Re: [Native Gardening] Hole Question

 

The Meadow Vole is an herbivore, feeding mainly on the grasses that are abundant in its environment. When grass is not readily available, such as during the winter months, the meadow vole may often gnaw on tree bark as a source of nourishment.[2] They often will eat nuts and seeds when available. In captivity, they will frequently feed on lettuce and sunflower seeds as supplements to their diets.[10] The part of the plant on which the meadow vole will most likely feed depends on the nutritional value of that part of the plant. They prefer parts of plants with high amounts of digestible energy and nutrients, while they tend to avoid the parts containing large quantities of fiber. This is because fiber is difficult to digest and an inefficient source of calories. Though if poorly digestible food is all that is available to the meadow vole, it will compensate for the low nutritional value of the food by increasing the quantity of it that it ingests. This increase in food intake causes the gastrointestinal tract of the meadow vole to become larger, allowing the food to remain for a longer time in the animal's digestive system and giving it a longer period of time to absorb the few nutrients that are present.[11] Being deprived of food for long periods of time can influence the meadow vole's reproductive rate, as the starved animals will not mate as often as well fed animals would.[12] We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac --- On Wed, 5/11/11, Kathleen Domenig <kmdomenig@mindspring.com> wrote: From: Kathleen Domenig <kmdomenig@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [Native Gardening] Hole Question To: nativegardening@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 2:03 PM   Sure. But the voles were eating everything: natives as well as non-natives, vegetables, flowers. They even wiped out a hearty stand of rudbeckia, which is a native.  I guess you could say that, if they eat all the food sources, the voles would also die back, and so on.  Here in suburbia, though, we do well to keep the neighbors persuaded that natives are good, without having to convince them that a fine herd of voles is also a good thing. Kathleen Domenig State College, Pennsylvania USA On May 11, 2011, at 2:35 PM, Benia wrote:   Unless you're in Holland, tulips aren't native, right?  I say, support the native wildlife and ditch the tulips.  Voles feed the native owls and other carnivorous animals that are native to the area.  If you plant enough natives, you won't even mind if the rodents eat some of them, because you'll be supporting local wildlife.  Isn't that the point?   Benia Bartlett, IL From: Kathleen Domenig <kmdomenig@mindspring.com> To: nativegardening@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, May 6, 2011 12:38 PM Subject: Re: [Native Gardening] Hole Question   We had a terrible problem with voles a few years ago: every time I went outside, another plant or two was lying lifeless on its bed. Ultimately I was able to vanquish them with a battery-operated device I got at Lowe's. You load it with 4 C batteries and sink it into the ground, and it emits a chirping sound every 28 seconds. You'd barely heat it yourself, if at all: but for a young vole couple trying to start a family, suddenly the area becomes a less desirable neighborhood. I change the batteries twice a year, and had to replace the device once, but the roots remain in the service of their plants now. My partner said, "Don't tell the neighbors." ;-) Kathleen Domenig State College, Pennsylvania USA On May 6, 2011, at 1:17 PM, April Hughes wrote:   Sounds like you may have moles or voles, Clare. They love tulip bulbs! Re-covering the tulip bulb didn't kill it...the critter did.    When you seek revenge, best dig two graves. Confucius From: Clare <religionwriter@yahoo.com> To: nativegardening@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wed, April 6, 2011 1:40:47 PM Subject: [Native Gardening] Hole Question   I've never had a rodent problem in the garden before, but last summer when I was watering out front one day in the raised bed, a little mouse ran over my foot. And this cold winter we did have a few mouse seek shelter in the house. The front garden this spring has some holes in it. They almost look like heaving, but they are rodent-sized. I suspect some mice sought shelter there, but the tulips and bulbs seem fine. However, there was a hole by some of the tulips that I thought I should fill in with dirt, since it looked like I could see the bulb. The tulip foliage looked fine until I filled in the hole, and suddenly the foliage went limp and flat to the ground. Why do you suppose this is? I must have covered up some part of the tulip that didn't appreciate being covered? I was going to fill in the other holes but now I figure I'd better leave them alone. Clare

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