18 Plants That Voles Will Avoid

What are Voles?

Voles are small, burrowing rodents commonly known as meadow voles or field mice. They are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and Asia. They typically have short, stocky bodies with dense, soft fur that ranges in color from brown to gray.

Voles are active both day and night, and they feed on a variety of plants, including roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. They are known for their extensive burrowing and tunneling, which can cause damage to crops and gardens.

What Attracts Voles to Your Garden?

There are several factors that can attract voles to gardens, including

• Vegetation: Voles are herbivores and feed on many plant species. A garden with a diverse range of vegetation can be particularly attractive to them.
• Moisture: Voles require moisture to survive and are often found near streams, ponds, and other wet areas. A garden with moist soil or standing water can be attractive to these garden pests.
• Cover: Voles are small rodents that require cover to protect themselves from predators. Gardens with thick vegetation or brush piles can provide the cover they need.
• Mulch: Voles are known to burrow through the mulch in search of food and shelter. Gardens with thick layers of mulch can be attractive to these pests.
• Weeds: Some species of weeds, such as clover and chickweed, can provide an attractive food source for them.

How to Control Voles?

There are several methods to control them, such as trapping, natural repellents (like castor oil and predator urine), fencing, and habitat modification.

Using certain plants is also one natural method to help repel voles from your garden or yard.

Plants that Voles Hate / Plants that Repel Voles

Voles will eat various plants, but some plants may be less attractive to them or even unpalatable.

Daffodils: Voles don’t like the alkaloids present in daffodil bulbs, so planting these flowers around the perimeter of your garden may help keep them away. Daffodils are also great for concealing desirable bulbs from rodents: consider planting your delicious and tasty tulips together with daffodils since the latter are poisonous.

Castor beans: The seeds and foliage of castor beans contain ricin, a toxic substance that voles find unappealing. Planting these beans around the garden may help deter them.

Alliums: The strong odor of alliums, such as Onions, Garlic, or Chives, may help mask the scent of other attractive plants and make the area less appealing to voles.

Fritillaries: The bulbs of fritillaria contain alkaloids that voles find distasteful, so planting these flowers may help deter them.

Snowdrops, Siberian squills, Hyacinths, Camassia, Iris, Lenten Roses, Salvia, or Thyme contain compounds that voles find unappealing or toxic.

It’s important to note that while these plants may be less appealing to voles, they are not guaranteed to deter them completely. Voles may still feed on these plants if other food sources are scarce. Additionally, the effectiveness of these plants as deterrents can vary depending on the local population of voles and their foraging habits.