[nafex] [ARTICLE] A subarctic orchard? Why not, says pioneering Yukon fruit grower

See
http://www.cbc.ca/1.3699735

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario
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[nafex] NAFEX 2016 Conferance Schedual update

Hello all,
I hope to see many of you at our annual meeting again this year. There has been some updates to the event schedule that you may want take note of. If you haven't registered yet, please do so ASAP so we can get a good head count for the caterers. Please contact Tom Knaust < tknaust@gmail.com> if you have any questions.
2016 NAFEX Annual Meeting in Bethel, PASchedule-Thursday July 28th12:00 Campground open 6:00 Board Meeting at Fellowship HallCampfire and Greet and Meet after the Board Meeting
Friday July 29th  9:00- 9:45 - Michael McConkey - "The History of NAFEX"10:00- 10:45 - Steven Murray11:00-12:00 - Lee Reich - "Pomona's Secrets: Cold-Hardy, Delectable, Pest-Free Fruits"12:30- 1:30 Lunch 2:00- 3:30 Organize Open Sessions  for Friday and Saturday 4:00- 5:30 Open Space- Concurrent sessions6:00- 7:00 Dinner7:00- Show and TellAfterwards- Fire Circle, musicSaturday July 30th9:00- 9:45 - Kathy Kelly10:00- 10:45 Bass Samaan - "Grow Figs Anywhere!"11:00-12:00 - Andy Moore - "The Past, Present, and Future of Growing Pawpaws"12:30- 1:30 Lunch2:00- 3:30 Open Space: Concurrent sessions4:00-5:30 Open Space: Concurrent sessions 6:00- 7:00 Dinner7:30 AuctionAfterwards-Fire circle, musicSunday July 31stClean up site and leave for field trips10:00 am  Field trip caravan- Rendezvous at the Comfort Inn, 433 Suedberg Road, Pine Grove, PA 17963  for 10:30 departure for toursSpeaker Bio's-Andrew Moore grew up in Lake Wales, Florida, just south of the pawpaw's native range. A writer and gardener, he now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the news editor and a feature writer for Pop City, a weekly news e-magazine in Pittsburgh, and his stories have been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Yonder, and the Biscayne Times. Pawpaw--a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award nominee in the Writing & Literature category--is his first book.Bass Samaan started collecting figs and other unique fruit trees 15 years ago in the attempt to find the perfect varieties for the Northeast climate. Now raising over 200 varieties of figs, and other fruit trees. Owner of Trees of Joy nursery, of Bethlehem, Pa.Kathy Kelley PhD is a professor of horticulture marketing and business management at Penn State University.  Her expertise in is the marketing of wine, produce and ethnic foods.  She has been studying consumer attitudes and behaviors pertaining to horticultural goods and services.  Lee Reich, PhD is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer) with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. He eventually turned from plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University to writing, lecturing, and consulting. Besides providing a year 'round supply of fruits and vegetables, his farmden has an educational mission and is a test site for innovative techniques in soil care, pruning, and food production.
Show and Tell-Please bring an item to share with the group during Friday night's Show and Tell.  This could be anything fruit related; from a homemade tool, interesting fruit, squirrel deterrent device, or anything in between.  This will be very informal and just a time for sharing things you've discovered on your pomological path.

Auction-Please bring an item to contribute to Saturday night's Auction.  This is a great way to have fun while raising funds for the treasury.  Popular past item's have included books, jams and preserves, plant material, tools, garden art, squirrel catapults, and more!Vendor's Alley-There will be tables set up inside Fellowship Hall for you to vend your wares.  There will be time before and after meals to peruse the vendors alley.  Edible Landscaping will be coming with a selection of plants and Lee Reich will have his books available for purchase.  There is no fee for vending, simply bring any items that you are interested in selling and set them up.  You will be responsible for taking payment for items.Open Space-This years conference will feature Open Space, an exciting, efficient and effective meeting methodology, along with our formal presentations.  Here is a brief definition; "Open Space (Technology) is a simple way to run productive meetings, for five to 2000+ people, and a powerful approach to leadership in any kind of organization, in everyday practice and turbulent change."  To find out more about Open Space check out this website.We have compiled a list of potential topics to be discussed for the afternoon Open Space sessions.  Here are some to get your juices flowing.  Bring any topic that you are interested in as well.  This format allows for a more informal discussion as opposed to the very formal morning presentations.  It also allows us to leverage each other's collective knowledge as opposed to just receiving one person's perspective and  experience.  I would like to reiterate that  we are anticipating enough topics will be proposed to run at least 3 concurrent breakout groups during Open Space sessions.  This will allow everyone to pick and choose the discussions they want to participate in during each session.  These sessions can also be hands on, so bring any props or materials that you would like to show and tell.

