Voles, also known as meadow mice, can be a real nuisance to gardeners and homeowners. As vegetarians, voles will happily munch on most vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, and grasses. While trapping and rodenticides are often used to control vole populations, there are certain plants that voles tend to avoid. Knowing which plants voles dislike can help you design a garden that deters these destructive rodents.
What Are Voles?
Voles are small, mouse-like rodents that live in fields, prairies, forests, and backyards. There are over 150 species of voles worldwide, and they are found throughout most of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Some common characteristics of voles include:
- Body Size: Approximately 4-8 inches long (minus the tail) and weigh 1-6 ounces. They have compact, stocky bodies with short legs and tails.
- Coloring: Most voles have brown or gray fur, although some species can be blackish. Their underside is generally lighter in color.
- Behavior: Voles are active year-round. They dig intricate burrow systems with surface runways. Voles are good swimmers and can sometimes be spotted near water sources. They live in colonies and eat grasses, roots, bulbs, and bark.
- Reproduction: Voles can breed rapidly under optimal conditions. Females may have 5-10 litters per year with 3-6 young per litter. This allows vole populations to quickly explode.
- Damage: Voles create meandering surface runways through vegetation. They girdle trees and shrubs by chewing the bark. Voles also dig up and eat roots, seeds, and bulbs. Their extensive tunneling can damage lawns, gardens, and flowerbeds.
Why Voles Are a Problem in Gardens
The vegetarian diet and quick reproductive cycle of voles makes them a menace for gardeners and landscapers. Voles need to eat constantly to sustain themselves and will devour tender roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Certain favorite vole foods include:
- Bulbs: Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses
- Roots: Carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, tubers
- Stems: Young seedlings and tender garden starts
- Bark: Fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs
In just a night or two, voles can destroy an entire garden. Since they reproduce so quickly, vole issues often get out of hand fast. Extensive vole tunneling and surface runways can also be unsightly and damage lawns.
10 Plants That Voles Dislike
When designing your garden, incorporating plants that voles avoid or dislike can be an effective deterrent. Here are 10 plants that voles tend to leave alone:
1. Daffodils
Daffodils contain toxic chemicals that act as a repellent to a variety of garden pests, including voles. The bulbs of daffodils contain lycorine, an alkaloid that is highly distasteful to voles. Planting daffodils throughout your garden is an attractive way to deter voles. Species such as Narcissus pseudonarcissus (common daffodil) and Narcissus poeticus (pheasant’s eye) are good choices.
2. Ornamental Alliums
Alliums are a large plant family that includes edible onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives. The ornamental flowering alliums are equally repellent to voles though. Some good vole-resistant choices include:
- Drumstick allium (Allium sphaerocephalon)
- Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)
- Ornamental onion (Allium giganteum)
- Star of Persia (Allium christophii)
The strong smell and flavor of alliums drives voles away. Cluster ornaments alliums close together for maximum effect.
3. Lungwort
The species of Pulmonaria plants are commonly called lungwort. They have distinctive spotted leaves and clustered pink or blue flowers in spring. All parts of the lungwort plant, including the leaves, contain antirrhinoside and other chemical deterrents that make them unpalatable to voles. Excellent as a shade groundcover.
4. Foxglove
Foxgloves (Digitalis) contain extremely toxic cardiac glycosides, so voles avoid munching on these stately perennials. The tall spires of pendulous, tubular foxglove flowers make a dramatic statement in gardens and help deter voles. Just be sure to plant foxgloves with care, away from areas frequented by children or pets.
5. Ferns
Voles do not seem to care for the flavor of ferns. Placing pots of ferns around flower beds or planting fern varieties like ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), or Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum) can help block vole access and serve as a deterrent.
6. Barberry
Thorny barberry shrubs dislikes voles, although Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) has become an invasive pest in some areas. Try growing a vole-resistant barberry species like mentore barberry (Berberis x mentorensis) or Korean barberry (Berberis koreana). Avoid planting invasive barberry varieties.
