After first having problems with voles in my vegetable garden this year and now that a mole seems to have moved in (yes, I can tell the difference… frustratingly, that’s more or less the only result search engines turn up for my initial question), I’ve been wondering whether voles and moles tolerate each other, or whether the mole’s presence prevents the voles from attacking my vegetables again? I couldn’t find an answer right away, what do you think?

  • BCOVertigo@piefed.worldEnglish
    2·
    21 days ago

    It’s a good idea, and I think if you fail to herd them it will be related to where they placed their larder.

    In Earthworm Ecology, edited by renowned entomologist Clive Edwards, researcher James P. Curry notes, “Large quantities of mutilated earthworms are stored in caches within a mole fortress as future food.” One study found 470 live earthworms in a single chamber. This amounted to nearly 2 pounds, of worms. A study of moles in Britain found a single mole consumes approximately 39 to 70 pounds of earthworms annually.

    I wonder if voles are thieves, and a population boom in a mole tunnel system results in the mole starving?

    • GardenGeek@europe.pubOPEnglish
      2·
      15 days ago

      I don’t think voles and moles get in each other’s way when foraging (or only if, by chance, they both happen to want to use the same tunnel). As far as I know, voles are vegetarians with a preference for roots (which is why these critters cause me so much trouble in the garden), while moles eat insects and other invertebrates.

      Well, in any case, thanks for your input… let’s see if the “trample the tunnels” tactic works.