Voles can cause a lot of damage in the garden because they feed on roots and particularly like to nibble on vegetables. Therefore, you should act quickly if you discover a vole in your garden. Below you will find out whether it is necessary to kill the vole, what methods there are and what alternatives are available.
Can you kill a vole and how?
A vole can be killed if it harms your garden. Methods include poison bait, classic mouse traps and burrow traps. However, these methods are often cruel and can endanger other animals. Displacement measures are a better alternative.
Background
A vole rarely comes together
The good news first: Unlike rats, voles are solitary creatures and can only be found in pairs during mating season. So if you spot a vole in the garden, you don't have to worry about having to drive away a whole horde.
Can you kill a vole?
Yes, a vole can be killed. It is not threatened with extinction and is not protected. Unlike the mole: moles are threatened with extinction and are also extremely useful for our soil. Therefore, you should definitely make sure that you are dealing with a vole and not a mole.
Killing a vole: The options
Specialist retailers offer three different measures against voles that lead to their killing: poison bait, classic mouse traps and vole waste traps.
Poison bait
Poison bait is placed in the vole's burrows, where it eats the bait and dies within a few hours. The big disadvantage is that the bait can also harm other animals. It should definitely be removed after the vole has ingested it.
Mousetrap
Everyone knows the classic mousetrap: The mouse eats the bait, the trap is triggered and snaps onto the mouse's neck. The problem here is that the mouse is not always killed immediately, which is why death can be slow and painful.
Wilm waste trap
The vole trap is also placed in the vole's tunnels. A motion detector triggers the trap. The vole is said to die immediately from the force of the explosion. Non-immediate death and suffering of the animal are still possible; In addition, carelessness can result in injuries to people.
The better alternative: drive away voles
Due to the disadvantages and possible suffering to the vole, we strongly advise not to kill the vole. There are numerous other methods to get rid of voles. These include:
- strong smells such as schnapps, butyric acid or manure
- Ultrasound devices
- Vole gas
- Repel with deterrent plants such as garlic or sweet clover
- Set barriers, e.g. with wire baskets
Tip
Alternatively, you can catch the vole with a live trap.
