# How do you get rid of voles?



## xxxxxxBirdDogger

I've got these little vermin tearing up my grass. I don't know if they chew the roots up as they tunnel or what? The grass is dying in a corner of my yard and I can see right where the tunnels go. Everywhere around the tunnels is dying. Help! What do I do?


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## blackbear

huh, Iv never heard of them in Utah. What part of the state are you in? 
Betcha their cute little buggers though....


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## proutdoors

Get a pet badger.


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## proutdoors

Not a mouse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vole

Here are some images of the evil little basatges: http://images.google.com/images?client= ... 1&ct=title


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## NHS

I am getting ready to put in my back yard. I had a big pile of weeds from last fall. I called down to the fire department and got a burn permit. I lit that pile up and you should have seen the voles scatter! So if any of you are my neighbors and I don't know it....you can thank me for increasing the vole population in your yards, because they are no longer in mine. :mrgreen:


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## NHS

I just noticed your signature fatbass. To answer the questions, I guess it would depend on what you had for your most recent meal.


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## copper

I would suggest a cat with some good lineage.  Mine just brought in a vole last night. A cat would at least keep them on their toes. It is after all what they were intended to do.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

While a cat is probably the best solution, it won't work for me. This guy likes to floss with 'em:








I hate to use poison in the backyard because I don't want my dogs to get into it. Surely there's a trap or something? I'll have to take a trip to IFA.


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## NHS

A few years ago, I had moles in my garden. They left bigger tunnels. I went to IFA and bought a few smoke bombs. They worked wonders.


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## copper

I know some terrier breeds were breed for rodent control. But you would have to confirm that they will prey on voles as well.

I just know we used to have a problem with mice/voles, etc, it went away once we got the cats, which is the main reason they were purchased.

nice pup btw.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> I went to IFA and bought a few smoke bombs. They worked wonders.


Now we're getting somewhere. That sounds kind of fun!

...and...



> nice pup btw.


Thanks! Who's the new guy on your avatar?


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## katorade

Is that the picture of the cat it was pointing after the pigeons I got you. :lol:


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## Loke

Last year our school district's maintenance department obtained a device to pump propane into gopher tunnels, then ignite it. the shock wave is supposed to kill the gophers. I'd imagine that it would work on the voles as well. Just call me before you try it. I want to watch. And I'll bring the video camera.

Hey NHS, you don't happen to live by the new elementary school on 2300 west and 1900 north in Lehi do you?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> Is that the picture of the cat it was pointing after the pigeons I got you. :lol:


Look straight north from your house and you'll see where that point took place. The bird being pointed is the one hanging on my wall. I waited all year to get a crack at that big ole rooster and I got him. This was the cat point :mrgreen: :


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## NHS

Loke said:


> Hey NHS, you don't happen to live by the new elementary school on 2300 west and 1900 north in Lehi do you?


Yes sir, that is me. Did I infest your yard? :lol:


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## Loke

No, but you infested my school.


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## Al Hansen

I don't have pets or kids so I bought the poison. I hate those things. :twisted:


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## fixed blade XC-3

NHS said:


> Loke said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey NHS, you don't happen to live by the new elementary school on 2300 west and 1900 north in Lehi do you?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes sir, that is me. Did I infest your yard? :lol:
Click to expand...

 :mrgreen: :lol: This could get good.


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## Loke

I'm not afraid of any vole infestation. Most of the voles that I know have higher standards than are allowed in my neighborhood.


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## Huge29

Assuming that these would work the same as any other small rodent, these work wonders. I use to use them in our grain shed and we would catch them by the dozen all in one setting, no poison... I see that Costco uses them at each entrance too. I have seen similar ones at IFA, keep them along a wall, at least for mice, there trail is always along walls.


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## AF CYN

We had voles infest our neighborhood a couple of years ago (probably a result of NHS burning brush piles). I tried three methods of eradication:

1. Shovel--most sporting.
2. Lawn mower--most satisfying
3. Rat/Mouse poison--most effective. 

The one downfall to poison is that voles would turn up in various states of illness, death, and decomposition all over the lawn (not good when you have young, curious kids). However, the poison finished them off and they have not returned.


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## NHS

:lol: I remember the great vole bash of '06. You were good with a shovel. I never did see the lawnmower method in action.


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## Huge29

AF CYN said:


> The one downfall to poison is that voles would turn up in various states of illness, death, and decomposition all over the lawn (not good when you have young, curious kids). However, the poison finished them off and they have not returned.


That is the design of most poisons, as I recall from my pest control days, the poison dries them out resulting in them looking for water or going out into the open. The idea being that you don't want the dumb things dieing in the walls to rot and stink up the whole house. So, yes they will often be out in the open, which creates a second problem with a dog or a CAT if they were to eat a poisoned one therefore, now being poisoned too.


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## The Naturalist

The best vole catchers (through the snow) I have ever witnessed are red foxes and owls. They both have uncanny hearing and can track them by sound under the snow.
I doubt anyone would want to encourage foxes to hang around, but to encourage owl predation it is best if there are tall structures nearby such as trees, or silos, etc.
As long as you have vacant lots or fields with a lot of tall vegetation next to your home you'll always have a problem.
I also would not use poison in the open - too many other critters could be targeted, especially owls.
The best solution, though probably not feasible, is to remove the snow. That eliminates their cover, voles don't like to venture into the open.
If all else fails - a little grass seed should do well this spring with all the little vole droppings for fertilizer :wink: 
Good luck


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> So, yes they will often be out in the open, which creates a second problem with a dog or a *car* if they were to eat a poisoned one therefore, now being poisoned too.


