Repel Voles by Insulting Their Senses
Voles have very acute senses of smell, taste, and touch. One way to protect the bark of small trees in the winter is to spray the bark and the ground around it with a repellent that will turn off any interest by a vole. Garlic Barrier repels by smell and taste. Hot Pepperwax repels by taste and a burning sensation in the mouth. There are repellents that mimic the smell of the urine of the fox or other predator of the vole. If you spritz the base of small trees once or twice during the winter, you will have few vole problems in terms of eating bark.
Smell
Deer-Off, Inc. - Deer-Off protects bulbs from moles and voles according to the President, Athena P. Loucas. Soak bulbs for five minutes, let dry and plant. When plant appears, spray the green leaves.
Taste
Dr. T's Nature Products - Whole Control repels moles, armadillos, pocket gophers and other burrowing animals such as voles. This product is made of 100% castor oil. Mole-Med shows a picture of a product of 100% castor oil and implies 100% castor oil separates from water and does not do as good a job. No other definitive proof this is true. This is the only product that is 100% castor oil. I will not bet the farm on this product being effective against voles. The purpose of castor oil is to coat the earthworm. The gopher eats the earthworm and gets sick and moves out. Voles do not eat earthworms and the voles food may not react the same with the castor oil.
Repel Voles With A Pet Dog or Cat
Homes with either a cat or dog will generally have fewer vole problems than those with no pets. If the cat and/or dog is allowed outside during the day, there is even less chance of serious vole population explosions.
