Gooseberry bush planted in a wire netting basket to protect against root damage by voles
The subject of voles and the damage that they can cause to fruit trees and bushes has arisen from time to time on the blog. Voles will gnaw away at the roots and can kill a tree. I recently planted some gooseberries and not wanting to have problems with moles and voles I planted them in chicken wire baskets to deter both. Where moles go voles and mice are sure to follow; they all use the same tunnels. During the winter I trapped seven voles and two mice using a mole run in the greenhouse; the strawberries were disappearing just as they were nearly ripe. Has anyone else had problems with voles this year?
Adrian Baggaley
Basket filled with soil; wire netting will be buried under final layer of soil
Photographs kindly supplied by Adrian Baggaley
Fruit Forum 