So Huge, does your car often eat rodents? :lol: J/K- I know you meant to write kid.


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## proutdoors

BirdDogger said:


> So, yes they will often be out in the open, which creates a second problem with a dog or a *car* if they were to eat a poisoned one therefore, now being poisoned too.
> 
> 
> 
> So Huge, does your car often eat rodents? :lol: J/K- I know you meant to write kid.
Click to expand...

Umm, I'm guessing he meant to write "cat".

I saw this and was going to give Huge a 'free pass', but since it was brought to light what else do cars eat that may lead to poisoning?


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## Huge29

proutdoors said:


> BirdDogger said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, yes they will often be out in the open, which creates a second problem with a dog or a *car* if they were to eat a poisoned one therefore, now being poisoned too.
> 
> 
> 
> So Huge, does your car often eat rodents? :lol: J/K- I know you meant to write kid.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Umm, I'm guessing he meant to write "cat".
> 
> I saw this and was going to give Huge a 'free pass', but since it was brought to light what else do cars eat that may lead to poisoning?
Click to expand...

Now that you brought it up; no mice, but my truck does eat dodges and shi+$ chevys... :mrgreen:


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> Umm, I'm guessing he meant to write "cat".


 :lol: Yeah, that makes more sense! I couldn't quite figure it out when I read it. I thought he must have a toddler that puts everything in their mouth. Jeez, can you imagine looking up to see little Johnny putting a dead vole in his mouth? _/O


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## proutdoors

Huge29 said:


> proutdoors said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw this and was going to give Huge a 'free pass', but since it was brought to light what else do cars eat that may lead to poisoning?
> 
> 
> 
> Now that you brought it up; no mice, but my truck does eat dodges and shi+$ chevys... :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

 -()/>-


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## deadicatedweim

I would love to be there for the propane experince. I tried using gas in a hole once in arizona for some furry animals and it was a dud didnt even blow my eyebrows off  . The gas mostly soaked in to the soil and then struggled for air to really burn. Never tried it sense then but it got the animals to move out and make some new fume free tunnels.


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## copper

Pouring Gasoline down an underground hornets nest. Fun times those were during childhood. :twisted:


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

I stopped by IFA today and talked with the guys there and wound up coming home with a couple of smoke bombs. They're only $2.99 a pop. It's bombs away this Saturday!


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## InvaderZim

Birddogger,

Not sure how I missed this post!

Voles, as you've found out, can cause a LOT of damage, most of it during the winter, under the cover of snow. As the snow recedes, the damage will recede to an extent, and they will use their "quarter" sized burrows more frequently (since they have lost the cover the snow provides.)

Controlling Voles is easy. Or rather they are susceptible to a variety of baits and trapping methods. The problem, like mice and rats, is that they are very mobile and quickly propagate. E.g. re-infestation can become a problem.

I suggest that you head to the farm store and purchase a product called Zinc Phosphide. It comes in a pelleted form, and is easy to administer. Take the ZP and place it down the holes as far as possible, about 1 tea spoon each is more than enough. Wait 1 week.

Then go around and fill all the open holes with dirt, packing it into each hole tightly. This allows you to monitor the activity of said holes. If, the next day, any of the holes are reopened, apply the ZP to all open holes and repeat this process until all activity ceases.

You can also trap the with mouse traps.

For more detailed damage control information please visit this site (its a PDF page, so it may take a bit to load.): Vole control

Good luck!


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

Thanks Zimmy! That was the information I needed. I tried bombing them today, but I don't know if it worked because their tunnel runs under a concrete pad. I'll get some zinc phosphide and try to push it down the holes as far as I can.


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## Riverrat77

I've heard carbide with some water dumped on it can work well too, at least for pushing them out of tunnel systems. I don't know where you get rock carbide anymore (my dad used it a few times since he had some for spelunking) but it seemed to chase them out of our yard and nobody ever got blown up.


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## Chaser

Voles, gophers, moles, and all manner of burrowing rodents are a huge problem out in the midwest. In MO where I served my mission, we used to see spring loaded metal contraptions all over the place. I wondered what on earth they were. On day I had it explained to me. I guess they are like a small sword or lance that when tripped, the spring drives it through the ground and into the pest. It just spears them. I'll see if I can dig up a picture of one.
Here's one:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... n%26sa%3DG


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

Bombs are not the way to get rid of voles. All I got for my troubles was some lightheadedness and a black spot on my concrete. The stinkin' buggers opened up new holes right where I planted the dirt over the bombs. I was out just now pushing poison pellets as far down into the holes as I could. It's man against non-mouse at my house. :twisted:


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## Loke

The school district uses a poison that looks like clear gummy worms. You put them in their holes and you are vole-free in no time. I don't know what they are called or where you might find them. Try IFA. They might have them or know where to get them.


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## Lycan

I've got a few natural rodent removers in my neighborhood so my vole and mouse problem has only ever been slight. Between the neighborhood cats, my next door neighbor's Jack Russel Terrier, birds of prey, fox, skunks, and mink, the rodents are pretty much toast. I have more of a problem with the skunks and the mink than anything else. The skunks are nice enough to get run over in the road and leave their personal aroma wafting through the air for days. The mink are nasty little buggers that bite and attack our pets. They are here courtesy of a very responsible mink farm. :roll: The ones in my yard get a proper welcoming by a fast moving projectile, usually made of aluminum or carbon. :wink: 8)


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