My ongoing war with the V.C. rages on.

[sorce]

Yeah...gotta share this.

An American Kestrel with what is believed to be a vole.
Photo By Rob Lucas in Colorado.


Sorce

 

[Cajunrider]

Not effective but very satisfying.

 

[mattspinniken]

One alternative method I have heard of for garages is to build a walk-in 1/4 mesh sub-building in the inside of your garage, Like a giant rabbit cage, wire on all six sides, 2x2 frame with a tight well fit door. I have heard of these also being used outside with the added benefit of shading and snow and ice protection.

This is what I do it has worked flawlessly after major vole problems and many losses . I have 3 of these, they take awhile to build but they give me peace of mind. I usually put plywood up on the windier side and just hardware cloth on a few sides to let in some sun. 6 sides of hardware cloth 1/4” required.

 

[Soldano666]

Man I opened this thread expecting more bad news. @sorce awesome pic, @Cajunrider I could watch that all day. There eyes make excellent targets with the night vision on. @mattspiniken I have a similar set up. @M. Frary I hope all your trees are safe bud.

 

[Cadillactaste]

This is what I do it has worked flawlessly after major vole problems and many losses . I have 3 of these, they take awhile to build but they give me peace of mind. I usually put plywood up on the windier side and just hardware cloth on a few sides to let in some sun. 6 sides of hardware cloth 1/4” required.

Nice work!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Cajunrider - I watched the whole damn video, thanks. A chuckle and some ideas.

 

[Cajunrider]

@Cajunrider - I watched the whole damn video, thanks. A chuckle and some ideas.

While I love "plinking with a purpose", the truth is that for outdoor rat control, nothing beats a rat bait station. I make 1ft x 3ft x 1ft T out of 2" PVC conduit and drill a 1/8" hole at the T.. Then I drill a hole through rat bait blocks that I buy from Tractor Supply Store and run a 12 gauge wire through them and set them in the T. Then I invert the T, put a cap on the long end and set the T out where the rats are. For me, I zip tie the T to my dock post 1/4" off the ground to keep it dry. This keeps the bait in the T and prevents cats and dogs from getting the bait. The rats go in the holes and gnaw on the bait. Then they go outside to get water. When they drink, they die.

Be aware, the first 2 weeks your yard is going to stink.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

While I love "plinking with a purpose", the truth is that for outdoor rat control, nothing beats a rat bait station. I make 1ft x 3ft x 1ft T out of 2" PVC conduit and drill a 1/8" hole at the T.. Then I drill a hole through rat bait blocks that I buy from Tractor Supply Store and run a 12 gauge wire through them and set them in the T. Then I invert the T, put a cap on the long end and set the T out where the rats are. For me, I zip tie the T to my dock post 1/4" off the ground to keep it dry. This keeps the bait in the T and prevents cats and dogs from getting the bait. The rats go in the holes and gnaw on the bait. Then they go outside to get water. When they drink, they die.

Combination of rat poison stations (3 of them) and an electronic rat zapper by the koi pond have finally given me at least a temporary victory against tree rats. Thought I had them beat a couple of years ago, but had a pesky one return last year and start gnawing on my elms. Got so bad I had to move some of my favorite trees to the other side of the yard because they would have died otherwise.

Put a poison station directly on my bonsai bench behind some trees. A couple of weeks went by... and then one day noticed the poison had been mostly eaten. No rat since.

 

[Smoke]

Easy fix dude. Put a hose clamp where you wish the top of the layer. Let VC eat to clamp and create straight line. Pile dirt and make lemon aid out of this mess.

 

[quietobserver]

Yeah...gotta share this.

An American Kestrel with what is believed to be a vole.
Photo By Rob Lucas in Colorado.
View attachment 222654

Sorce

The original American Air Force....

Eating that damn thing face first no less...

 

[coh]

I'm gonna put this out there and say no more...for those of you thinking about using poison bait outdoors.

Look at that photo of the beautiful kestrel eating the vole and imagine that vole has been poisoned. What happens to the kestrel? Or the
hawk or owl or fox...

When varmints eat poison bait they don't die immediately, they often wander around outside in a sickened/weakened state
and then are eaten by predators. Go on youtube and search for videos of poisoned raptors. It's horrific.

