If you’ve noticed holes and tunnels in your vegetable garden or lawn, and your tulips are being eaten, but you don’t see the typical molehills, you’re likely dealing with voles. Voles primarily feed on plants, roots, and grasses, and their extensive tunneling and burrowing activities can cause damage to gardens. If there aren’t enough natural predators around, voles can become a significant problem. To catch voles, you can use these copper wire vole traps, also known as Swiss ring traps.

Here is how you can catch them:
1. Always wear gloves because your scent can alert the voles to trouble. Rub the traps with soil to neutralize the scent.
2. Find the tunnels by using a metal pin, thin wooden stick, or bamboo stick to poke into the soil. When you notice a hollow area below the soil’s surface, it’s time to dig.
3. Open the soil with your gloves on and locate the active tunnel. Ensure that the tunnel is open, meaning the voles are actively passing through.
4. Load the clamps or Swiss ring traps so that their openings point to the left and right sides of the tunnel, with the springs positioned back-to-back in the center of the tunnel. Avoid touching anything with your bare hands.
5. Make sure the tunnel’s opening where you placed the traps remains narrow, with the only passage being through the traps.
6. Now that you put the traps in place it’s time to cover up the hole. The easiest way to do that is by covering the opening with a dark bucket. Light or fresh airflow will put the voles off. Add some soil around the edges of the bucket or lid to cover every opening.

Set of 2 copper wire Swiss ring vole traps
Vole Traps to catch Voles underground
Material: copper wire