Need Help With a Vole Problem

[ghostguy6]

So these little bastards are tearing up my lawn and so far have managed to avoid every trap I have put out. In fact the just fill the traps full of dirt and twice have dragged the mouse traps from the hole and left them in the open on the lawn. They even know to avoid the poisons. They pull the mothballs out of the holes as well. I have discharged 2 large cans of expired bear spray down the holes and it had no effect. Hell I even poured the 18L boiling hot oil from the weekends turkey fry down the hole with no effect (this does look pretty cool to watch the ground boil though). Before I break down and call the exterminator, does anyone have any ideas on what will work?

[slough shark]

Are you sure they're voles? I've only ever had vole problems over the winter and discovered in the spring when the snow melted, tunnels everywhere

[fishinisgood]

We had voles this summer. In the afternoon we would fill the holes in and in the morning they would be opened again. We learned which holes it frequented(which was two) and shoved the garden hose down one. Sure enough, 5 minutes later he comes flyin out. Trapped him in a can and disposed of him

[ryeguy21]

are you in sw edmonton by chance? Voles are a serious issue around my one rental property there.

[silverdoctor]

We generally think of animals as being stupid, but some are pretty clever. Dealt with Pharaoh ants years ago in an apartment - interesting little ants, tiny with a big head and bite hard, tend to chew, not just bite. Just needed to figure out what foods they enjoyed the most. They are a protein ant and you can't spray for them. I set out a bunch of different proteins but raw liver and raw hamburger was their downfall. Fed them for a while, then poisoned the bait. Problem all but solved, had to let the neighbors know.

Feed them and see what they like. Anything from peanuts or peanut butter, apples, sugar based candy or other nuts - if they take it, keep feeding. Put it beside the holes, and on any trails. If you can find something that they like and eat, feed them for a couple of days, then you can add poison. This method is all about conditioning.

[Austin]

What you have is a POCKET GOPHER problem. Go to a Peavey Mart and buy yourself one of these traps. I caught two in 30 minutes. Trap if highly effective. The principle is they go up into the trap to plug up the hole in the other end and triggers the trap. "Magical" black mounds to dirt stopped appearing on my lawn.

[3blade]

What you have is a POCKET GOPHER problem. Go to a Peavey Mart and buy yourself one of these traps. I caught two in 30 minutes. Trap if highly effective. The principle is they go up into the trap to plug up the hole in the other end and triggers the trap. "Magical" black mounds to dirt stopped appearing on my lawn.

This. But as you have noted, they are smart. Wear clean gloves, tune the triggers to be light. put a dandelion or poplar leaf in front of the trigger so they can't see it. Rake the dirt hill off to one side and you will see a spot where the tunnel is. Use a pry bar to excavate and feel around as to which way it's going, then cut the dirt away to set the trap. Set it at 45 degrees with the end hole pointed upwards, use the dirt to fill in the sides, place a layer of leaves then some light dirt over the top, just enough to close off the trigger opening so they don't block it up. There's usually more than one, I reset traps until there's no activity for a week.

[.257Weatherby]

There was a guy on u toob who poured some gasoline 94 RON I think it was down a couple holes and set it on fire.
Watched the holes burst into flame and appeared to be effective...
Seriously though, the peavy mart trap appears to be the best low cost low impact solution.
Then again u toob might be an educational event to learn how to set that trap.
Rob

[goosejerky]

Last year I tracked down some smoke bomb style critter poison at peavy mart. Light the wick, jam it down one of the holes and go cover any holes that have smoke coming out so the smoke stays down there to kill the critter. Worked the first time. No problems since.

Hey were called 'Giant destroyer smoke bombs' you get 3 for $10. There's lots of videos on YouTube.

[covey ridge]

What you have is a POCKET GOPHER problem. Go to a Peavey Mart and buy yourself one of these traps. I caught two in 30 minutes. Trap if highly effective. The principle is they go up into the trap to plug up the hole in the other end and triggers the trap. "Magical" black mounds to dirt stopped appearing on my lawn.