7. Catnip
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains a chemical called nepetalactone that felines find intoxicatingly delightful. For voles, however, catnip has the opposite effect and acts as a repellent. Growing catnip around the garden perimeter can help deter voles. You may also see less cats digging around in garden beds containing catnip!
8. Lavender
The scent of lavender drives voles away, so planting lavender shrubs like English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) can be an effective deterrent. As an added benefit, lavender smells wonderful and can be used to make fragrant soaps, sachets, and aromatherapy oils.
9. Marigolds
Marigolds contain thiophene compounds in their roots and foliage that gives them a distinctive musky, pungent scent. Voles find this scent offensive and will avoid gardens decorated with marigolds. Choose marigold varieties like Tagetes tenuifolia (signet marigold) or Tagetes erecta (Aztec marigold) to deter voles.
10. Mint
Mint makes a great vole repellent. The strong scent of plants in the mint family, including peppermint (Mentha x piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), catmint (Nepeta) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) drives voles away. Grow mint in containers near vulnerable garden areas or plants. Be aware that mint spreads aggressively and should be grown in pots to prevent it from taking over garden beds.
Other Tips for Keeping Voles Away
Incorporating vole-repellent plants is a great start, but here are some additional tactics to reduce vole damage:
- Clean up brush piles, tall grass, and weedy areas where voles like to hide. This removes cover and makes them more vulnerable to predators.
- Use fencing with a tight mesh (1/4 inch or less) and bury the bottom 6+ inches to prevent voles from squeezing through or digging underneath.
- Apply vole repellents rated for gardens and outdoor areas. Look for products containing castor oil, garlic, clove oil, or capsaicin. Reapply after heavy rains.
- Protect vulnerable trees and shrubs by encircling them with hardware cloth mesh or other barriers with small openings. Make sure barriers extend at least 12 inches above and 6 inches below the ground.
- Trim groundcovers and vegetation well away from the base of trees and shrubs to reduce hidden runways.
- Use traps that are designed specifically for voles to help reduce populations. Common options include snap traps, repeating traps, and live traps. Place traps along active runways.
- Encourage natural predators like owls, hawks, snakes, foxes, and coyotes. Avoid killing or trapping these animals and provide perches or habitat for them. Their presence helps keep vole numbers in check.
Frequently Asked Questions About Voles in Gardens
What are signs of voles in my garden?
Look for small, meandering surface runways through vegetation, small burrow openings, damage to tree bark and roots, and plants clipped at the base. New growth may disappear overnight. You may also spot voles themselves scurrying through garden beds or lawns.
What time of year are voles most active?
Voles breed prolifically through spring and summer. They are active year-round, but populations peak in late summer and autumn leading to more significant garden damage. Stay vigilant April through November when establishing new plantings.
How do I know if voles or mice are causing damage?
Both voles and mice will eat roots, bulbs, stems, and leaves, but there are a few differences. Mice have larger protruding eyes and ears. Mice construct discrete underground nests, while voles create extensive burrow networks with surface runways. Mouse damage is usually more localized compared to voles.
Are voles harmful to pets or humans?
Voles do not generally pose a risk to household pets. Voles can carry diseases like Salmonella and Tularemia, but human infection is rare. Regardless, good hygiene like wearing gloves and washing hands after working in areas with vole activity is recommended. Avoid using poison baits if pets could access them.
What if I find a vole nest or extensive burrows in my yard?
Large vole burrow systems and nests in your lawn or garden beds indicate a substantial vole population. Trying to destroy burrows will not eliminate them. Focus instead on habitat modification, exclusion, and population reduction using traps. Repellents and vole-resistant plants can then help prevent reinfestation.
Conclusion
Voles can rapidly infest and damage gardens, so taking preventative measures is key. Incorporating plants and shrubs that voles avoid or dislike serves as an unattractive deterrent. Daffodils, alliums, lungwort, foxglove, ferns, barberry, catnip, lavender, marigolds, and mint are excellent options. Combine vole-resistant plants with other tactics like removing cover, barriers, repellents, and traps to protect your garden. A multi-pronged approach helps ensure you can enjoy your yard, without it becoming an all-you-can-eat vole buffet.