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Holy moley!
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spotted-horses
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4 Dec ’12 - 12:23 am
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I have found the best cure for small rodents is cats. Semi feral cats will eat a huge amount of mice, moles, voles and rats. Ground hogs, rap pits and other larger critters do require a fence or dogs. I've been gardening in West Virginia for 17 years. Every garden critter possible has tried to get my food. For deer, I use row covers, they don't seem to eat what they can't see. Bu for everything else I really have found that a combination of the right fence, dogs and cats are the best preventative.

Be RADICAL Grow Food

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PorkChopsMmm
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4 Dec ’12 - 8:29 pm
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We got a cat, thinking he would help out with the moles/mice. All I ever saw him do was eat and go to the bathroom in the litter box. Our dog on the other hand, a GSD/Husky mix, is quick to kill any small critter around -- chipmunk, mole, mouse, etc. It is uncanny how fast she is to pick up their scent or sound and go after them.

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groinkick
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6 Dec ’12 - 4:09 pm
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Ok, so I caught the critter. I did a little google detective work and came up with a method to trap him. I think it was a Vole and not a Mole, but I'm no expert.

I got a few moustraps and drilled a hole in each of them. I used a nail through the hole to anchor them to the ground. I used a small section of downspout to create a few tunnels which limited their access from their holes in my garden beds and directed them over the traps. I snipped and bent pieces from a wire hanger to create anchors for the downspout tunnels. Lastly I baited them with peanut butter. Below are a few pics of the setup and the end result. It took three days and four of these setups in front of separate holes, but when I checked this morning I had him! The whole thing cost me under $10 for the moustraps and piece of downspout. The rest I had on hand already.

I baited a new trap to replace this one and set it just in case he has a few "friends"

8ix80-vole.png

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groinkick
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11 Dec ’12 - 4:33 pm
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Well, it's been about a week since I caught the first one. I checked the traps today and they were still empty. There hasnt been any more damage to the plants so I guess he was a "solo operator".

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K
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11 Dec ’12 - 4:52 pm
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it's a trap! they are lulling you into a false sense of security while they plan their revenge,

on a side note, I did come across this today

http://www.budget101.....-1721.html

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groinkick
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11 Dec ’12 - 5:22 pm
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That recipe would definitely repel me! I'll give it a try.

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K
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12 Apr ’14 - 2:36 pm
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did you ever end up trying that?

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groinkick
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14 Apr ’14 - 7:52 am
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I haven't, but ever since my neighbor's cat found a big enough hole in the garden fence to sneak through, there hasn't been too much activity.  I saw her a few weeks ago in the garden and started to look for the hole. The only one I found was tiny but I guess she squeezed through.  I dont mind so much going over to feed her when the neighbors are away. I figure she's earned her keep.

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