Whether you're a seasoned gardener or novice, dealing with assorted pests is part of maintaining a successful garden. One such pest is the vole, which belongs to the genus Microtus. There are 23 species of vole in the United States, including the California vole (M. californicus) and montane vole (M. montanus). Keep voles away from your prized tulips through barrier and cultural control methods, as traps are usually ineffective and chemical methods may cause damage to surrounding plants and birds that feed on the ground.
Voles, also called field mice, are small, brownish-black rodents similar to mice though they have fatter bodies, rounder heads, smaller ears and more hair on their tails. They can grow from 3 to 9 inches long, depending on species. Though voles can be mistaken for moles, voles eat plants and moles do not. These rodents make their burrows underground and create tunnels, allowing them to snack on the roots of various plants. Voles cause problems for gardeners as they enjoy a variety of landscape plants, with tulips being one of their favorites.
Assorted planting methods will help to keep voles away from your tulips. One option is to plant tulip bulbs deeper than you normally would, as vole tunnels are fairly shallow. Though tulip bulbs are typically planted a few inches below ground, dig holes that are about 10 inches deep and cover them with 8 inches of soil as opposed to the standard 4 to 6 inches of soil. Deep planting also allows the bulbs more time to establish their roots, which results in a longer growing season. Other planting options include planting tulip bulbs in baskets made from hardware cloth that is 1/4 inch thick before planting them in the ground. Planting narcissus flowers, such as daffodils, will also deter voles as narcissus plants are repulsive to these rodents.
Keep voles away from your tulips by erecting a wire fence with a mesh size of 1/4 inches or smaller. The fencing material should be about 20 to 22 inches in width. Use a shovel to bury the fence 6 to 10 inches underground with about 12 inches of wire fence remaining above ground. Attach the mesh fence to the bottom of an existing fence using sturdy rope or use the fence in a stand-alone manner. Keep the area around the fence bottom free of weeds as an additional method of controlling voles.
Cultural Control & Additional Options
Maintaining a weed-free garden that is also free of ground cover and debris will help keep voles off your property and away from your tulips. Mow your lawn regularly as another cultural method of controlling voles. Tilling soil will also help keep voles out as it destroys their tunnels. Use repellents that contain capsaicin, the hot ingredient in chili, around your tulips and other high-traffic vole areas to keep them away.
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