Yes I know the trees are important...but so is the ecosystem.

Carry on...

 

[Cajunrider]

I'm gonna put this out there and say no more...for those of you thinking about using poison bait outdoors.

Look at that photo of the beautiful kestrel eating the vole and imagine that vole has been poisoned. What happens to the kestrel? Or the
hawk or owl or fox...

When varmints eat poison bait they don't die immediately, they often wander around outside in a sickened/weakened state
and then are eaten by predators. Go on youtube and search for videos of poisoned raptors. It's horrific.

Yes I know the trees are important...but so is the ecosystem.

Carry on...

You are right. We are back to "plinking with a purpose" then.

 

[JudyB]

I'm gonna put this out there and say no more...for those of you thinking about using poison bait outdoors.

Look at that photo of the beautiful kestrel eating the vole and imagine that vole has been poisoned. What happens to the kestrel? Or the
hawk or owl or fox...

When varmints eat poison bait they don't die immediately, they often wander around outside in a sickened/weakened state
and then are eaten by predators. Go on youtube and search for videos of poisoned raptors. It's horrific.

Yes I know the trees are important...but so is the ecosystem.

Carry on...

This is why I would rather build a simple hardware cloth cage instead of using poison. Owls are on the decline, and what is cooler than an owl? They are heavily impacted from rat and mouse poisons.

 

[mattspinniken]

This is why I would rather build a simple hardware cloth cage instead of using poison. Owls are on the decline, and what is cooler than an owl? They are heavily impacted from rat and mouse poisons.

I agree with this but mostly it just leaves less to chance. Especially if you really "overbuild" the box and make it very secure.

 

[Gene Deci]

I agree with this but mostly it just leaves less to chance. Especially if you really "overbuild" the box and make it very secure.

What I like about Matt's method is that, although I don't always do it, I find my trees winter best when the pots are in contact with the ground and the trees are, partly at least, covered with snow. But that is just what the voles and mice like so you have to do something to protect them.

 

[M. Frary]

Man I opened this thread expecting more bad news. @sorce awesome pic, @Cajunrider I could watch that all day. There eyes make excellent targets with the night vision on. @mattspiniken I have a similar set up. @M. Frary I hope all your trees are safe bud.

Well..... lots of rain,for getting to reapply and I discovered a couple trees with no bark.
They went right to Scots pine this time.
Usually they go for sweet trees first like hawthorn ir maple.
Nope.
The twin trunk literati Scots looks to be a goner.
A jack pine is going to be short a few branches
I dont think they got any mugo pines. Hard to tell since everything is frozen.
They must have found a hole in a corner is all I can guess.

 

[Soldano666]

Well..... lots of rain,for getting to reapply and I discovered a couple trees with no bark.
They went right to Scots pine this time.
Usually they go for sweet trees first like hawthorn ir maple.
Nope.
The twin trunk literati Scots looks to be a goner.
A jack pine is going to be short a few branches
I dont think they got any mugo pines. Hard to tell since everything is frozen.
They must have found a hole in a corner is all I can guess.

Fucking dicks. If I can help man I will. I got lots of small Scots, I can send a couple your way this spring...

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm gonna put this out there and say no more...for those of you thinking about using poison bait outdoors.

Look at that photo of the beautiful kestrel eating the vole and imagine that vole has been poisoned. What happens to the kestrel? Or the
hawk or owl or fox...

When varmints eat poison bait they don't die immediately, they often wander around outside in a sickened/weakened state
and then are eaten by predators. Go on youtube and search for videos of poisoned raptors. It's horrific.

Yes I know the trees are important...but so is the ecosystem.

Carry on...

It can cause problems with the birds offspring as well....definitely no bueno.

 

[JudyB]

Hey Mike, that sucks. I hope that they didn't get your mughos!

 

[M. Frary]

Fucking dicks. If I can help man I will. I got lots of small Scots, I can send a couple your way this spring...

I may hit you up. I'm sure they got all of myvseedlings from last year. They're buried so I cant tell.

Hey Mike, that sucks. I hope that they didn't get your mughos!

Yes,yes it does.
The one I can see,the best mugo seems to be fine. I dont want to dig around too much and do more damage trying to see though.