I don't have much of a problem with voles in the summertime. I know they're
out there, going about their vole business and living their voles lives, but
they don't seem to cause any particular damage, perhaps because of the easy
availability of food. The population seems to undergo some cyclical
flux--some years they are on a downswing and not visible.

Our winters are very variable here, so some years we don't have much snow,
or what we do have melts in a series of thaws. In those conditions I have
no issues with voles.

But in a winter like the past one, where it snowed early and often, and the
ground was covered until spring, the voles have a field day. Without the
threat of predation from cats and hawks, they are free to make extensive
tunnels. They cleaned out hundreds of crocus and chinodoxa bulbs last
winter, and damaged (although not fatally) some perennials.

I'll replant the bulbs, and hope for the best. I encourage the neighborhood
cats to hang around; they are fairly easy prey for a cat that's a good
hunter. And I'll see what interesting surprises Nature has in store for me
this winter.

Let us know how the repellant works out.

Cheers,
Sue

"Pelvis Popcan" wrote in message
...
Did some googling for vole trails, it looks like that's definitely
what it is.

I found a product called "whole control" on bugspray.com, I might try
it. Not a poison, just a repellent.

Thanks for the help, without it I would have no idea what I was
dealing with!