- Sheep and other grazers in the orchard (this will most likely be combined with Bob Purvis's "poultry in the orchard" (ed. note Can you start to see how this is going to work?)
- Gorilla planting on public land – It's better to beg forgiveness than ask for persimmon…I mean permission....
- To an older guy- what advice did you hear when you were starting out that has stood the test of time and you want to pass on?
- Small scale fruit breeding - techniques for trying a lot of varieties in a small space
- Farm Made Potting soil - start to finish, with a focus on locally available Non-fossil inputs.
- Economy of the lazy - a discussion of cultivars and species which provide the best fruits for the least effort.
- Squirrel proofing, if there is such a thing other than a .22 (us city dwellers are sorta stuck).
- Grafting across genera i.e. Citrus on Poncira, Apples on Photinia
- Wild/feral/urban fruit foraging (ethics i.e. sharing the resource and mapping)
- Che in general. Are Che dioecious or monoecious (and how do you spell those?)
- Maximizing habitat diversity in an orchard- and by this I mean how best to grow plants, animals, mushrooms, etc in concert.
- More importantly: where is nafex going and how are we going to pull together all the generations (newbies and elders) to make the club better than ever?
- Irrigation!
- Guerrilla grafting- will there be any incompatibility problems grafting a chimpanzee onto an orangutan?
- Questions about climate change and fruits...with some areas getting colder/hotter/wetter/floodier, what ideas to care for the trees that are in the ground? How to prepare for loss of trees? Thinking of ways to increase genetic diversity to give trees adaptation advantage
- Nutrition and trees...having information on the biggest punches you get in vitamins/nutrients/fats from different types of trees, medicines and other uses
- Growing trees underground (ed. Note is that about gorilla planting or maybe roots?)
- discussion on favorite books for continuing education, especially if folks attending wrote them.
- Possible crosses for fruit trees
- economic viability of obscure fruits in general - are there places where markets for these fruits are growing? what's the economic outlook for farming with fruits like persimmon, pawpaw, etc.
- The future of jujubes = in my mouth :)
- Do I climb the tree to pick the fruit...or do I just shake the @%&* out it?

Food Menu:As promised the food at the conference will not be industrial cafeteria food, but food made from healthy locally sourced ingredients that support farmers in the community. We worked hard to find a local caterer that would provide such delectable dishes at a reasonable price.  Food deadline- July 25th It is necessary to reserve a meal ticket as our caterer will be ordering food from farmers ahead of time. If you have not yet signed up for meals for the conference please do so by July 25th through the registration form found here. http://www.nafex.org/aMember4/signup/annual_meeting.
- Friday "Picnic" lunch
Assorted sandwiches including a vegetarian optionFresh garden  saladLocal potato chipsFresh local fruitCookies

- Friday Dinner
Shepherd's PieVegetable Pasta EntréeDinner rollsFresh garden saladMini desserts

- Saturday lunch
QuicheLemon chicken saladCalifornia pasta saladPotato rollsMini desserts

- Saturday dinner
Chicken carbonaraCoal fired lasagnaFresh garden saladGlazed carrotsBean medleySheet cake or/ and mini cupcakes

- Sunday lunch
Boxed lunches including sandwich or saladPotato chipsCookies
Lodging update-  If you have not yet registered for the meeting you will need to arrange lodging for yourself.  The meeting will be held at the beautiful Camp Swatara, nestled in the appalachian mountains.  They offer primitive camping and full hook-up RV sites.  To make a campsite reservation please call Camp Swatara Family Camp directly at (717)-933-5244.  Mention the NAFEX meeting to be placed with other NAFEX campers.We have reserved a limited number of rooms at the nearest hotel, about a ten minute drive.  To make a reservation at The Comfort Inn Call (570) 345-8031, or fax (570) 345-2308 or visit their website to make your reservation. The hotel's address is: 433 Suedberg Rd, Pine Grove, PA, 17963.  Mention the NAFEX annual meeting to secure the discounted rate of $61/ night.There are two nearby bed and breakfasts - Berry Patch B&B in Lebanon and Stone House B&B in Schuylkill Haven. Double occupancy room rates start at $129 per night. Websites to makes reservations are berrypatchbnb.com and thestonehousebnb.com
Tours-Tours will commence on Sunday July 31st.  We will be caravanning to two separate locations.  We will meet at the Comfort Inn at 433 Suedberg Rd, Pine Grove, PA, 17963 at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning.  We will depart at 10:30 and head to EITHER North Star Orchard OR Kiwi Corners.  Due to their proximity to each other and the travel time involved we will not be able to make it to both locations.  If you didn't sign up for the provided bag lunch, please bring your own lunch.Kiwi Korners FarmKiwi Korners Farm is one of three hardy kiwi (actinidia arguta aka: kiwi berries) commercial growers in the US, and the only certified organic producer and packer.  The 40 acre farm, located outside of Danville in Northumberland County, is where Holly Laubach and Dave Jackson have been growing hardy kiwi for the past 28 years.  
North Star OrchardIke Kerschner specializes in growing unique and heritage varieties of tree fruits and also runs a fruit CSA. Fruit selections at North Star include several hundred varieties of apples and dozens of varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, and Asian pears. Ike will also share about the self-funded breeding work he is doing to advance the field of organic fruit production in the mid-Atlantic region.Day Rates-Day visitors will be welcome. Their rate will be 25.00 at the door. 10.00 if they renew or sign up as new members.Checklist of 10 Essential things to pack for the conference-
- Toothbrush
- A spirit of generosity with an inquisitive and open mind.
- Subjects or questions pertaining to fruit you are excited about or think other members would be also.
- Pictures of your work, orchard, techniques, fruit that we can post on our central bulletin board for participants to peruse during the conference.
- Samples of fruit you are growing and the stories behind them. Extra produce for our meals.  Baked goods for coffee breaks.
- Promotional material for your nursery, product, or organization related to fruit for the Vendor's Alley.
- Something useful, or no longer of use, that someone might find useful as a donation for the auction Saturday night.  This, of course, is a fundraiser for the club.
- Something fun, whimsical, innovative, inspiring to share for Friday night's show and tell.
- Homemade cider, mead, wine, musical instruments… for the evening fire circles. Fermented foods for the meals.
- Mostly, important don't forget #2 on the checklist, it's your passport.

