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Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what would be digging tunnels 1 -1 1/2 inchs in diameter round in my garden (voles, moles, mice ???). I have found them around the stems of the plants. There is a few around my PB pumpkin and I don't know if they will harm the pumpkin itself or if they are after the roots or if they are after the worms in the patch. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

Phil from Cameron

9/22/2003 7:50:17 AM

[email protected]

Are they tunnels or just holes? Squirrels are digging holes like mad here. Tunnels could be moles, voles, shrews, gophers, etc.

9/22/2003 8:25:10 AM

Bobcaygeon Ontario

Phil,sounds like voles or moles. Keep a close eye on them,you don't want them burrowing underneath.I found bite marks all around the bottom edge of my pumpkins the other day.I sprayed with a cayenne/water solution,I hope it works and doesn't hurt the pumpkins.

9/22/2003 8:46:54 AM

North Ga

What in tarnation is a vole?

9/22/2003 9:09:00 AM

Nova Scotia

a vole is just a mole to me

9/22/2003 9:12:55 AM

Cologne / Germany

Also called root vole according to it´s nice job: munching roots. Likely to finish the season in a few days.
Moles are insect eaters and don´t touch roots, but leaving a "cavernous" patch after work. I have them, and I don´t appreciate their work;-) Maybe good for some underground airflow, not sure.

9/22/2003 9:19:51 AM

White Plains, NY

A couple of rat traps with a piece of apple might give you an answer. Chipmunks and voles make most of the holes around my house. Vole's are very bad, they have teeth like a woodchuck. Mole's eat my grubs that's good, Voles eat my plants that's bad.

9/22/2003 9:23:25 AM

mr t. - voles are smaller like a shrew. moles are bigger and don't come up to the surface a lot. they make raised tunnels underground, "mole hills".

my addition to the suggestion box....get different sized traps. mice will eat the food off the bigger ones without setting it off, and chipmunks will set off the smaller ones and drag the trap away never to be seen again. get both and you're good to go.

9/22/2003 12:32:33 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I also found tunnels in my pile and I suspect a rat. It even stole the seeds which I was drying nearby

9/23/2003 3:49:43 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I put 2 mouse traps at each end of the pumpkin and caught a vole the first night so I will keep the traps there till the weigh-off. I hope it hasn't been eating on the bottom of the pumpkin. Thanks
Phil from Cameron

9/23/2003 5:33:45 PM