I'm having a big problem this year with some kind of rodent digging lots of tunnels in my garden beds and don't know what I can do about it. I think it's chipmunks, because we are having a bumper crop of those this year for some reason. But I've also seen what could be mice or voles (I don't know how to tell the difference). So far the plants look fine, but I want to stop the tunneling, if I can. What do you guys do about them? They are small holes, so I don't think it's likely to be anything bigger than those three rodents.
Rodent tunnels in the garden
It's probably both voles and chipmunks. I'm having the same problem. One year I found a good sized garter snake and put her down one of the holes. I never saw her again, but the voles seemed to lessen in number. Right now, I have two battery operated rodent chasers buried in two different gardens. They seem to take a year to make a real difference, but they do help. We tried sticky traps one year, but voles are apparently smarter than mice - they kicked dirt over the traps and walked right over them. I also bought one of the tunnel traps, but they just moved their door.
same problem here - it is probably both as i have caught a few voles and the chippy's are multiplying faster than i can keep up with.
We have the vole s as well but have several Garter snakes and the have thinned them out,when I get frustrated with them I rationalize the situation in it being one of natures ways of airating the ground.Them fed on unwanted insects so that to is a plus.I could live without the looks of the tunnels but see no plant damage.
if they move in and spend the winter there will be plenty of damage!
I thought I read something about putting spearmint oil on cotton balls and stuffing them down the holes. Anyone ever tried that? Sounds too easy to possibly work to me, but I might give it a shot if I can find some of that stuff at the health food store.
Not sure if it works but I have heard to use juciy fruit gum. IDK if you are suppose to chew it first or not though. I have a major problem with these guys also and went from 5 or 6 very pretty, very large tulips out front last year to one so so tulip this year!! I just know they ate the bulbs. There was no digging/scratching from above. grrr.............
I was told that moles eat the plants but voles just the slugs or grubs cause we never have plant damage but tunnels every where?
I think voles are notorious for eating the plant roots? I haven't seen any garter snakes this year, but we had a whopper of one last year, so I'm sure they are around. They scare the beejeezus out of me when I stumble upon them, so it's fine by me if I never see any. I caught one eating a toad once, but didn't think they could swallow something as big as a vole.
moles are the ones that eat the grubs and slugs. Voles are vegetarian and eat roots, sometimes toppling apple trees.
n'easter - even vole start out small!
I think I may have seen a baby one in the yard, but I'm not sure. I thought he was ill of hurt because he was just sitting there. I should have photographed him for an id. I told my husband to move him, and then it scurried away. It was very cute, gray, with big ears and big eyes.
If moles eat grubs and slugs, send some my way!!
Birds are better, less damage to the garden. Mole tunnels heave up the ground & the voles or field mice follow the tunnels.
Don't want to break an ankle either by falling thru ones of their holes.
On the gum, yes you chew it first.
I use mothballs and garlic down the chippy holes, seems to work...IDK how it would work on voles or moles though.