If all of us can manage to pack at least 5 of the above items it will be an amazing conference.
You make Nafex what it is,
Your Annual Meeting Organizing team

 --------------------------------------------
Now Zone 8a!! Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Fruits Club   
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Atlanta_Fruits/
North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX)
   www.NAFEX.org
Southern Fruit Fellowship (SFF)    http://southernfruitfellowship.wordpress.com/
California Rare Fruit Growers
   www.crfg.org

My New Blog!!
http://atlantafruitman.wordpress.com/
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[nafex] Request for donation of computer (PC): destop preferable or laptop or any components to build one out of.

My destop PC's are fading and they are my primary, preferred work platform.
If anyone has a used or out of service desktop PC, a laptop or scrapped out
components to build a desktop out of
and can mail them to me I would be eternally grateful. Preferred operating
system would be Windows 7 but XP or XP Pro will work fine as would Win 8 or
even 10.

Many thanks in advance.

Lawrence
Chapel Hill, N.C., 27516

--
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116100117925365792988/+Avantgeared/posts
https://ello.co/lflondon <https://ello.co/permaculture>
https://ello.co/permaculture
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture
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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

> Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2016 12:43:13 -0500
> From: Steve Herje <loneroc1@gmail.com>
> To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them
> Message-ID:
> <CAKqHSS9SrYALb2K_rS0HpQ-jKpY=-NTBJKucoKJdYmqREFsnjw@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Anyone know what brand of trap they're referring to? The only one I
> found
> on line got pretty poor reviews. Thanks. Steve H.

I've had a Tin Cat trap. It's the ramp type, and works very well. No
bait needed, curiosity seems to be enough. I left it unattended in
storage for a while, and found several skeletons inside when I got it
out! I got it as a teenager to catch mice for my snake (late 80's) and
it just recently broke. I plan on getting another one soon.

Alex
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[nafex] mouse and chipmunk traps

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?hl=en&shva=1#search/mouse+bait/1473e25f02b59cdb

There's the design I use, although one must cover them with a tray to keep
from killing birds outside. DIYpest control also has a kind of bait
station that fits a single trap for mice and rats.

I use almonds for bait because it takes more time for for the ants that are
everywhere to consume them than nut butter, cheese or softer nuts. Maybe I
should use ant stakes and cheap peanut butter to save money.
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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

This video shows a test of the JT Eaton Wind Up Multiple Catch Mouse Trap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0WlxDBweI

I have never used one so am not endorsing it.

--Henry Fieldseth
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, zone 4

--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 7/8/16, Steve Herje <loneroc1@gmail.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Friday, July 8, 2016, 12:43 PM

Anyone know what brand of trap
they're referring to?  The only one I found
on line got pretty poor
reviews.   Thanks.  Steve H. Lone Rock
SWWI
On Jul 4, 2016 10:24 AM, "Lawrence London" <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
wrote:

Voles and Controlling Them
http://www.pitcherplant.com/diseas/voles.html

Voles
Tunneling Rodents that eat plants

[image: image of pine vole]
One of many Vole (Microtus) species, the Pine Vole is a bit
smaller and has
a shorter tail than the Meadow Vole.

