Water Mill - If your lawn has more peaks and valleys than the Appalachians, you have a mole problem. If you have Moles, you probably have Voles as well. Both animals can wreak havoc on your plants and lawn, causing extensive damage. Controlling them naturally takes time but if the proper steps are taken, they can be managed. Here are a few tips on controlling these pests:

Moles

Meadow Vole - Microtus pennsylvanicus (Courtesy Photo: labellenature.com).

There are three different species of moles found in New York State: The Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus), The Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), and The Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata). Moles are mammals that live underground and feed on insect larva, worms, and underground invertebrates. You can easily recognize their presence by the appearance of low ridges and mounds of displaced soil throughout your property, without any noticeable entry holes. This often happens most in the lawn area, because a lot of grubs and insect larva prefer to feed on grass roots.

Although moles do not feed on plants, the disrupted soil of their tunnels can adversely affect your plant's ability properly to access water and nutrients from the soil. Controlling the insect larva in your soil is nine-tenths of the battle in eliminating mole infestations. Doing this naturally is a multi-step process that can take several years to fully complete.

When we observe mole infestations, the first thing that we do is treat the entire property with an application of Milky Spore. The spores are a naturally occurring bacterium that infect and destroy Japanese Beetle grubs, June Beetle grubs, and other common lawn grubs. These spores are host specific and will not adversely affect beneficial insects, pets, animals, or humans. As the grubs are infected and perish the spores multiply several billion times over, and continue to inoculate the soil. The build-up of Milky Spore in the soil will continue to affect future generation of beetle grubs, creating an environment inhospitable for their reproduction. To get the maximum affect, we recommend applying Milky Spore three times a year for two years. Once established in the soil, it will last for 15 to 20 years.

The next step that we take in controlling moles is applying a top dressing of a natural mole repellent, containing Castor Oil. The scent of Castor oil is repulsive to moles so, when it seeps into the soil and is ingested by their prey, they vacate the premises for more desirable locations. There are many different ways to apply Castor Oil but we have found the easiest and most effective way to be the granular form. Granules are made from corn cobs which are soaked in castor oil and are completely biodegradable. They are much easier to deal with than the liquid and they leave no residue, or smell. For the best results, we usually apply twice throughout the season. Make sure and press down any Mole tunnels once you have treated them. This way you can monitor how well the treatments are working.

Mole Tunnel. (Courtesy Photo: Umich.edu)

The final step in controlling moles is not for the squeamish. Setting traps in the mole holes will catch and kill them one by one but digging up and disposing of dead moles is not for everyone. Traps are metal devises that are spring loaded to clamp down and kill moles when they are activated. We place several of them inside of the tunnels throughout the affected area. Every few days each trap should be dug up, checked and reset. If you have sandy soil, it can be quite difficult to set traps correctly. It takes time to master the "art" of trapping moles but keep at it and eventually you will get the hang of it. Remember that traps will not keep new moles from colonizing; they are only a quick way to eliminate existing pests. Perhaps this solution should be best left to professionals.

Voles

Voles are small rodents that feed mostly on plants and insect larva. They travel through mole tunnels but also dig their own. If you notice holes in your beds and lawn, you have Voles. The two species found in New York are the more common Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and the less common Pine Vole (Microtus pinetorum). Voles are about five inches in length, have compact bodies, short tails and short legs. They can nest above, or below ground and can have multiple litters each year.

Due to their rapid reproduction rate, colonies can expand to huge numbers in a relatively short time. Voles can really decimate a garden in no time at all. They love to eat the roots, bulbs, tubers and leaves of just about any plant. I can't begin to tell you how many times our prized Dahlias or Lilies have been wiped out by voles. There is nothing worse that inspecting a wilting plant, only to find the entire root system is missing.

Treating Voles is not the easiest process. Just when you finally have them under control, they come back with a vengeance. If your neighbor starts construction on their property, or disrupts the ground in any way, their Vole colony runs right into your garden for refuge. There are some methods that are effective in combating these pesky rodents, but it can often seem like an uphill battle.

Similarly to Moles, Voles are repelled by the scent of Castor Oil. Using the same Castor oil granules that we recommend for treating Moles will also help in removing Voles. In addition to the traditional application, we also drop a handful of granules in each Vole hole. Once we treat the holes, we fill them in with soil. This way we will notice if new holes are being dug.

Another natural repellent can be made from items found in your kitchen. As published in the Connecticut Gardener, the following recipe has worked quite well for us:

 • Place in blender: Two cups water, Two whole eggs (including shells), three cloves garlic, one tablespoon cayenne, a drop of dish soap, and two cups of green onion tops (or regular onions). Blend on high to chop eggshells. Put the mixture in a covered container and allow it to ferment (a couple of days in the sun will do it). Use 1/3 of the mix in a pail of water and apply around sensitive plants and directly in Vole holes.

 • For your prized plants, and when you are building new beds in Vole prone areas, we recommend protecting them with ½ to ¾ inch galvanized wire mesh screen. If you are building a new bed, you can line the bottom with the wire mesh screen, so that Voles will not be able to dig under and gain access to your plants. This is particularly effective with raised flower or vegetable beds.

Mole trap. (Courtesy Photo: trapperman.com)

 • For established beds, or large beds, where screening the entire area is not practical, we recommend planting your prized plants in a Wire mesh basket. We plant all Lilies, Dahlias, Hostas and other sensitive plants in Mesh baskets and have had great success in protecting them.

 • Mesh baskets are made from 20 gauge galvanized steel wire and come in a variety of sizes, from four inch to 15 gallon. They will last anywhere from eight to 10 years in the garden. If you leave the top three inches of the basket above the ground, you can also help to eliminate any of the Vole's above ground foraging.

 • Finally, the last option for eliminating Voles is by trapping them. Standard mouse traps will work at catching Voles. You might want to hammer a large nail through the middle of the trap, so that it can be anchored to the ground. We have found that creamy peanut butter is the most effective bait. You will want to place your traps next to the vole holes, so they will have a better chance of catching something. When setting up your trap remember that it will trap any animal that takes an interest to it. To keep birds, pets, and other animals from getting caught, cover the trap with a small bucket, or container.

Managing each pest does have its own challenges and no one solution will work in every situation. Naturally controlling Moles is much more straightforward and easier than controlling Voles. Reducing their food source will help keep them out of your lawn and garden.

Unfortunately, Voles feed on the very plants that you are trying to protect. The methods that I have described have worked quite well for us but you must remember that this is a process and it takes time. You might never be Mole and Vole free but if you work at it, you can keep their numbers down without the use of toxic chemicals.

What's Blooming?

If you are looking for a splash of color in the dead of winter, Winter Heather (Erica carnea) is the plant for you. These low spreading evergreen perennials will grow to a maximum height and spread of two to three feet. The foliage color of these fantastic little plants can be silver, yellow, gray, or various hues of green. As the weather turns cold, the foliage turns to red, orange, bronze and dark green. As beautiful as the foliage is, the real show comes in January, when they begin to bloom. The tiny little bell shaped flowers cover the plants in a profusion of pink, red, or white through April. Plant is a sunny well drained spot for the best results. We prune ours when they finish blooming, to keep them from becoming too leggy.