Vanquishing Voles in Cumming, GA
As a relative of the mouse, voles are also referred to as meadow or field mice. These little rodents are small animals about 3 to 9 inches long with small eyes and can multiply like crazy. Managing their population in Cumming, GA is very important in preventing them from destroying your yard. Voles can have up to ten litters a year. This, along with early sexual maturation, allows for exponential population growth.
Voles will eat dead animals if needed but are primarily going to go after plants and root systems, which makes your vegetable garden and flower beds a splendid feeding ground for them. Bulbs are also in danger from these furry little mammals. Since primarily the roots and bulbs of plants are what voles are after, it may be too late for some of your plants and vegetables by the time you realize you have a problem.
One other surface-level sign, besides healthy plants seemingly dying for no reason, that you may have a vole problem is little pathways through your grass. These are often hidden and require you to part the grass to see the little pathways where they are commonly running around.
To minimize your risk of developing a vole problem there are a few things you can do. The first is to minimize the debris and to keep your lawn tidy and neat. Following a frequent mowing schedule and remembering to rake out flower beds and corners of the yard helps to remove hiding spots and potential homes for voles and other critters.
If you like animals, having a pet cat or even dog can help discourage any unwelcomed yard pests from moving in as well. Natural predators in the area can also be encouraged to hang around to help manage any populations near your lawn. Foxes, hawks, owls, or neighborhood cats are all-natural predators of voles.
If you notice that your trees are suffering from being nibbled on you can wrap the trunks with proper materials to prevent voles from chewing on them. Avoid piling mulch or other debris around the trunk as well. Fencing off beds and garden areas with appropriate sized fencing that extends underground is another great way to protect your flowers and vegetables.
There are many traps that you can purchase to remove the vole problem from your yard. Use humane traps and release the little guys far from your yard and anyone else’s. There are many poisons available as well, although these can be a bad idea for outdoor use because other animals may be poisoned or eat a previously poisoned vole, making the other animal sick.
Applying repellents regularly has had some success as long as you continue to apply the repellents repeatedly, especially after a rain storm. Talk to Greenfeet Lawncare represenative to see what kinds of repellents they carry and get individualized help to manage voles in your yard.