[image: close up of vole face]
Unlike moles, voles are mostly plant eaters. These images
show the tiny
eyes, small, delicate feet and stubby tail which help
identify voles. While
moles will make long, ridged tunnels visible from above
ground, voles tend
to scratch out more invisible runways. Often, moles will
serve as the
"highway crew" and make tunnels in search of grubs and
worms. Voles will
often follow the mole tunnels and eat the plants which the
moles ignore.
Entire apple orchards have been lost to vole damage and we
have seen fairly
large chestnut trees killed by voles that ate their roots
off. We have lost
thousands of plants and countless vegetables to the
voracious voles. There
are very few plants that voles will not eat. They can have
several litters
a year, with 1-11 young per litter. Yikes!

Most voles are in the genus Microtus. Despite being the most
common mammal,
they are seldom seen because they are usually hidden beneath
mulch, leaf
litter and earth. While many people believe cats can control
voles, this is
almost never true, especially with vole species that travel
deeper in the
earth. Natural predators include owls, foxes, wolves,
weasels, shrews and
snakes. The Mole snake, or Mole King snake (Lampropeltis
rhombomaculata) is
one of the few predators which can follow vole tunnels and
so is one of the
better predators. Unfortunately, control by predators is
rarely
satisfactory in a garden setting. While some poisons are
listed for vole
control, these can be dangerous to other animals and must be
used with
extreme care. We prefer to use several different kinds of
mouse traps,
along with physical barriers that inhibit voles (or moles)
from tunneling
into garden areas.

Using Barriers

In some gardens, especially vegetable gardens, it is
possible to make a
trench around the garden, about a foot deep. This is more
easily done right
after the garden is tilled. Most voles, tunneling right
beneath the
surface, tend to turn back when they hit the trench and they
are reluctant
to cross on top of the ground. It helps to make a trench
down to harder
ground, if possible. Vigilance is necessary and gardeners
should be on the
lookout for new holes on the garden side of the trench. Rob
has grown
potatoes and parsnips in vole infested areas using this
method. Mulch or
straw should be avoided in vole problem areas.

In some cases, such as a bog garden or flower bed, it may be
more effective
to remove the soil and line the bog or bed with galvanized
steel mesh
(hardware cloth), a layer of rock, or heavy-duty weed
barrier. Any barrier
needs to be without underground openings and extend to the
surface. (See
our Bog Making web page for more details.) While voles can
chew through
weed cloth, they usually don't, especially if one patrols
the perimeter and
collapses any approaching tunnels. We havebog gardens
protected in this
fashion. Doubling or tripling a weed cloth layer helps.
Again, avoid
mulches and look for new entry tunnels. Snow can be a
problem, since voles
will travel quickly on top of the ground, under cover of
snow.

Trapping Voles

Traps can be one of the better methods of vole control.
Traps are best set
during the evening and are more effective if you can cover
the traps with a
box, plastic pots, or anything to make the spot darker while
still allowing
the traps room for motion. Here, the most successful bait
has been Granny
Smith apple, cut into pea-sized pieces. Traps should be
placed just outside
of tunnel entryways. A couple pieces of apple, dropped into
the tunnel,
allows the aroma to draw in the rodents. Try to trap an
area, not just a
single tunnel. Traps should be checked daily, especially
live traps.

We've tried a couple designs in live traps, some of which
can catch up to
fifteen mice or voles. So far, the best results have been
with the type of
repeater trap that has a wind-up spring. A paddle wheel
flips the rodents
into a metal chamber. It's important to put some apple
inside the trap, in
the "holding" area, in the metal pathway and also where the
rodents can't
get to the bait-inside the metal box on the trapping
mechanism side of the
device. Usually, the top on these traps slides off. Be sure
to check the
trap at least daily. The advantage of live traps is that you
can release
other animals that might accidentally get caught. We have
caught shrews,
lizards and even a flying squirrel in these traps. If you
are not familiar
with small mammals, you might want to pick up a field guide
to mammals.
Shrews, for example are good to release as they feed
primarily on insects,
worms and rodent young. Shrews often live in the same area
as voles. While
sharing the features of tiny eyes and small feet, shrews
have pointy noses
and sharp teeth. Use caution releasing shrews, they are
occasionally fierce
and confront much larger animals, even people! Most folks
drown voles in a
five gallon bucket of water. If you want to release them far
away, a meadow
is usually suitable; just don't release voles in
cultivated/farmed areas.

Regular, snap type mouse traps can be very effective in
killing voles. When
baiting this style of trap, try to cut pea-sized pieces of
apple that
include some skin. If the skin is slid under the bait bar's
hook or teeth,
it will be harder for a rodent to steal the bait. Again,
drop a couple
pieces of apple inside tunnels. Voles often turn
cannibalistic and a trap
with fragments of skin usually indicates additional voles.

There is another style of repeater mouse trap which does not
have a paddle
wheel. This type has entry ramps that are spring loaded or
counter
weighted. Rodents go in but can't get out. So far, we have
had poor results
with this type of trap. Voles are bigger than common mice.
For this reason,
the less expensive, plastic, live mouse traps may not work
well or at all.

