I would be curious to know the answer to that question as well. In the fall I have to wrap all the fruit tree trunks (and extend the wrap down into the mulch) if I don't want them to suffer a similar fate as your dogwood, Babs.

I delegate vole control though, to my super efficient assistant, Inga.

Karin - Inga is a beauty! :-)

Deanna

We had voles this year, called an exterminator. He used a product called Kaput. We ordered some online, and got rid of the voles. The exterminator was supposed to come back in a few weeks, but we treated it ourselves. So far, no sign of voles.

Did a bit of research on the other recommended products.
Kaput is a warfarin based bait, so needs care in use.
Shake Away is scented with fox urine.

Still wondering if anyone has used Milorganite who had vole issues.

This post was edited by nhbabs on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 20:46

This particular Shake Away isn't scented with fox urine. It's scented with mint, rosemary, and cedar oils. The Shake Away for rabbits has fox urine. And it does work for rabbits FYI.

Deanna

Do you mean moles? I thought voles tunneled just below the surface (raised bumps) whereas moles dig holes?

Moles never, ever eat plant material--they're insectivores and eat soil dwellers. Voles tunnel but will happily make use of mole tunnels.

What is in Milorganite that would deter an animal?

The only thing that has ever worked for us, as we live in the country with voles everywhere, is to fence our plants in with 1/4 inch hardware cloth.

Exclusion is the only way to go, though we do put warfarin bait under our porch as well.

ILMTs, wow that 1/4 inch hardware cloth is expensive too. So they can't chew through it? How did you fence it in and did you have to bury part of it in the ground? Do you have a photo of the fence?

I am currently planting perennials in hardware cloth rings buried 5" or with about 2" above ground. It's expensive, incinvenient, and not highly attractive.

I find in the winter that the voles often tend to burrow through plant material right at the surface, but in the summer they tunnel a bit deeper, and if they already have summer tunnels they will continue using them in the winter.

Too bad Marlene Dietrich isn't available - she took care of her own vole problem handily.

Karin, your kitty picture is beautiful. I have a vole hunter too, but she doesn't hunt in the front garden, where the voles were running rampant a few years ago. I lost tons of bulbs and perennials and was desperate. Castor oil was a miracle, it didn't just help, it completely cured the problem. I use it every fall since, as a preventative measure over the winter.

I've only used milorganite for fertilizing the lawn, haven't yet tried it for repelling critters. Not sure that it would work for rodents.

I just watched a video by the owner of NH Hostas- on Castor Oil saturation doing the trick for his 1000's of hostas.
I told Margaret Roach about it and she was interested but wanted to know if it might harm ANYthing- worms, etc. Couldn't answer that for her. Sounds fantastic to me. Try it, babs?

Yup I've used castor oil for a couple of years, and while it cuts back on them, it doesn't totally discourage them.

We have used Milorganite extensively on our garden beds this year to try and deter the deer and rabbits.

This week we put out mouse traps to see what we could catch....voles have been in the traps.
So sorry to say it doesnt chase away the voles.

Be aware that Kaput is a very dangerous product if you have pets.

The voles and mice are very tricky to catch setting off the traps without being caught. May try the Tootsie Roll on the trap, there is a video on You Tube for this.

We may also try the bucket method, also on You Tube.

After loosing so many plants to voles over the past two years we are on a vole mission!

Thanks for adding your experience with Milorganite and voles, Trudy. At least I know now that it isn't worth trying. I'll invest in some additional castor oil and ShakeAway instead of Milorganite, and probably add some traps in the worst areas.

Thanks also to everyone who made suggestions on what has worked for them.

Hi, Sheila,

Try Kaput and sprinkle the granules in gopher holes or in all places they are rise roots. It is used by exterminators. it works!

One review said he had 100 gophers and got rid of them all! It’s made for you Sheila!

Another person bought Kaput for voles and she got rid of them all!

(Sorry I even mentioned to do all new landscaping of your whole property. Way too much work and not necessary! I think this simple remedy will work!) Woohoo! )