Voles:

New Research: Pachysandra as a repellant

• Leaves and stems of various aromatic plants that animals avoid feeding upon: beech, black cherry, boxwood, crown vetch, daffodils, garlic, hay-scented fern, myrtle, pachysandra, St. John's wort. Vole attractive clover and dandelion also in study.
• Study mixed frozen and ground leaves and stems of the above plants with applesauce (bait). Results: voles ate 85% less applesauce with 14% pachysandra powder than with applesauce and 14% dandelion powder.
• Research continues on pachysandra and daffodils for a broad-based animal repellant (including deer and rabbits).
• Studies also being conducted on perimeter/barrier plantings of pachysandra to protect vulnerable plants.
• Traditional repellants such as Ro-Pel, Tree Guard, Plantskydd, hot sauces, etc. all work well.

Deterrents:

• Volebloc: lightweight, porous, sharp-edged gravel claimed to protect bulbs and roots when placed in planting hole.
• Permatill: (used to aerate heavy soils)
• Oyster shells (also used to discourage chipmunks and squirrels from digging up bulbs and other susceptible plants.

Baits:

• Vitamin D-3 and anticoagulants in pelletized bait (causes voles to stop feeding and die). Toxic only to rodents.

Traps:

• Mousetrap baited with a 50/50 peanut butter/oatmeal. Buy many as vole damage indicates a large population. Set traps at intervals along vole runs. Bait for 2-3 nights without setting traps. Continue for several days.

Barriers:

• Hardware cloth (1/4-inch mesh) sunk at least 2 inches below grade.

Good Sanitation:

• A good fall cleanup of frosted plants.
• Leaf cleanup; mowing short to facilitate predator access to voles.
• Don't mulch perennials and woody plants until after the ground has frozen.

Moles:

Background:

• Moles do not feed on plants. Primary foods are grubs and earthworms. Control grubs in the landscape to reduce mole problems.
• Moles are solitary animals, unlike voles. Usually there is only 1 or 2 in a typical landscape.
• Moles are active year-round, following earthworms below the frost line.

Traps:

• Scout to find active tunnels by lightly stepping on the tops on tunnels, only partially collapsing them. Mark these sites with stakes or flags. In a couple of days note which tunnels are raised, indicating active routes.
• Types of traps: choker traps, scissor-jawed traps, harpoon traps.

Repellants:

• Mole Med Repellant (castor bean oil)
• The "mole" plant (Euphorbia lathyris)
• Used kitty litter placed in the active tunnels.

Digging and flooding

Sound:

• Windmills.
• Kid's pinwheels along tunnels.
• Soda bottles set in mole runs so the wind will blow across the open top will set up a vibration.

Commercial Devices:

• Mole Evictor (a battery operated vibrating device)
• Gopher It II
• Rodent Rocks (Porous lava stones soaked in an organic repellant containing onion and garlic. Bury 6 inches deep at 2-4 foot centers. Advertised to repel moles for 4-12 months.