Terry Coombs wrote:
I haven't had any problems with critters eating the bulbs,
though something tunneled right thru the root system of a
young rose bush , killing it.
Probably voles, once voles become established you've got a huge
problem, they multiply fast, they will kill all your shrubs, and you
can forget all about a vegetable garden. Do not set out poison, best
solution is a couple of cats... if you live in a rural agricultural
area feral cats are best and they will be readily available. Ask the
local farmers and most will be happy to let you set traps at their
barns as there are always new litters. Just be sure to bring the cats
to a vet to be fixed, to be innoculated, and chipped. Then all you'd
need to do is have a shelter set up with fresh water and some food.
Feral cats are not expensive to feed as they mostly eat what they
kill, but putting out food each day keeps them from seeking another
feral cat community. If you live where winters are cold you'll need
to heat the shelters and use heated water bowls... they're low wattage
and on themostats so they cost only pennies a day, the shelter heater
is a pad that only comes on at about 35º and only with the weight of a
cat. I have heated shelters on my deck and in my barn. I have a half
dozen regular ferals that were born in my barn, and then there are
several visitors that come to mooch a meal but don't stay long. Feral
cats are excellent hunters, they work in teams, my six regulars keep
40 acres clear of all rodents including squirrels, and rabbits too...
I have flowering plants coming up that I planted and forgot about
until the cats got rid of the rabbits. I made a small opening in my
vegetable garden fence and the cats patrol in there constantly, no
more nibbled crops. A good shelter is the Kitty Tube:
http://www.thekittytube.com/
Costs a bit less on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...R4EW4ZZBRAW95S
I have two on my deck:
http://i64.tinypic.com/19bfpx.jpg
Northerntool.com sells this small dog house. It's set up in my
gardening shed, I don't tell the cats it's a dog house:
http://i68.tinypic.com/33k3gb8.jpg