Whatever methods you use to control Voles, be vigilant and
scout for
shallow tunnels or evidence of new infestations. Extending
the control area
beyond the gardens you're protecting is a good idea.
Ignoring Vole problems
can lead to disastrous overpopulation and the inability to
grow most
plants.
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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

On Fri, Jul 8, 2016 at 9:59 PM, Jim Fruth <jimfruth@charter.net> wrote:

> Hey, a junkyard cat works really good


Vole Control

CATS
You bet. They really go after the voles. In winter they dig through the
snow to find and eat them.
Get kittens and let them grow up out of doors, feed adequately too. They
will take to hunting for real food very quickly. You don;t need a Mother
cat around to teach them but that helps.
BLACK SNAKES
they will eat mammals from rabbits to voles
have some brought in to your property
make sure they have a good place to nest in winter, warm and protected from
the elements and that it is within the area you want them to catch voles
they nest in the insulated roof of my well house during hibernation
I have seen them sandwich themselves between the ends of tightly packed hay
roundbales in a field


--
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116100117925365792988/+Avantgeared/posts
https://ello.co/permaculture
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture
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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

Hey, a junkyard cat works really good. Curiously, my cat leaves a tail or
part of head on my doorstep, apparently to let me know that he is doing his
job.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Herje
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 12:43 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

Anyone know what brand of trap they're referring to? The only one I found
on line got pretty poor reviews. Thanks. Steve H. Lone Rock SWWI
On Jul 4, 2016 10:24 AM, "Lawrence London" <lfljvenaura@gmail.com> wrote:

Voles and Controlling Them
http://www.pitcherplant.com/diseas/voles.html

Voles
Tunneling Rodents that eat plants

[image: image of pine vole]
One of many Vole (Microtus) species, the Pine Vole is a bit smaller and has
a shorter tail than the Meadow Vole.

[image: close up of vole face]
Unlike moles, voles are mostly plant eaters. These images show the tiny
eyes, small, delicate feet and stubby tail which help identify voles. While
moles will make long, ridged tunnels visible from above ground, voles tend
to scratch out more invisible runways. Often, moles will serve as the
"highway crew" and make tunnels in search of grubs and worms. Voles will
often follow the mole tunnels and eat the plants which the moles ignore.
Entire apple orchards have been lost to vole damage and we have seen fairly
large chestnut trees killed by voles that ate their roots off. We have lost
thousands of plants and countless vegetables to the voracious voles. There
are very few plants that voles will not eat. They can have several litters
a year, with 1-11 young per litter. Yikes!

Most voles are in the genus Microtus. Despite being the most common mammal,
they are seldom seen because they are usually hidden beneath mulch, leaf
litter and earth. While many people believe cats can control voles, this is
almost never true, especially with vole species that travel deeper in the
earth. Natural predators include owls, foxes, wolves, weasels, shrews and
snakes. The Mole snake, or Mole King snake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata) is
one of the few predators which can follow vole tunnels and so is one of the
better predators. Unfortunately, control by predators is rarely
satisfactory in a garden setting. While some poisons are listed for vole
control, these can be dangerous to other animals and must be used with
extreme care. We prefer to use several different kinds of mouse traps,
along with physical barriers that inhibit voles (or moles) from tunneling
into garden areas.

Using Barriers

In some gardens, especially vegetable gardens, it is possible to make a
trench around the garden, about a foot deep. This is more easily done right
after the garden is tilled. Most voles, tunneling right beneath the
surface, tend to turn back when they hit the trench and they are reluctant
to cross on top of the ground. It helps to make a trench down to harder
ground, if possible. Vigilance is necessary and gardeners should be on the
lookout for new holes on the garden side of the trench. Rob has grown
potatoes and parsnips in vole infested areas using this method. Mulch or
straw should be avoided in vole problem areas.

In some cases, such as a bog garden or flower bed, it may be more effective
to remove the soil and line the bog or bed with galvanized steel mesh
(hardware cloth), a layer of rock, or heavy-duty weed barrier. Any barrier
needs to be without underground openings and extend to the surface. (See
our Bog Making web page for more details.) While voles can chew through
weed cloth, they usually don't, especially if one patrols the perimeter and
collapses any approaching tunnels. We havebog gardens protected in this
fashion. Doubling or tripling a weed cloth layer helps. Again, avoid
mulches and look for new entry tunnels. Snow can be a problem, since voles
will travel quickly on top of the ground, under cover of snow.

