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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 21, 2015 9:00:52 GMT
Wuehlmaese in the garden - translated it is Arvicolinae which are voles, lemmings etc...neighbours have now got them too....what on earth do we do?? Not as bad as moles but they eat bulbs apparently - my wonderful Lily bulbs are everywhere.. Is there anything we can do??  The entrance to the tunnels are not under the main heap but the smaller heap...   Thanks for any suggestions. |
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Post by Ron on Jun 21, 2015 9:13:07 GMT
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Post by wendya on Jun 21, 2015 11:39:30 GMT
oh no
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 21, 2015 11:48:00 GMT
I am devastated wendya, - you can see the runs next door - he/she has been trying to get over for a while and now we have fun - I have so many bulbs etc... next door, half of her flowers are all wobbly.. - she has to be careful how she walks around even.. What a mess !! |
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Post by Tig on Jun 21, 2015 19:47:41 GMT
Do you know exactly what are doing the damage Rosefriend? What a nightmare for you! You could try cotton wool balls soaked in peppermint oil, I've read that deters a lot of voles, rodents, etc. Last resort, get a cat! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 22, 2015 4:35:23 GMT
Do you know exactly what are doing the damage Rosefriend? What a nightmare for you! You could try cotton wool balls soaked in peppermint oil, I've read that deters a lot of voles, rodents, etc. Last resort, get a cat! Apparently they eat bulbs and the roots of young plants and if they find some bush roots they will even have a go at those if they are tasty... I mailed Olaf and he said to get over - he had something...hope it's not a trap!! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 22, 2015 9:20:53 GMT
Bit of an update - well Olaf told us about something that can be used - incredibly poisonous (also for humans) - a gas pellet, and if we use it we cannot go into the garden for two day, not in the sun (well, that's no problem) and it will still probably only get rid of the ones that are here - other use the tunnels as well...
Or traps but at 80E a go that is expensive - Olaf has 3 and has caught 40 mice this year already...
Methinks we are in for bad trouble...all household tricks are useless as there are so many tunnels and they go deep. Between the neighbour and I are 50 cms slabs and they have got under those without any trouble at all..
Oh dear, am I peed awf!!
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 22, 2015 10:48:55 GMT
 Rosefriend I'm so sorry to read this. I had a google and no matter what way you look at it, you'll have your work cut out for you. Will you go with what Olaf said? |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 22, 2015 11:52:00 GMT
Rosefriend I'm so sorry to read this. I had a google and no matter what way you look at it, you'll have your work cut out for you. Will you go with what Olaf said? I don't know tbh Ladygardener, as this stuff is incredibly dangerous...I don't mind snuffing out a few of the damn things but I don't want someone to be hurt.. I am favouring a trap at the moment and there is no way we are paying 80E for one but being in the country there must be people that have them - perhaps we can borrow one from somewhere.. The thing is that there is no such thing as one mouse - we are talking about a whole colony within a very short period of time and then what.... |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 23, 2015 9:49:29 GMT
Another bit of an update - I spoke to the neighbour last night and he is getting some stuff that stinks them out (hope it doesn't stink us out as well) and also looking for traps...that we are trying tonight... The daughter laughed when I said that if we didn't do something then we would lose the garden - she didn't laugh when I said that the arm that she has now in pot could well be a leg if she goes down one of the holes...she wouldn't be able to play football for months...oooooo I am norty..she rubs me up the wrong way that girl!! We have now one of the tunnels on out side and not just holes...not a happy bunny at all...to be fair though next door has runs all over the garden..  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 25, 2015 11:31:16 GMT
Next update is even worse... Neighbour got some stuff - sort of chocolate bars for the poor dears - well it has got to be something nice as they obviously had a party in her garden last night... I honestly thought we had got away with it until I saw what I thought was an ant mound to start with, - my heart sank when I realised that the bugga had come up through 6inches of gravel under one of my mini GH's...I honestly was stupid enough to believe that the gravel would stop them...  Next step was to order a repellent solar thingy that some say work and some don't. The step after that is the hard poison and then it's traps... I am not going to lose my garden without a fight anyway... |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 26, 2015 6:02:28 GMT
Rosefriend, oh dear they really are trying to settle in are'nt they.