The only thing I would add to that is to stake the traps so you don't lose them. The moles can not move them but foxes and coyotes can. Once you get good at it and start catching on a regular bases, you will find other critters tending your trap. I had a fox that ate the pocket gophers before I could dispose of them. No big deal but that fox used to poop on traps after he/she had meal.:angry3:

[ghostguy6]

Are you sure they're voles? I've only ever had vole problems over the winter and discovered in the spring when the snow melted, tunnels everywhere

The tracks in the lawn would indicate they are voles according to my google searches. Do pocket gophers leave the same kind of tracks?

What you have is a POCKET GOPHER problem. Go to a Peavey Mart and buy yourself one of these traps. I caught two in 30 minutes. Trap if highly effective. The principle is they go up into the trap to plug up the hole in the other end and triggers the trap. "Magical" black mounds to dirt stopped appearing on my lawn.

I have 2 of those out already, but every few hours I find they are filled with dirt. I have covered the trigger holes with leaves and dirt. Even tried peanut butter on the triggers but nothing.

Last year I tracked down some smoke bomb style critter poison at peavy mart. Light the wick, jam it down one of the holes and go cover any holes that have smoke coming out so the smoke stays down there to kill the critter. Worked the first time. No problems since.

Hey were called 'Giant destroyer smoke bombs' you get 3 for $10. There's lots of videos on YouTube.

Ill give those a shot.


So far the mouse traps under a black pail seem to be the most effective, at least they are disappearing completely, before the holes get filled in.

Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming.

[Redgreen]

Google Molenator or Rodentator Pro. I've got a Molenator and it works great...but don't use it during dry conditions. That and the trap you can get from Peavy Mart as above should do the trick.

[Lornce]

I had a problem this year with Voles, trapped 14 of them one at a time with mousetraps, mostly in the greenhouse. Finally got fed up and put Giant destroyer smoke bombs down all the holes a month ago. Worked great, Im now volesss.

[2000victory]

If your lawn is already damaged...couple videos on you tube...pumped propane down hole and set it off with an igniter ...kaboom ...but blew holes through surface...looked like fun tho !!!

[3blade]

I think you might have two problems. The pocket gophers push up a mound of soil with no visible hole. Voles leave the chewed up runs in the grass, sort of looks like you left a hose out for a couple weeks.

A pocket gopher is 3 times the size of a vole. A vole is very similar to a mouse, thus the traps for each aren't compatible. And yes coyotes or foxes will steal them.

[sco22]

You have to be persistent. My record for resetting a dirt filled trap was 11 times before I go him. One trick I have used at this time of year is to put an led light outside of the trap so that some light shines in. Not direct but enough to appear that it is light outside of the trap. And I do this at sunset. Use the bigger traps that don’t have a bottom. You can order them from home hardware. Open the hole, but keep the trap outside of the hole. Some say put it in the hole. That doesn’t work as well. But make sure you block all the gaps around the trap.

Good luck!

[ghostguy6]

When I got I found a mouse trap hand been moved approximately 8 inches out of the hole and set into one of the rat traps I had outside on the lawn. It looks like those buggers knew how to set off the rat trap with the mouse trap. All the peanut butter but was gone from both traps.:angry3: Of course the rest of the traps were filled with dirt again. I put 4 of those smoke bombs down the hole on a single fuse last night so we will see if anything survived. It also looks like Peavy Mart no longer sells the Giant destroyer smoke bombs' but Cambodian Tire has 4 packs for $9.99 if anyone else is looking for them.

[ScubaSteve]

What you have is a POCKET GOPHER problem. Go to a Peavey Mart and buy yourself one of these traps. I caught two in 30 minutes. Trap if highly effective. The principle is they go up into the trap to plug up the hole in the other end and triggers the trap. "Magical" black mounds to dirt stopped appearing on my lawn.

X2

Buddy had this problem on the acreage and used these to great effect. No more voles.