your local herpetology group

Duh yeah, that's a great idea [read-can't believe I didn't think of that, lol.]

 

[Dan Cobb]

Our neighbor's cat, who hangs at our house if she's outside, kills our voles but doesn't eat them. I guess we never get a population established thanks to her.

She also keeps the chipmunk population under control. Just wish she didn't always vomit them on our porch.

 

[Birdyman88]

Our neighbor's cat, who hangs at our house if she's outside, kills our voles but doesn't eat them. I guess we never get a population established thanks to her.

We had a neighborhood cat named Ace who use to frequent our property. Owners said he was becoming feral and put him under house arrest since fall of last year. Still let their kids run wild though. Anyway, not sure Ace was a vole hunter as much as a lap cat.

 

[Serf Life]

Loose wrap of hardware cloth around the base?

 

[Birdyman88]

Loose wrap of hardware cloth around the base?

You mean the wire mesh stuff? That seems like it would work as long as the grid is small enough. I know people use it for squirrels, mostly with success.

 

[Reach]

You mean the wire mesh stuff? That seems like it would work as long as the grid is small enough. I know people use it for squirrels, mostly with success.

Yes, hardware cloth, as it is called, is 1/4” wire mesh.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Loose wrap of hardware cloth around the base?

Make the tube then make some slits in the tube to bend out like a hat brim. You could bury the brim or use nails or sticks to stake it down and seal the bottom to the soil.

 

[Birdyman88]

Going to get some tommorrow. Little bastards got two more trees since yesterday.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Be careful that you don't become Carl Spackler

 

[Dan Cobb]

Be careful that you don't become Carl Spackler


View attachment 76575

That used to be me, but it was with armadillos. My suburban neighborhood was overrun with them. They're not much of a problem now with the population reduced by seven dozen.

 

[Dan Cobb]

That used to be me, but it was with armadillos. My suburban neighborhood was overrun with them. They're not much of a problem now with the population reduced by seven dozen.

I spoke too soon. Make that 85 as of tonight.