One of the key problems that impede high yields is the water rat (water vole). An uninvited guest ruthlessly damages seedlings, steals sweet root vegetables and potatoes from the beds, destroys bulb flowers and causes irreparable damage to the root system of fruit and berry plants.
Water vole: description
Such a rat is called a vole because of its habitat in natural conditions.
The length of the body is up to 24 cm, the tail is about 10 cm, covered with small dense hairs, body weight is about 200 grams. The muzzle is stupid, shortened. The ears are small, hidden in the coat. The fur is very lush, taupe. Sometimes black individuals are found. The vole chooses swamps, streams, small ponds, reclamation ditches located in the immediate vicinity of summer cottages as its habitat. The water rat swims well, dives beautifully. In the natural environment it feeds on soft and juicy parts of marsh plants: young shoots of reed, basal parts of sedge, reeds and cattail; for complete saturation, such a low-nutritional feed, the animal consumes in very large quantities.
Vole lifestyle
Under natural conditions, a water vole, the fight against which is often inconclusive, is an active shrew. She digs shallow depths at shallow depths and burrows that are complex in construction, and she arranges access to the surface in unremarkable places: dense grassy thickets, littered areas located nearby landfills.
During the season, water voles produce 2-4 broods, in each of which 6-7 cubs. At the age of one month, the animals with pleasure pass to succulent forages, including rhizomes of garden flowers and young trees. Part of the young generation begins to breed in the same year.
For winter, a water vole (photos are presented in the article) is carefully stocked; gardeners often find its warehouses, in which several buckets of selected tubers that migrated here from the garden are neatly stacked. Moreover, even the type and size of vegetables is important for the animal: carefully selected one-to-one tubers are medium and even.
Signs of the appearance of a water vole in the infield:
- the appearance on the lawns of holes with gnawed grass around them;
- diameter of holes 5-8 cm;
- passages are dug under the very surface of the soil.
Water vole: methods of struggle
The vole has no natural enemies. Traps and mousetraps for this beast are ineffective and are aimed at destroying a small number of individuals. In the earth at a depth of about 20 cm near the exit from the hole, an arc trap is installed, used for catching fur animals. Do not cover or cover the ground with pits with traps.
It’s extremely difficult for a person to fight such a neighbor. One of the methods of dealing with an uninvited guest is bait. Diverse in composition, they are aimed at achieving one goal. It is recommended to lay baits in cut plastic bottles, pipe cuts, under boxes with holes made in them. Mix the product with a wooden stick or a plastic object, because water voles are sensitive to the smell of a person.
Bait Recipes
- Recipe number 1 : 20-25 g of gypsum diluted with 30-40 g of flour and a small amount of vegetable oil. The animal dies from gypsum, which when it enters the stomach begins to harden.
- Recipe number 2 : One part of gypsum and fried bran and two parts of fat. The resulting mixture must be divided into balls and decomposed in the places of resettlement of rats.
- Recipe number 3 : combine 20 g of rosin with 20 g of powdered sugar and 15 g of borax.
- Recipe number 4 : Poisoned grain, baits from it are most effective in the autumn.
- Recipe No. 5 : Sugar and malt are mixed in equal proportions in a container with quicklime , and dishes with water are placed nearby. The rat, having satisfied his hunger, will immediately want to drink. This action will be final in her life.
Water voles do not tolerate the smell of garlic, milkweed, black root and hazel grouse. A large number of such plants planted on the site will cause the mass exodus of rodents. For fidelity of the method, it is recommended to put walnut leaves, fish heads, cloves of garlic in burrows.
Water Vole Tricks
Many gardeners are trying to expel water rats from their territory by inserting a hose into the discovered underground passages, the other end of which is connected to the exhaust pipe of the car. The engine idling fills the moves with destructive exhaust fumes. The method does not always work if the underground labyrinths are highly branched and confused.
Some gardeners scare the voles with loud noises. To do this, plastic bottles with holes made in them must be buried in the soil at an angle. The wind that gets in will be transformed into a mournful whistle that rats cannot stand.
Special ultrasonic rodent repellers sold in stores are effective. The operation of these devices requires a constant power source or regular battery changes. It is also recommended to change the sound range, in order to avoid the animals getting used to it.
Interesting materials for the expulsion of a water vole, sensitive to unpleasant odors, are:
- Rabbit skin. It can be cut into several parts, hammer in the entrances to holes and set fire to it.
- Chimney soot. Diluted with water to a viscous consistency, it is recommended to fill it in burrows.
If the above methods are ineffective, you will have to use chemicals that need to be decomposed in holes or near them. This action is recommended to be repeated after 5-7 days. Chemicals pose a direct danger to pets, so there should not be any favorite pets in the area of their use.
Vole Prevention
In addition to using various baits, the site must be kept clean; in late autumn, to protect against frost and pests, tie tree trunks with covering materials. After each heavy snowfall during the thaw days, the snow around the trees needs to be trampled: compressed, after cooling, it becomes an insurmountable obstacle for rodents.
When cleaning from the territory of dead animals, it should be remembered that they are carriers of tularemia - a dangerous infectious disease. Therefore, in no case should you take a vole with your hands.
Subsequently, in order to prevent water voles on a well-groomed territory, it is recommended to erect a fence on a solid in-depth (minimum 40 cm) foundation. It is important to prevent the presence of gaps in the intake sections and attachment points through which water voles could penetrate.