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Post by Tig on Jun 26, 2015 10:38:48 GMT
If your neighbour is using poison it might make things worse for you if they move along. I hope you get something to work RF.  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 26, 2015 10:50:57 GMT
Rosefriend, oh dear they really are trying to settle in are'nt they. Yes they are, and at the rate they breed we have to work fairly quickly unless we want a colony on our hands... Someone is coming this evening and bringing gas pellets, we are still searching for traps but they seem to be in use!! One thing I must say is that the neighbour is really doing anything she can to help us - she feels that it is her fault for some reason, but she does know that they have nothing to eat in her garden, only ours!! If your neighbour is using poison it might make things worse for you if they move along. I hope you get something to work RF.  We are doing both gardens and she wants our garden done first so she is being very fair... I just hope we get rid of them or we are in very big trouble... I have never felt so helpless in all my life... |
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Post by Jilly on Jun 26, 2015 11:16:44 GMT
Oh Rosefriend, I've only just caught up with this, how awful for you Is the guy coming this evening a proper pest control type person, it sounds like that might be the best move (especially if the poison used is so strong) & at least if you're paying to get rid of the things you'll have some come back if they don't get rid of them first time  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 26, 2015 11:39:10 GMT
Oh Rosefriend, I've only just caught up with this, how awful for you Is the guy coming this evening a proper pest control type person, it sounds like that might be the best move (especially if the poison used is so strong) & at least if you're paying to get rid of the things you'll have some come back if they don't get rid of them first time I am not sure who it is Jilly as our neighbour (it's the one with the football kid) is obviously grasping at straws but so wants to help as they went to her garden first and then came to us, probably suffering from starvation!! Apparently he is going to use gas pellets that you pop in the holes (more than a few holes that he can choose from) and then they explode or something...just hope my lilies and roses don't start shooting out of the ground like a rocket, in every direction !! Whatever happens we have got to get rid of them, or my gardening days will be very different in the future... |
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Post by Jasmine on Jun 26, 2015 20:57:13 GMT
Just caught up with this Rosefriend. As you know we fight a constant battle with small furry rodents - there is a nest of voles in the compost heap at the moment. I use rat poison and put it in jam jars laid on their side, the jar is to stop other bigger creatures eating the poison and it keeps the poison dry. I have lost count of the bulbs that have been munched over the years but lilies always seem to be safe. Tulips, crocus and iris bulbs get munched almost as soon as they've been planted...oh, and certain glads like Byzantine. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 30, 2015 9:27:16 GMT
Just a quick update since Dutchy has been here....it seems we either have rats or the vole mice and rats...3 days no new holes - wonder of they knew that Dutchy and OH were here - hahahaha !! Then Monday morning new holes and new evidence of rats... Got two sonar thingy's and more poison and if that doesn't work we will get some rat poison as well.. |
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Post by Tig on Jun 30, 2015 15:09:42 GMT
At least if they take the poison bait they won't be breeding the next generations of bulb munching hole diggers!
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Post by Dutchy on Jul 1, 2015 6:33:31 GMT
Yup very true. And of course they knew OH and I were there after all no holes when we were there and lo and behold on Monday......
Killlllllllllll.
When the sonar thingies work please inform me as my allotment might do with a solar one. ( I forget batteries and we have no electricity )
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 1, 2015 7:24:02 GMT
Yup very true. And of course they knew OH and I were there after all no holes when we were there and lo and behold on Monday...... Killlllllllllll. When the sonar thingies work please inform me as my allotment might do with a solar one. ( I forget batteries and we have no electricity ) Well Day 2 of no new holes and the second Solar thingy arrived - actually the cheapy one looks better than this more expensive one!! Well they both "peep" every 18/20 secs and obviously need to be in the sun but I have to say the peeps are not to be heard from the terrace and the garden really isn't big. The cheapy one covers 2500sqm apparently and the more expensive one 640m2 - plus the neighbours has a cheap one as well - we are covering the whole neighbourhood as far as I can see - hahahahah!! If these get rid of the mice and not the rats, well OK - at least then we only need rat poison and as you say Tig if the poison that we have already given them has only worked half they are not breeding or munching my bulbs... Fingers crossed that things are getting better. I did read that with these sonar things one has to have a bit of patience - if they happen to like their living quarters it takes a bit of time before they bugga awf!! Suppose we would be the same if we had a lovely house and well stocked pantry - we wouldn't want to be thrown out either...hard luck, 'cos that is what is going to happen - or worse!! |
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Post by isabella on Jul 1, 2015 10:15:25 GMT
Oh my ! I have just caught up with this thread - I hope you can get the little blighters under control soon ,Rosefriend |
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Post by Ron on Jul 1, 2015 10:22:37 GMT
Apparently he is going to use gas pellets that you pop in the holes (more than a few holes that he can choose from) and then they explode or something...just hope my lilies and roses don't start shooting out of the ground like a rocket, in every direction !! Reminds me of that cartoon series that was on TV years ago where they had gophers, lines of plants in the garden would disappear into the ground one after another! Your situation not funny though  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 1, 2015 10:34:35 GMT
Oh my ! I have just caught up with this thread - I hope you can get the little blighters under control soon ,Rosefriend So do I isabella, - everyone that we have spoken to have said that we will never get rid of them, ever....cheery thoughts!! Apparently he is going to use gas pellets that you pop in the holes (more than a few holes that he can choose from) and then they explode or something...just hope my lilies and roses don't start shooting out of the ground like a rocket, in every direction !! Reminds me of that cartoon series that was on TV years ago where they had gophers, lines of plants in the garden would disappear into the ground one after another! Your situation not funny though Hahahahaha - well I am thankful that I do have a sense of humour Ron,- however I will get these buggas - one way or another !! A neighbour came around this morning and asked how things were as word has spread and everyone is going into their gardens with eagle eyes and one woman won't even go into her shed incase there is a rat there - lol !! My OH said this morning, that as far as he knows they are still around as he hasn't seen a rat with a rucksack and holding a mobile waiting at the station to catch a train elsewhere....groan...sorry...he's probably been at the gas himself!! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 2, 2015 7:12:43 GMT
Day 3 of the Solar thingies...again no holes...are we in with a chance I wonder ??
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 2, 2015 8:31:23 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 3, 2015 7:42:34 GMT
4th day and no new 'oles!!! However next door has got a new one - she is moving her sonar thingy to near the hole and mine should cover the back of her garden as well...we'll see what tomorrow brings.. Dutchy, - start having a look around for one...I think they do work (famous last words) !! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 4, 2015 8:22:40 GMT
5th day without any signs of rats or mice - plus the first day next door that nothing has been sighted - she moved the sonar thingy to the worst infected part in her garden and it "seems" to be working !!
I'm still on edge and I found a dying plant in the garden that had no roots but it is obvious that it was days ago that it got munched..
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 5, 2015 7:22:17 GMT
So, I am frightened to even say this, incase I tempt fate, but it is the 6th day of peace in the garden !!
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 6, 2015 5:13:37 GMT
7th day of peace - Dutchy, think you can safely go and buy one... |
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