North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[jas39a@earthlink.net]

I've had a bad problem with them over the years.  I tried for a long time to 
raise oriental and Asiatic lillies, but every winter, the voles eat the 
bulbs.  They also munch on the roots of my Asian pears.  One of our cats has 
been killing 2 or 3 voles a month, which helps out.  I think snakes are the 
best defense against voles.

Eddie Earles

-----Original Message-----
>From: Sue Christensen <sue@hoodel.com>
>Sent: Aug 30, 2008 7:29 AM
>To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: [NAFEX] Vole (Meadow mouse) problems
>
>
>At this point I may have to rename my farm  "Vole Haven" !  Darn 
>it-I'd like to know how people deal successfully with voles!!!
>
>My young trees have hardware cloth barriers, we mow and trim the 
>weeds. We're still infested with voles in the main garden. Currently 
>we use traps and catch around 6 a day, but they are still coming! In 
>there, they've gnawed through squash plants and eaten the beets and 
>potatoes down to nubbins. I'm worried about my small fruit shrubs now 
>too. I understand the buggers can climb at least somewhat so how does 
>that help surrounding an area with protective hardware cloth 
>barriers? I was thinking of trying Lee Reich's no-till ideas, but now 
>I'm wondering if all that compost/mulch lying on top of the ground 
>might be yet another draw to these buggers to breed in. There used to 
>be native barn cats all over, but I see fewer of them now and am not 
>sure what happened to all of them as there is obviously FOOD here!
>
>What on earth did people do about voles historically when they 
>required much larger gardens for self sustenance? What do you all do 
>to protect your investments in plants and time from these pests?
>
>Thanks,
>Sue in Pennsylvania
>
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