1. Trap the voles. Mouse snap traps baited with peanut butter will catch voles if placed on the ground perpendicular to a well-used pathway. Place the trap firmly and set the trigger in the pathway. A sprinkle of rolled oats in the pathway will add to the bait’s appeal. Cover the traps with cardboard bent into a tunnel (big enough not to hamper the trap spring)—this will keep birds from getting caught. Use plenty of traps—a dozen for a small garden, 50 or more for a large garden. Wear gloves when handling dead voles.

Trapping

Live traps are effective in capturing woodchucks. Trapping is the best method to use near buildings or where fumigation may create a hazard.

Wire-meshed live traps can be set in the trail immediately in front of the burrow main entrance and baited with apple slices, carrots, lettuce or ample amounts of fresh peas (Figure 3). Cage traps should be 12" x 12" x 36" in size. It is important to adjust the trigger mechanism and trap properly so that it will fire with just the right amount of pressure. Some live traps have doors on either side of the trap, while others have only a single entrance. Many of these will also have a door on the top of the trap, which makes it easier to adjust and bait the trap. Either design will work. Guide logs, twigs or stones placed on either side of the trap will aid in funneling the animal toward the trap. A method of using live traps that works well is to place a properly adjusted trap 5 to 10 feet away from the den or burrow, facing toward the hole. Beginning at the den entrance, apply drops of woodchuck lure sparingly about 12 inches apart to, and into, the trap. Put a few drops of the lure on a large fresh cabbage leaf at the back of the trap. The use of the lure often improves the success of catching the groundhog. Lures are available from a variety of sources. It is a good idea to conceal the trap with canvas or grass. All traps should be checked in the morning or early evening, so that the captured animal may be dealt with in a humane manner.
Trapping

When voles aren’t numerous or when the population is concentrated in a small area, trapping can be effective. Use a sufficient number of traps to control the population. For a small garden a dozen traps is probably the minimum number required, but for larger areas, you might need 50 or more. You can use a simple, wooden mouse trap baited with a peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices, although often you won’t need to use bait, because voles will trigger the trap as they pass over it.

Trap placement is crucial. Voles seldom stray from their runways, so set traps along these routes. Look for burrows and runways in grass or mulch in or near the garden. Place the traps at right angles to the runways with the trigger end in the runway. Examine traps daily, removing dead voles or resetting sprung traps as needed. Continue to trap in one location until you stop catching voles then move the trap to a new location 15 to 20 feet away. Destroy old runways or burrows with a shovel or rototiller to deter new voles from immigrating to the site.

Bury dead voles, or place them in plastic bags in the trash. Because voles can carry infectious pathogens or parasites, don’t handle them without rubber gloves; you can use a plastic bag slipped over your hand and arm as a glove. Once you have removed the vole from the trap, hold it with your “bagged” hand and turn the bag inside out while slipping it off your arm and hand. Be sure to keep small children and pets out of areas where you have set traps.

Note: We have provided some general information and observations on this topic aimed at the home gardener. Before you take any serious action in your landscape, check with your state's land grant university's Cooperative Extension Service for the most current, appropriate, localized recommendations.
 
Copyright© 2000 -   

 

 

 

 

 

Trap the Critter
 
Trapping is an effective means of control around homes and gardens.  Common rat snap-traps are used by some, if isolated from children, pets, or non-target wildlife.  If using these, place boards or a box over, with small opening for the chipmunk, to prevent birds from getting caught.

Many prefer to use a live-catch wire mesh trap, then transport them several miles away so they don’t return. Another alternative for live-trapped chipmunks is to humanely euthanize them.  If transporting, first check to make sure this is legal in your community.  Release them in wooded areas where they wont bother other homes, avoiding contact with them during the release.

If using live traps, a variety of baits can be used including peanut butter, seeds, raisins, or breakfast grains.  Place traps in areas, and along routes, where the chipmunks are seen.  You may want to wire the traps open a couple days to condition the chipmunks to them, before setting.  Check traps often to remove captured chipmunks and to release non-target animals such as birds.