and put bait under the pot/bucket.. something that smells.. like an apple core.. i had a lot of luck with cantaloupe in summer ... or put a bad of peanut butter on a rock.. or even better.. the trap ... its the attractant we are looking for ...

ken

I would reiterate the importance of making sure birds cannot reach the trap. I once set a rat trap at the base of a compost heap. I turned my back to fetch something to cover it and heard a loud snap. I turned back to find a robin in the trap with a broken neck. It had been attrcted by bugs in the compost. It happened in less than a minute.

Ok I did that and put additional obstacles around it to make it uninviting for the birds. But the fact that no one is giving me hate on this means you are all positive it’s a vole? If it was a chipmunk I would be getting more hate on this.

Btw I buried the hole yesterday afternoon and no signs of exit or entry since then. This is odd

I had a sticky trap under an upturned bucket and a wren went in there and died. They're not birdproof. I also killed a white crowned sparrow with a mousetrap that had peanut butter as bait. You can use carrots and sweet potatoes to lure voles. If the hole isn't leading anywhere, then it might be a skunk, opossum or racoon. They don't eat plants and they dig for worms and things to eat. Voles will make pathways to the plants they are eating. I had chipmunks tunneling under and killing my plants because their roots dried out. I flooded all their holes and stomped on them, and they left and went elswwhere. They eat the majority of silver maple tree seeds that spiral down from the neighbors tree, otherwise there would be a lot of unwanted vollunteers. I'd rather put up with a little discomfort than kill animals and insects. Last year I was attacked Twice and viciuously by a hive of bumblebees that were taking up residence in my spring ephemeral bed, but I let them be. And then there was the time I hung all my laundry to dry for a hole season because there was a bumblebee hive in my dryer exhaust Lol. At least I don't have to worry about ferel hogs and armadillos like they have in the south.

A lot of beautiful birds of prey and some other predators are poisoned and die when people put out poisoned bait for rodents, and they eat the rodents.

If it was a chipmunk I would be getting more hate on this.

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chippies are some of the most evil .... destructive .. hated rodents in the universe.. note i dont even limit it to planet earth ...

this is war.. not some disney cartoon with cute little eveil brother rodent scum...

as for the birds.. well.murphys law ... go peck somewhere.. nimrod.. lol ... im kidding.. no reason for you to not place and protect a trap properly ...

chippies were attacking my hosta irrigation over 2 acres.. in august.. it was their water source.. so they would bite thru the tape...instead of having drip tape.. i had thin geysers everywhere.. nothing more stimulating than 55 degree ice water squirting up your shorts on a 100 degree day .. lol ..

anyway..so i got to work on reducing the population.. and crikey if i didnt remove 4 or 5 on the 2 acres..and the problem disappeared... i expected to remove hundreds.. hyper active ADD infested vermin ...

i would crush holes..track which were reopened the nest day ... put a 25 gal pot over the hole.. with an almond wired to a rat trap .. and bingo ... as noted if i had cantaloupe rind.. or any aromatic fruit to attract them... in winter.. lack of aroma might be an issue as what can you lure with ...but of course.. your zone is much warmer than mine ..

ken

just look at the evil-ness: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=chip+and+dale&iax=images&ia=images

and dont et me started on rabbits.. no.. they are also eveil rodent vermin ... thank god i live in the country where we have hawks .... when i see a lot of hawks during summer..i dont see many rabbits ...

Jay, I am not empathetic for any rodents in the slightest. I am with Ken in that they are evil and destructive for any gardener and should be eradicated from the universe. Birds of prey can find other animals to prey on like rabbits. If it wasn't them digging holes, plants, and tunnels everywhere they will still plant seeds and nuts everywhere resulting in large tree species growing in unwanted places. In environmental settings that may be helpful, though there are still plenty of environmentalists who reforest, but in a garden setting you don't want trees that grow 5ft a year growing everywhere. Last year I eradicated a whole nest of them tunneling under my callicarpa and I couldn't be more satisfied. I would never use poison because my dog roams in the yard and I love birds.

So its been over a week and nothing caught in the trap. I'm starting to think it was just a chipmunk that just dug a hole from their temptation and left. I also showed my exterminator the hole and he said it definitely is not a vole. So that's a relief.

Hey guys I found the culprit and caught it on video. unfortunately I cant post video so I took pics of it. Looks like a shrew to me, no no? If it is then I must take back the traps

Looks like a shrew to me: it's no danger to your plants, as they primarily hunt earthworms, snails, slugs, etc. They'll occasionally tackle vertebrate prey too, including salamanders and small mice, since they technically have a venomous bite (one of the very few mammals with venom).

Ok, I removed the traps. I think its just the one shrew that lives there and makes a lor of holes and shallow tunnels nearby. As long as it doesn’t damage my plants I don’t mind but worried about my foundation as its right next to my entrance steps.

A shrew is of NO concern to a foundation!! You have nothing to worry about in that regard.