Picture this: you’re enjoying a sunny afternoon in your backyard, admiring your lush lawn and vibrant flower beds when suddenly, a network of tunnels appears seemingly out of nowhere. The culprits? Moles and voles—tiny creatures with big appetites and a knack for wreaking havoc on your carefully manicured landscape. But fear not! In this blog, we’ll explore the world of moles and voles and reveal the secrets to successfully evicting them from your yard.
Moles vs. Voles
Although these critters create similar damage to your lawn and garden, they are doing so for different reasons, which is an important thing to know when looking to get rid of them. A great way to remember their differences is the first letter of each name:
Moles = Meat eaters
Voles = Vegetarian
A moles main food source is grubs and insects, while voles eat at the roots of your plants. They also look very different from each other. Moles have pointed noses, large digging feet, virtually no ears or eyes, and are a blackish-brown color. While voles, also called meadow mice, have rounded ears and reddish-brown fur.
Meet the Moles
In the hidden depths of your lawn, these underground gourmands, known as moles, are a group of voracious eaters busy chowing down on grubs and insects. The secret weapon to banishing moles is to cut off their food supply. Enter the mighty artillery—Milky Spore. In the battle against moles, Milky Spore emerges as the ultimate tool. Safe for the environment and harmless to all creatures (except grubs), this natural spore is a game-changer. It infiltrates the soil, wiping out grubs, and remains active for an astounding 15 years. Talk about long-term mole control! With less food available, the moles will think twice before turning your lawn into their personal playground.
Eliminating their favorite snacks is a good start, but moles can be incredibly stubborn. They’re drawn to your yard for reasons beyond mere sustenance. Lush lawns, mulched beds, and rich soil—moles find them irresistible. To truly make them pack their tiny bags and leave, we need to repel them. Enter Repellex Mole & Vole Repellent. The secret lies in its main ingredient—castor oil. As these determined diggers tunnel through your soil, the castor oil bothers their faces, sending them scurrying away. Thanks to the innovative use of recycled newspaper granules, the castor oil slowly releases into the soil over six months. This double-strength, long-lasting formula ensures your yard remains mole-free for an extended period.
The Voles’ Vegetarian Feast
While the moles enjoyed their meaty diet, it’s time to turn our attention to their plant-munching counterparts—the voles. These elusive creatures don’t dig as much as moles, preferring to follow the intricate tunnels already created. They’re not picky eaters either, devouring plant roots, bulbs (except daffodils and fritillaria), and even taking nibbles from your precious trees and shrubs. When it comes to voles, repellants take center stage. Fear not, green thumbs! All the repellants we’ll discuss are organic and safe for your beloved plants. Remember Repellex Mole & Vole Repellent? Yes, it’s a double-duty champion. With the added magic of cinnamon, garlic, and white pepper—scents that voles find particularly repugnant—this repellent will send those pesky voles running.
Repellex has another trick up its sleeve to keep voles at bay—a systemic repellent. This innovative solution is absorbed by the plant and its roots, acting as a formidable shield against vole damage. Originally designed for rabbits and deer, it turns out voles despise it too. Protecting your plants from the inside out has never been easier. In the realm of vole defense, Permatill rises to the occasion as well as Repellex. Made from kiln-fired slate, this coarse product doubles as a soil amendment and an impenetrable vole barrier. Create a line of defense along your garden beds, sprinkle it into the soil during planting, and watch as voles fail to break through. Say goodbye to vole-induced headaches!
Whether you’re looking to create defined garden beds, add a personal touch with mulch art, or create or add extra drainage, there’s no shortage of imaginative and innovative ways to use mulch. So, get creative and have fun with your landscaping this spring! To learn more about what’s growing on at our garden center, check out Mike, the Garden Guru, and his webinars with new plants, products, and expert planting advice. To keep inspired and grow with us, follow us on Facebook, Instagram,Pinterest, and TikTokto dig into the joys of gardening!
