Varmints! Where Are You Hiding?

This update is overdue, sorry.  But it's not bad news, and it might be good news.

Brad from Advanced Pest, my favorite bug guy, came out in April for the semi-annual treatment.  More on that below.  When I made the appointment, I explained that the voles appeared to be back and had recently burrowed under the air conditioner in the corner.  We decided I should do another apple test before the appointment, and he would come prepared with bait.

Within two days, the entire apple eighth was gone!  So we knew they were there for sure.  And that the apple test does work when said varmints are hungry enough to set aside their mind games.

Brad put down the same bait he used last year, and sprinkled it into the hole, too.  And after a week I went back to check, to find that much of the bait was gone, and there was no recent activity in/out of the hole.  There are no other vole holes near that area of the property. I'm choosing to believe they have met their demise, and are not just hiding.  All hail the bug guy!

So we have our house treated for bugs twice a year, April-ish and late October/early November.  Depending on the weather, of course.  Brad sprays outside the perimeter, across each threshold, inside the garage and at the garage doors.  Then he sprays around the perimeter of each floor, at the (exposed) joists in the basement, and really well around the dishwasher and sink in the kitchen.  I swear to you that the only bugs I have seen are flies that sneak in, and they die quickly.  Oh, I did see one of those tiny ants at the sink, but it was brought in on something that got put in the sink. 

We used to "do it ourself," every 10 weeks, with poor results.  We had those wooly brown spiders in the basement, all kind of ickies everywhere, and -- what prompted me to call Brad -- swarming ants.  Yeah, not good.  So I recommend a professional twice-a-year service, and I recommend Brad with Advanced Pest Management.  No web site, but he's in all the "books."

Varmints! No Voles in the Holes

Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser.  I did the apple test to see if the holes I suspected were vole transports were indeed active.  This exercise was supposed to assure me that future baiting issues would not be wasted.  After 3 days, the apples remained untouched, so I put the pots back and let them sit another 3 days.

The buggers aren't biting.  No nibblage.  No evidence of recent movement.  No nothin'.
Actually, we haven't heard scratching or scurrying in a few weeks, either.  So maybe they are gone.  But maybe not.  Maybe they're having a good hearty vole laugh deep underground, where they've stashed food and supplies for just such a survival scenario.

Meanwhile, I've saved the cost of the vole bait (about $30 for more than I thought I really needed), for now.  I'll continue to monitor the holes, without the apples, to see if there is fresh activity.  And I'll revisit their old entrances that were plugged up last year, throughout the spring and summer.  Because you never know what a vole will do.

Have you had a vole problem that you successfully (or unsuccessfully) addressed?  Let us know by commenting below.

Varmints! "Can You See Me Now?"

ACK!  Monday I checked the apple tests I set up late last week for our guests the Vole Family.  Not one nibble.  What?!

Oh, this just is not fair.

I put the pots back over the tests, and, as recommended, am going to check for evidence of voles again, probably on Thursday.  They gotta eat sometime, right?  The weather this week is quite mild, so I figured they'd venture out.  Cabin fever and all.  Perhaps there is another entrance.  Tomorrow I don my wabbit hunting gear and check every inch of the perimeter, as well as key areas of the yard.

Cover me!

Ninja Mom Vole-Getter is temporarily baffled.  One step at a time, though.  To follow the saga of vole eradication at Chez CT, select the category “Voles” and view all the posts.

Varmints! Vole Hunting With the Apple Test

The first step in vole eradication, I have learned, is determining where they are and are not. This is not as easy as it seems. These guys are crafty and delight in confounding Jane Homeowner. I hear their squeaky little giggles, but I've got news for them!

As I said, if they weren't under and in the house, I wouldn't care. These suburban voles haven't done the landscape damage that the rabbits have, and I'd prefer not to deal with them, actually. But they've invaded, and must be found. Their underground tunnels might be invisible to me, but I see where (I think) they come and go. And this is where we attack at dawn. Okay, not necessarily at dawn.

Finding the first hole was easy: it was stepped in while cleaning up winter trash from the lawn! That hole is definitely not from the underground drainage. I know this for a few reasons, one of which is that the hole is only about 1.5" across. Vole-sized. It's right there near the front of the house, where we've heard the scratching and sensed the fur. I highly suspect this is an active entry point. Now to determine for certain if the hole is active. It doesn't make sense to bait/treat an area where the varmints are not active. They could abandon a hole at any time for any stupid vole reason.

Marshall Warren of North Carolina, who developed a really cool vole bait system, recommends the apple test. You put a slice or two of apple near a suspected vole hole, cover the hole and apple with a bucket and weight it down, then check in a few days to see if the fruit's been nibbled. Nibbles = active vole hole. No nibbles = try it a few more days to be sure. Absolutely no nibbles = not an active hole. I placed the tests on Friday late morning. The apple (used half, ate half) cost a mere .20 and is a good first-line effort in this process.

All prepared and waiting for Mr. Vole! I've marked my calendar to check on Monday. I suspect major nibblage. I will be stunned and confused if that front hole isn't active. In all, I have four of these apple tests set up around the house. Two are in the back about three feet from each other on the inside and outside of the corner gate -- both head under the garage. Two are in the front, near the scratching source, on either side of the front windows, about 20 feet apart. The two test areas are at opposite corners of the house. Interesting. There's another place where I think there may be vole entry, but I'll wait till next week to test that area.

Stay tuned as Ninja Mom Vole-Getter persues the pesky critters around the house. To follow the saga, select the category “Voles” and view all the posts.