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Damage to Lawns and Gardens Caused by Moles and Voles

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We are most familiar with moles, which are mouse-like creatures that can do so much damage to your lawn. What about voles? Well, their names might sound alike, and voles are also often mistaken for moles. These creatures, however, are different from each other. Whereas voles are rodents, moles are not. They also have different characteristics and food preferences. But both animals can wreak havoc to your garden and lawns.

The Mole – How It Destroys Grounds

Moles are insectivorous. This means that they won’t eat your precious tulip bulbs. Instead, they’ll feed on insect larvae, grubs, and earthworms. So, how do they cause damage to your yard? It is seldom to see moles crawling on the grass. They are always underneath the ground. These creatures create tunnels that they use to get to food sources. Oftentimes, moles create berms or mounded hills when forming their runways. So, while going on their merry way in search for their favorite worms, they also spoil your lawn.

The Vole and the Damage It Causes

Unlike moles, voles are vegetarians. They target seeds, bulbs, and roots. When food is scarce, such as during winter time, it’s also pretty common for voles to eat shrubs and tree bark. Because they like plants, they can cause considerable damage to gardens. Your prized plants are surely not safe if there are voles around. Just imagine all of your hard work going down the drain once voles start snacking on your precious dahlias or your succulent tomatoes. Won’t that make you feel really frustrated?

Voles can make tunnels if they need to. However, they often choose the easy way, and that is exploiting the tunnels that have been created by moles. In case they choose to build underground runways, they do not create berms. Nevertheless, they produce damage under the ground, which could also weaken the integrity of the top soil.

Keeping Out Moles and Voles

Voles

1. Keep grounds well-maintained.

Voles are attracted to lush vegetation, and they grow particularly emboldened when there are tall grasses or deep mulch that keeps them hidden. So, one way to discourage these critters is by ensuring that your lawn is maintained well. Mow grass regularly, and get rid of weeds. When putting mulch, keep the layer thin and not too deep.

2. Wrap tree trunks in metal wires.

Because voles eat bark, it’s best to protect the base of trees. Get some metal wires or mesh wires and put these around the bark of trees. Also, keep mulch and dense vegetation away from the base of trees.

3. Use traps and other methods to eradicate voles.

You can use humane mice traps to catch voles. There are also poisons and other substances that can be used to repel or kill voles.

Moles

1. Control the insect population in your garden.

Since moles are attracted to all sorts of worms and insects, be sure to keep the insect population in your lawn under control. By keeping their food sources scarce, they won’t be encouraged to live in your lawn or to go back to your garden every time they’re hungry.

2. Utilize traps to capture moles.

There are all sorts of traps that you can use, such as harpoon, scissors or choker mole traps. If you prefer a more humane way to get rid of moles, check out the Havahart traps, which are live trapping devices. But you have to be find a place far from your property where you can release the animal you’ve trapped.

Final Note

Critters pose a problem and a challenge to most homeowners. If you want to get rid of pests but you don’t know how, consult a professional. Experts will suggest what sort of methods you can use. They can also propose eco-friendly and safer options so that you won’t have to expose yourself, your kids and your pets to dangerous chemicals.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons – Hackworth. “Bloody moles! 3 September 2007”. September 3, 2007. Online image. Flickr. December 5, 2012. image source

Claire Lassiter is a freelance writer who frequently blogs about pest management. She covers many topics, including rodents, roaches, stinging pests, and other damaging bugs. She provides material for Rove Pest Control, a company that specializes in eradicating several kinds of destructive pests.






Keeping Gardens Green

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In these environmentally conscious times many of us are keen to garden in as green a manner as is possible.  Just where does one to start?  So often the word green is just inserted into a description but might not mean anything more than the colour of the paint on a gardening tool.  A little bit of research can go a long way although it will take a long time before being able to do everything.  There is no need to do everything at once.  In marketing there is the well-known 20/80 split.  That means that 20% of smokers buy 80% of cigarettes!  It is a remarkably consistent pattern for many products. So with 20% of the effort required you can achieve 80% of results that you want to achieve!

