Do I have the dreaded rodent?

14 years ago

I have a narrow strip of grass on the side of my house. It was newly sodded less than 2 years ago. Early last October I gave it a final mow. We had snow on Oct. 12 and that was the last time I saw the only piece of grass in my yard that looked pristine. My 15" snow pack disappeared with the rain and warm temps in the last 9 days. When I came home yesterday afternoon, all the snow on the side of the house was gone. The once pristine strip of grass is now areas of loose yellow grass. It almost looks like I raked grass clippings into piles. In addition, there are divets - as if someone with a golf club had come thru and wacked up my squishy lawn.

Do I have voles??????????????

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Comments (18)

alexis717_df
14 years ago
Theresa I don't know if it's voles or not. Sorry. But you might google "snow mold". I sometimes get similar sounding areas in my lawn after the snow has gone and in my case it's been snow mold.

Good luck.
Teresa_MN
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Alexis - I googled it and that looks similar but not quite the same. One of the sites that popped up was posted earlier today by a local TV station. They did say our deep snow pack this winter was idea for snow mold. The pictures they show do not look anything like what I have however. I'll have to examine it more closely when the ground is not so saturated.
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aahostas
14 years ago
teresa,
The sign that you are looking for will be small holes about the size of a half dollar. The roots will be eaten off of the grass and there will be little tunnels burrowed under where the sod used to be. Voles love cover if it be snow, leaves, lawn ornaments, mulch or even under stepping stones.They attack roots in the winter and late fall when there is nothing green for them to eat.The divets you describe sound like the little pockets that they have made under the sod. Get some D-Con or Tom Kat bait and put it under an old shingle or piece of plywood in that location.They will take it back to the central den and share their last meal with the whole colony. They breed quickly so make haste!

Denny
woodthrush
14 years ago
I think the divets are skunks or raccoon digging for grubs.
Or if your robins are back, could be them also. Voles will have left trails that look like someone set up a matchbox car track, and hole the size of a quarter.
Pam
Teresa_MN
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for the advice. My terraces don't seem to be disturbed so hopefully the hostas are okay. Its just the grass in that small area of the yard. The grass out back does not seem to be disturbed. The sun will be out for the next few days and when things are drier I will be able to get a better idea of what it is. I have D-Con in my garage and will put that out tonite.
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
14 years ago
I'm with woodthrush on this one. Our lawn looked the same when the critters were after grubs. Although that does usually happen later when the ground warmed. Robins may be your culprits.
shapiro
14 years ago
Teresa: All this very interesting but what does it have to do with hostas?
countrygarden01
14 years ago
Hi Teresa,
I really think they were just mice. The sod was nice and thick w/ cover and food. Next to a building really attracts them too. The ground is always warmer.
As suggested, check for the "quarter" holes.
We are relatively close to one another. In these heavy snow cover years, mice are terrible; especially w/ crawling-spreading evergreens.
I have quite a few areas as you descibe.
I do not know of voles around here or heard others in our climate having trouble.
Ocassionally there a few shrews. I have only found them in real lose fertile soil. The stuff you dig in that looks like sandy black gold and is three foot deep.
I have heard and seen animals (racoons/skunks) digging for grubs last summer. However, the ground is too cold currently.
In the fall I set out black plastic boxes that contain block bait. After this year, I think I will keep them baited all season.
In the gardens I place them every 25' or so. Especially around any stone work, crevices, other hideouts.
I have found it really helpful to cut the grass close to 2" in late, late fall. It doesn't give them much for tunneling or cover. The ground will also be colder w/ less of a cover and they will seek shelter in other areas where it is warmer.
I really think you are o.k.
Good Luck
Teresa_MN
Original Author
14 years ago
shapiro - I have a quarter acre with 400 varieties of hostas. After being a member here for 5 years I came to find advice about what I thought were voles invading my space. The changes in my yard after the big melt are vastly different than years past. Does that satisfy your question?
aahostas
14 years ago
Holes the size of a quarter?? You guys must have Twiggy voles up north!:) And Voles are a very appropriate subject in the Hosta world. Especially after you lose a couple of $50 ones!

