Moles & voles in the garden - All For Gardening

Grow it Green: Moles & voles in the garden

WELCOME TO TODAY’S GROW IT GREEN. WE’RE HERE AT UNH, AND I’M TALKING WITH SEAN O’BRIEN. AND THIS TIME WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAY BE A LITTLE FAMILIAR TO FOLKS, BUT ALSO SOMETHING MAYBE NOT SO FAMILIAR. MOLES AND MOLES. THAT’S RIGHT. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO? IT’S A QUESTION THAT WE GET AT THE EDUCATION CENTER A LOT. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM. SO IF YOU SEE MOST OF THE DIFFERENCES THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SEE ARE IN YOUR YARD, IN YOUR LAWN OR IN YOUR GARDEN. OKAY. SO IF YOU’RE, IF YOU GO UP TO YOUR YARD AND YOU SEE THESE MOUNDS OF SOIL, THAT’S GOING TO BE A MOLE. NOW MOLES ARE INSECTIVORES. SO THEY’RE GOING TO THEY ONLY EAT INSECTS. SO THOSE AREN’T GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE CHEWING ON YOUR PLANTS. OKAY. SO IF YOU FIND THESE LITTLE MOUNDS OF SOIL, THE BEST THING TO DO IS EITHER, YOU KNOW, STEP ON THEM AND JUST TAMP THEM OUT, OR YOU CAN USE A RAKE TO KIND OF JUST SPREAD OUT THAT SOIL A LITTLE BIT. MOLES AREN’T VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT. THEY ACTUALLY EAT GRUBS, WHICH CAN BE DESTRUCTIVE TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT. SO THEY’RE ACTUALLY DOING YOU A FAVOR IN THAT WAY. NOW VOLES, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE CAN BE VERY DESTRUCTIVE. THEY LOOK LIKE FIELD MICE. THEY HAVE THEIR EARS ARE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER, BUT THEY ARE PLANT EATERS. SO THEY, THEY EAT PLANT MATERIALS. THEY LOVE TO EAT FLOWER BULBS. THEY LOVE TO EAT ROOTS AND THEY LOVE TO CHEW ON BARK OF TREES, ESPECIALLY YOUNG TREES IN THE WINTER TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS THEIR FOOD AND FOOD SOURCES ARE PRETTY SCARCE AT THAT TIME. SO THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU REALLY HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR. AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WHEN THE SNOW MELTS AND IN BETWEEN THE GROUND IN THE SNOW, YOU’LL SEE IN THE IN THE DEAD GRASS, YOU’LL SEE THESE LITTLE TUNNELS GOING ALL AROUND YOUR YARD. AND THOSE ARE THE VOLES. ARE THEIR LITTLE HIGHWAYS ON THE TOP OF THE SOIL. OKAY, SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MORE DESTRUCTIVE. YEAH. AND WHAT FOLKS NEED TO DO OR WHAT CAN THEY DO IF THEY FIND THAT THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM? YEAH. SO THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO PROTECT THE PLANTS THAT YOU REALLY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. FOR TREES USING HARDWARE CLOTH SURROUNDING THE BASE OF THE TREE IS A GREAT METHOD TO EXCLUDE THEM. AND THEN YOU CAN ALWAYS TRAP YOU CAN USE A JUST A BASIC MOUSE TRAP. AND THAT REALLY WORKS WELL. OKAY. THAT’S GREAT. DEFINITELY GOOD TO KNOW. AND YEAH, DIDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE MYSELF.

Sean O’Brien with UNH Cooperative Extension talks with Jacqueline Thomas about how to protect your garden from certain critters.