Trapping Voles

Traps can be one of the better methods of vole control. Traps are best set
during the evening and are more effective if you can cover the traps with a
box, plastic pots, or anything to make the spot darker while still allowing
the traps room for motion. Here, the most successful bait has been Granny
Smith apple, cut into pea-sized pieces. Traps should be placed just outside
of tunnel entryways. A couple pieces of apple, dropped into the tunnel,
allows the aroma to draw in the rodents. Try to trap an area, not just a
single tunnel. Traps should be checked daily, especially live traps.

We've tried a couple designs in live traps, some of which can catch up to
fifteen mice or voles. So far, the best results have been with the type of
repeater trap that has a wind-up spring. A paddle wheel flips the rodents
into a metal chamber. It's important to put some apple inside the trap, in
the "holding" area, in the metal pathway and also where the rodents can't
get to the bait-inside the metal box on the trapping mechanism side of the
device. Usually, the top on these traps slides off. Be sure to check the
trap at least daily. The advantage of live traps is that you can release
other animals that might accidentally get caught. We have caught shrews,
lizards and even a flying squirrel in these traps. If you are not familiar
with small mammals, you might want to pick up a field guide to mammals.
Shrews, for example are good to release as they feed primarily on insects,
worms and rodent young. Shrews often live in the same area as voles. While
sharing the features of tiny eyes and small feet, shrews have pointy noses
and sharp teeth. Use caution releasing shrews, they are occasionally fierce
and confront much larger animals, even people! Most folks drown voles in a
five gallon bucket of water. If you want to release them far away, a meadow
is usually suitable; just don't release voles in cultivated/farmed areas.

Regular, snap type mouse traps can be very effective in killing voles. When
baiting this style of trap, try to cut pea-sized pieces of apple that
include some skin. If the skin is slid under the bait bar's hook or teeth,
it will be harder for a rodent to steal the bait. Again, drop a couple
pieces of apple inside tunnels. Voles often turn cannibalistic and a trap
with fragments of skin usually indicates additional voles.

There is another style of repeater mouse trap which does not have a paddle
wheel. This type has entry ramps that are spring loaded or counter
weighted. Rodents go in but can't get out. So far, we have had poor results
with this type of trap. Voles are bigger than common mice. For this reason,
the less expensive, plastic, live mouse traps may not work well or at all.

Whatever methods you use to control Voles, be vigilant and scout for
shallow tunnels or evidence of new infestations. Extending the control area
beyond the gardens you're protecting is a good idea. Ignoring Vole problems
can lead to disastrous overpopulation and the inability to grow most
plants.
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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

On 7/8/2016 1:43 PM, Steve Herje wrote:
> Anyone know what brand of trap they're referring to? The only one I found on line got pretty poor reviews. Thanks. Steve H. Lone Rock SWWI
Steve,

Below is one of the paragraphs from that article. Just a regular wood
base mouse trap should work just fine. And, for those with chipmunk
problems I have successfully used the old-fashioned wood base rat trap
baited with pecans. Jerry

/Regular, snap type mouse traps can be very effective in killing voles.
When baiting this style of trap, try to cut pea-sized pieces of apple
that include some skin. If the skin is slid under the bait bar's hook or
teeth, it will be harder for a rodent to steal the bait. Again, drop a
couple pieces of apple inside tunnels. Voles often turn cannibalistic
and a trap with fragments of skin usually indicates additional voles./


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Re: [nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

Anyone know what brand of trap they're referring to? The only one I found
on line got pretty poor reviews. Thanks. Steve H. Lone Rock SWWI
On Jul 4, 2016 10:24 AM, "Lawrence London" <lfljvenaura@gmail.com> wrote:

Voles and Controlling Them
http://www.pitcherplant.com/diseas/voles.html

Voles
Tunneling Rodents that eat plants

[image: image of pine vole]
One of many Vole (Microtus) species, the Pine Vole is a bit smaller and has
a shorter tail than the Meadow Vole.

[image: close up of vole face]
Unlike moles, voles are mostly plant eaters. These images show the tiny
eyes, small, delicate feet and stubby tail which help identify voles. While
moles will make long, ridged tunnels visible from above ground, voles tend
to scratch out more invisible runways. Often, moles will serve as the
"highway crew" and make tunnels in search of grubs and worms. Voles will
often follow the mole tunnels and eat the plants which the moles ignore.
Entire apple orchards have been lost to vole damage and we have seen fairly
large chestnut trees killed by voles that ate their roots off. We have lost
thousands of plants and countless vegetables to the voracious voles. There
are very few plants that voles will not eat. They can have several litters
a year, with 1-11 young per litter. Yikes!

Most voles are in the genus Microtus. Despite being the most common mammal,
they are seldom seen because they are usually hidden beneath mulch, leaf
litter and earth. While many people believe cats can control voles, this is
almost never true, especially with vole species that travel deeper in the
earth. Natural predators include owls, foxes, wolves, weasels, shrews and
snakes. The Mole snake, or Mole King snake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata) is
one of the few predators which can follow vole tunnels and so is one of the
better predators. Unfortunately, control by predators is rarely
satisfactory in a garden setting. While some poisons are listed for vole
control, these can be dangerous to other animals and must be used with
extreme care. We prefer to use several different kinds of mouse traps,
along with physical barriers that inhibit voles (or moles) from tunneling
into garden areas.