Denny
woodthrush
14 years ago
lol - Denny - maybe you've got FAT voles! Stop feeding them the most expensive hostas.
Pam
hosta_freak
14 years ago
To tell you the truth,Teresa,I've never heard of voles attacking grass! Their favorite food is hosta! I had attacks years ago in another part of my property that almost wiped out the few hostas I had then. So far,they have never invaded my main garden,but this red clay is not easy to dig in. I know ths is little consolation to you,but that is all I know about them, Phil
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
hey T .. welcome back ... don't worry about the elf ... whatever ...

yes.. you have rodents ...

what kind no clue ...

DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEM IN THE HOSTA BEDS????

trapped me a skunk last night.. now i have to pay someone to get it out of here.. life isnt a disney movie in my garden ...

besides that.. WHO CARE ABOUT GRASS ... lol ...

once you get out there .. give us an update of any further facts ... like trails thru the hosta beds .. etc ...

if you find an entry hole ... step on it.. if it is active.. it will be re-opened ...

once you find an active hole... get a mouse trap [rat trap for chipmonks] ... apply some peanut butter on the release ... takes a lot of licking .. then invert a large black pot over it and the hole.. preferably setting it first ...

the pot keeps friendly animals out.. and since they live underground.. and are used to darkness ... encourages them to come take a look ...

once you get one.. you will be on your way to ID'ing what you have ... and once you know that.. you will know what to do ...

mice eat grain.. hence the PD ...

moles eat worms and grubs ... so its harder to attract them to a trap .. BTW.. i have moles.. that are the size of field mice ... there are big and small ones ...

i dont have voles ... obviously.. they are vegetarians ... if they eat hosta .... so my knowledge is limited ...

though you have lumps of gathered grass.. with voles.. you should also have very apparent trails ... as far as i know ...

good luck

ken

ps: i really should not type in full caffeine buzz mode.. hope you can make heads and tales of this ramble.. lol ..
aahostas
14 years ago
Pam,
Everything here is fat! The dogs,the cats, the voles, and myself. The only two things that are skinny here is my wallet and my DW from running around trying to keep the rest of us fed!:)

DEnny
paul_in_mn
14 years ago
Hi Teresa-

I have one area of lawn that I usually see grazing under the snowpack, this year there is more than usual. I assume the milder winter may be part of the reason, as we didn't have the usual mouse or two we usually have to trap inside.

The grass is snipped off right at the soil line, leaving piles of yellowed grass clippings. This year looks to be maybe 100 square feet (10x10) or more. When I rake back the loose yellow there is green grass nubs, but not holes. I think this damage is from mice.

I get a few vole holes in the garden each year and put bait in them. I have not yet had a problem with hosta damage (crosses fingers).

Good Luck

Paul
sidney1515
14 years ago
I took a foot of pvc pipe and put curved elbows on each end (turning the end elbows in opposite directions). I stick weather proof rat and mice blocks in them and put them under the bigger hosta. I have had no trouble with voles. . it's like eating a green weenie. . gonesville. . If you have pets you could put a u joint over the pipe and push it in the ground. .

Good luck finding out what is doing the damage.
jennaj_z4mn
14 years ago
I noticed the same thing in my backyard--maybe its a Minnesota thing--eh? It does look like grass clippings in a trail--I also noticed some exposed dirt tunnels too. I noticed that alot of neighbors have them too. I did have a mouse get in the house this winter for the first time ever. Whatever it is, I hope they didn't/don't get to the hostas!! I'll let you know if we can figure out what it is! Happy gardening. Jenna
Teresa_MN
Original Author
14 years ago
So far hosta beds look undisturbed from the deck and the sidewalk. I have not ventured onto the grass very far as the first two steps I took my wellies sank in a good inch. In addition to the deep snow pack melting rapidly, the house to the east is uphill so I got all of their melting snow also. It could very well be mice seeing as I have had them in my garage before which is of course next to the damaged lawn. I put d-con in the garage a couple of months ago. A mouse had nested in the engine of my car and snacked on one of the wires under the dash causing my battery lite to go on.

I hope that's all it is. If it turns out to be hosta eating creatures, my days as a collector are over. As of last Friday, I have been unemployed for 11 months. I have applied for 391 jobs thus far with no luck. So my days of spending $200 on one hosta or even $10 are over!

Do I have the dreaded rodent?

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