Nowadays one of the big problems is that people want to pave over large parts of their garden.  On a small scale this does not matter but when whole streets cover their front gardens for parking and put down slabs for patios in their back garden the amount of rain that can be absorbed into the soil is reduced and the resulting run-off can cause flooding.

There are ways around this and still avoid the need for weeding.  Where hard standing really is a must there are various types of concrete grids which allows rainfall to seep through into the soil but is more than capable of keeping vehicles from churning up any mud.  Any greenery growing through the grid can be kept orderly by using a strimmer.  The greenery softens the visual impact of the concrete but does not hide it.

Alternatives include putting down permeable matting and topping it with chippings.  This arrangement will allow rainfall to seep into the soil and boot water supplies for nearby plants during dry spells.  This can reduce the cracking of clay soils which in turn reduces the risk of subsidence of buildings in droughts!

One can use decking instead of concrete or stone slabs for patios.  By leaving a few gaps the rainwater will soak into the soil.  If one does not want to be bothered by having to keep undergrowth in check lay down permeable matting and most problems will be kept manageable.

No option is perfect but some are definitely preferable to others.  A few stepping stones across a lawn can make it easier to cross without having much impact on the environment.  By having some herbs growing next to a path one can breathe in the scent when they are crushed underfoot!  (Do be careful not to slip!)  A garden can please more than one sense if a little thought is given to it.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Image author owned

Post written by London Florist – Flowers24hours.co.uk , know more about the florist on their About Us Page.

Homemade Pest Barriers for Your Vegetable Garden

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One of the most satisfying and relaxing hobbies is gardening. Growing your own vegetables offers a lot of benefits. For one, you’re almost always assured of healthy food. This is especially true if you’re using organic methods in caring for your crops. Two, owning your own vegetable garden also allows you to save money. After all, you won’t have to purchase vegetables from your local grocery store, since you can simply pick them from your own garden. Three, gardening is a great way to boost your mood. The repetitive task can help reduce your stress, and when you see your vegetable garden flourishing, it can easily bring a smile to your face.

However, tending to your vegetable garden can also be a bit stressful. You have to protect it against the different weather conditions, and most importantly, you have to protect it against pests. If you don’t want to use pesticides, then here are some homemade pest barriers that you can do for your vegetable garden.

Homemade Plant Cover

Plant covers not only help retain the soil’s heat, but it can also help you a lot if you want to plant early. In addition to these, plant covers can also protect your plants from pestiferous insects as well as rodents.

In creating your own plant cover, all you will need are woven plastic and wooden frame. You can also make use of wire frame as well as muslin. Setting this up is easy if you have basic carpentry skills. You only have to build the frame and cover it with the muslin or the woven plastic. Once done, simply cover the plants you want protected and secure the entry points by placing weights over them. This can keep pestiferous pests and small rodents from damaging the plants.

Homemade Screen Cones

Cabbage is susceptible to maggots and other insect pests. If you want to protect the young plants from these pests, what you can do is to make homemade screen cones. These pest barriers work similarly to plant covers in such a way that you place the cone over the young plant, preventing pests from damaging the cabbage.

What you need are the same materials – a strip of wood and a woven plastic. Shape the woven plastic into a cone. See to it that it’s big enough to cover the plant without crowding it. Once done, secure the edges on the wood. You can simply pin the edges of the screen on the wood and secure it with small nails or staple it shut.

Screen cones can not only prevent maggots from chewing through the roots, but it can also prevent flies from laying their eggs on the plant. These eggs, when they hatch, become the maggots that attack the roots.

When to Call a Pest Control Company

These pest barrier methods are very effective in controlling the pest population in your vegetable garden. However, if these methods don’t work and your plants are unhealthy and/or dying, then maybe it’s time to call your local pest control company. Just see to it though that the company offers green services to get rid of insect pests, particularly since you don’t want toxic chemicals to contaminate your garden’s soil and plants.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Jennifer Dallman contributes articles to a number of pest control blogs, including http://www.preventivepestcontrol.com/ Owning a vegetable garden is very rewarding, but if your garden is infested with pestiferous insects, then be sure to get rid of them the organic and safe way.

 

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