Quote:
Originally Posted by ContainerTed
After trying to "manage the herd" for a few years, I decided that the squirrels destroy more than I'm willing to allow. It ain't the few dollars, it's the time and work lost. So, while this place is a bird sanctuary, it is a squirrel, skunk, possum, and coyote horror movie. . .
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I didn't realize this until developments in recent years prompted me to research it, but skunks are one of the most effective predators of voles --unlike hunting birds, skunks aren't deterred by voles' ability to hide in even low ground cover and unlike cats, skunks will dig to find vole burrows, which, with voles, usually aren't very deep.
We used to have occasional voles, but no great damage problem, and while we didn't often see a skunk, evidence of their presence came wafting on the air from time to time.
Suddenly their occasional wafting fragrance stopped -- presumably someone began targeting skunks -- and now voles are a bigger problem with most garden produce than weather or other issues. They don't seem to bother the corn, (but then for protection against weather and birds I plant corn in collars that would make young corn difficult for voles to access), but beets, beans, greens, and carrots the voles clean out directly -- things like tomatoes they kill by eating the roots or biting the stems -- also a problem with beans and young squash -- and they've begun doing some damage to potatoes, though if potato plants survive on top, most of the potatoes are too deep for voles. Wasn't a problem in the past when there were just a few voles, so I expect population pressure is what drives most of the vole damage. Something to bear in mind if the skunks aren't doing substantial damage directly.
