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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] voles revisited

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  • From: Owsley lucy <boulderbelt AT embarqmail.com>
  • To: Farming Market <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] voles revisited
  • Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 12:52:07 -0500

Yeah, there likely will be a larger population of voles because of all the snow. Fedco sent along with my seed order an old newspaper from December and it that paper was an article on voles (and other rodents) and they mentioned years with no snow and cold will decimate the vole population and years with a lot of snow will increase the population.

I know I am seeing some very impressive vole runs now the the snow ins melting. Our new puppy is getting quite good at catching and killing them but they are still doing damage to spinach in a hoop house despite 5 or 6 being removed in the past 48 hours.

We have boxes with 2 traps per box baited with peanut butter. But the dogs are getting more than the traps right now (the voles are springing the traps but not getting caught)


On Mar 9, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Mac wrote:

Our pastures were snow covered from Dec 24 until this week.  I was startled yesterday when the vole runs were revealed.  Will there be a bigger population of voles this year because they were protected from the raptors and coyotes this winter?  Our losses from voles last season were significant and I would like some opinions on what to anticipate this year.  

Are there cultural practices for our gardens (not hoophouses) that will help?  I have placed some high fence posts near garden sites, but have not seen an increased visit rate by hawks.  Is there anything that we can do?

Mac




Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
Eaton, OH






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