Using Barriers

In some gardens, especially vegetable gardens, it is possible to make a
trench around the garden, about a foot deep. This is more easily done right
after the garden is tilled. Most voles, tunneling right beneath the
surface, tend to turn back when they hit the trench and they are reluctant
to cross on top of the ground. It helps to make a trench down to harder
ground, if possible. Vigilance is necessary and gardeners should be on the
lookout for new holes on the garden side of the trench. Rob has grown
potatoes and parsnips in vole infested areas using this method. Mulch or
straw should be avoided in vole problem areas.

In some cases, such as a bog garden or flower bed, it may be more effective
to remove the soil and line the bog or bed with galvanized steel mesh
(hardware cloth), a layer of rock, or heavy-duty weed barrier. Any barrier
needs to be without underground openings and extend to the surface. (See
our Bog Making web page for more details.) While voles can chew through
weed cloth, they usually don't, especially if one patrols the perimeter and
collapses any approaching tunnels. We havebog gardens protected in this
fashion. Doubling or tripling a weed cloth layer helps. Again, avoid
mulches and look for new entry tunnels. Snow can be a problem, since voles
will travel quickly on top of the ground, under cover of snow.

Trapping Voles

Traps can be one of the better methods of vole control. Traps are best set
during the evening and are more effective if you can cover the traps with a
box, plastic pots, or anything to make the spot darker while still allowing
the traps room for motion. Here, the most successful bait has been Granny
Smith apple, cut into pea-sized pieces. Traps should be placed just outside
of tunnel entryways. A couple pieces of apple, dropped into the tunnel,
allows the aroma to draw in the rodents. Try to trap an area, not just a
single tunnel. Traps should be checked daily, especially live traps.

We've tried a couple designs in live traps, some of which can catch up to
fifteen mice or voles. So far, the best results have been with the type of
repeater trap that has a wind-up spring. A paddle wheel flips the rodents
into a metal chamber. It's important to put some apple inside the trap, in
the "holding" area, in the metal pathway and also where the rodents can't
get to the bait-inside the metal box on the trapping mechanism side of the
device. Usually, the top on these traps slides off. Be sure to check the
trap at least daily. The advantage of live traps is that you can release
other animals that might accidentally get caught. We have caught shrews,
lizards and even a flying squirrel in these traps. If you are not familiar
with small mammals, you might want to pick up a field guide to mammals.
Shrews, for example are good to release as they feed primarily on insects,
worms and rodent young. Shrews often live in the same area as voles. While
sharing the features of tiny eyes and small feet, shrews have pointy noses
and sharp teeth. Use caution releasing shrews, they are occasionally fierce
and confront much larger animals, even people! Most folks drown voles in a
five gallon bucket of water. If you want to release them far away, a meadow
is usually suitable; just don't release voles in cultivated/farmed areas.

Regular, snap type mouse traps can be very effective in killing voles. When
baiting this style of trap, try to cut pea-sized pieces of apple that
include some skin. If the skin is slid under the bait bar's hook or teeth,
it will be harder for a rodent to steal the bait. Again, drop a couple
pieces of apple inside tunnels. Voles often turn cannibalistic and a trap
with fragments of skin usually indicates additional voles.

There is another style of repeater mouse trap which does not have a paddle
wheel. This type has entry ramps that are spring loaded or counter
weighted. Rodents go in but can't get out. So far, we have had poor results
with this type of trap. Voles are bigger than common mice. For this reason,
the less expensive, plastic, live mouse traps may not work well or at all.

Whatever methods you use to control Voles, be vigilant and scout for
shallow tunnels or evidence of new infestations. Extending the control area
beyond the gardens you're protecting is a good idea. Ignoring Vole problems
can lead to disastrous overpopulation and the inability to grow most
plants.
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[nafex] Voles and Controlling Them

Voles and Controlling Them
http://www.pitcherplant.com/diseas/voles.html

Voles
Tunneling Rodents that eat plants

[image: image of pine vole]
One of many Vole (Microtus) species, the Pine Vole is a bit smaller and has
a shorter tail than the Meadow Vole.

[image: close up of vole face]
Unlike moles, voles are mostly plant eaters. These images show the tiny
eyes, small, delicate feet and stubby tail which help identify voles. While
moles will make long, ridged tunnels visible from above ground, voles tend
to scratch out more invisible runways. Often, moles will serve as the
"highway crew" and make tunnels in search of grubs and worms. Voles will
often follow the mole tunnels and eat the plants which the moles ignore.
Entire apple orchards have been lost to vole damage and we have seen fairly
large chestnut trees killed by voles that ate their roots off. We have lost
thousands of plants and countless vegetables to the voracious voles. There
are very few plants that voles will not eat. They can have several litters
a year, with 1-11 young per litter. Yikes!

