strange trails in yard

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[DML]

About the only way to not have this happen is to shovel your lawn...lol They seem to need the snow for "cover". And you're right, they are worse if you back up to a field or pond. They seem to be nocturnal also, as I have not seen them during the day. Need to find out their predators and invest in a few. 

[DML]

Maybe we could form a vole vigilante group and take shifts or call in Carl Spackler for help...

[olmeca]

now this is where the coyotes come in handy because they love to munch on those little guys!

[NMG08]

I think we are dealing with these little critters now too We have lovely little trails throughout our front yard. I haven't notice too much damage in the backyard which is weird because we back up to an open field.

[sgdg]

I had them bad last year and placed rat poison near the trails.   Seemed to really reduce the damage, but they are still there.  Read of a product called "shake away" on line and think it is worth a try.  Another thing I may try is to get some fox urine (Cabalas sells it) and "mark" the yard with it.  Theory is the voles will not stick around when a preditor is so active in the area.

[NMG08]

I wonder if having a dog helps at all? We have no trails in our backyard, only the front, which is weird because we back up to an open prairie. Then I got to thinking today that our backyard may not have them because of our dog.

[sgdg]

Took a walk around the back yard today with most of the snow gone and found new trails in a new area of the yard.  Damage was pretty bad and the trails led to the rubbermaid box we keep our patio furniture cushions in.  When I lifted it up there they were, at least a dozen of the little furry guys looking at me!  Very cute, but I want them dead no the less!

[aimee_darling]

I wonder if encouraging a native population of hawks and owls would help.  

[mortgageguy]

These evil little creatures have declared WAR on my front lawn.  Not so bad in the back I think b/c of the dog.  I am having her go on the front lawn too in hopes to get them away.  Yet will make a lot of patch work in the spring!

[chilleme]

I wonder if having a dog helps at all? We have no trails in our backyard, only the front, which is weird because we back up to an open prairie. Then I got to thinking today that our backyard may not have them because of our dog.

We have a BIG dog and that still didn't help.  I thought that was the case when my neighbors had them 2 years ago and we didn't.  No such luck.

[Lauren]

Has anyone found an effective way to get rid of the voles in their yard?  If you've used a poison that works could you post the name and where you got it?  Or if you had an exterminator come out did it work? 

[michaelmantis]

I purchased some poison peanuts from Lowe's last year, spread them around the ground in some of the trails, and 3 days later found 4 dead Voles.

I'm going to head out and buy a couple more tubes of the poison peanuts and kill the critters who are in the back of my house.

Not sure if this is the route I'd go if I had a dog or young kid.

[DML]

Is that the name of the stuff? Poison Peanuts?

[Jakenwoo]

We also have found patches of trails in the front yard once the snow melted.  I found this site which has some good ideas and is on the humorous side...

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-voles.htm

I'm going to look into a natural remedy and I'll post if I find anything. 

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