Most voles are in the genus Microtus. Despite being the most common mammal,
they are seldom seen because they are usually hidden beneath mulch, leaf
litter and earth. While many people believe cats can control voles, this is
almost never true, especially with vole species that travel deeper in the
earth. Natural predators include owls, foxes, wolves, weasels, shrews and
snakes. The Mole snake, or Mole King snake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata) is
one of the few predators which can follow vole tunnels and so is one of the
better predators. Unfortunately, control by predators is rarely
satisfactory in a garden setting. While some poisons are listed for vole
control, these can be dangerous to other animals and must be used with
extreme care. We prefer to use several different kinds of mouse traps,
along with physical barriers that inhibit voles (or moles) from tunneling
into garden areas.

Using Barriers

In some gardens, especially vegetable gardens, it is possible to make a
trench around the garden, about a foot deep. This is more easily done right
after the garden is tilled. Most voles, tunneling right beneath the
surface, tend to turn back when they hit the trench and they are reluctant
to cross on top of the ground. It helps to make a trench down to harder
ground, if possible. Vigilance is necessary and gardeners should be on the
lookout for new holes on the garden side of the trench. Rob has grown
potatoes and parsnips in vole infested areas using this method. Mulch or
straw should be avoided in vole problem areas.

In some cases, such as a bog garden or flower bed, it may be more effective
to remove the soil and line the bog or bed with galvanized steel mesh
(hardware cloth), a layer of rock, or heavy-duty weed barrier. Any barrier
needs to be without underground openings and extend to the surface. (See
our Bog Making web page for more details.) While voles can chew through
weed cloth, they usually don't, especially if one patrols the perimeter and
collapses any approaching tunnels. We havebog gardens protected in this
fashion. Doubling or tripling a weed cloth layer helps. Again, avoid
mulches and look for new entry tunnels. Snow can be a problem, since voles
will travel quickly on top of the ground, under cover of snow.

Trapping Voles

Traps can be one of the better methods of vole control. Traps are best set
during the evening and are more effective if you can cover the traps with a
box, plastic pots, or anything to make the spot darker while still allowing
the traps room for motion. Here, the most successful bait has been Granny
Smith apple, cut into pea-sized pieces. Traps should be placed just outside
of tunnel entryways. A couple pieces of apple, dropped into the tunnel,
allows the aroma to draw in the rodents. Try to trap an area, not just a
single tunnel. Traps should be checked daily, especially live traps.

We've tried a couple designs in live traps, some of which can catch up to
fifteen mice or voles. So far, the best results have been with the type of
repeater trap that has a wind-up spring. A paddle wheel flips the rodents
into a metal chamber. It's important to put some apple inside the trap, in
the "holding" area, in the metal pathway and also where the rodents can't
get to the bait-inside the metal box on the trapping mechanism side of the
device. Usually, the top on these traps slides off. Be sure to check the
trap at least daily. The advantage of live traps is that you can release
other animals that might accidentally get caught. We have caught shrews,
lizards and even a flying squirrel in these traps. If you are not familiar
with small mammals, you might want to pick up a field guide to mammals.
Shrews, for example are good to release as they feed primarily on insects,
worms and rodent young. Shrews often live in the same area as voles. While
sharing the features of tiny eyes and small feet, shrews have pointy noses
and sharp teeth. Use caution releasing shrews, they are occasionally fierce
and confront much larger animals, even people! Most folks drown voles in a
five gallon bucket of water. If you want to release them far away, a meadow
is usually suitable; just don't release voles in cultivated/farmed areas.

Regular, snap type mouse traps can be very effective in killing voles. When
baiting this style of trap, try to cut pea-sized pieces of apple that
include some skin. If the skin is slid under the bait bar's hook or teeth,
it will be harder for a rodent to steal the bait. Again, drop a couple
pieces of apple inside tunnels. Voles often turn cannibalistic and a trap
with fragments of skin usually indicates additional voles.

There is another style of repeater mouse trap which does not have a paddle
wheel. This type has entry ramps that are spring loaded or counter
weighted. Rodents go in but can't get out. So far, we have had poor results
with this type of trap. Voles are bigger than common mice. For this reason,
the less expensive, plastic, live mouse traps may not work well or at all.

Whatever methods you use to control Voles, be vigilant and scout for
shallow tunnels or evidence of new infestations. Extending the control area
beyond the gardens you're protecting is a good idea. Ignoring Vole problems
can lead to disastrous overpopulation and the inability to grow most
plants.
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