Someone asked about voles a while back. Ran into this thread today.

http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/gardening/possible-solution-the-vole-and-deer-problem-t2868.html

Sounds like you might just trade the voles for skunks or other fig damaging pests.

I've had voles severely damage a number of valuable Japanese maples and trees I've been bringing along for bonsai whose value was considerable due to the amount of work that had been put into them to get them to the point they were at when damaged. I deeded a way to dispense bait so there was little risk of collateral mortality in other mammals. What I came up with was this, using some leftover PVC pipe & parts I had on hand:

Made from 1.5" PVC pipe, the short parts of the T are cut at a 45* angle to help keep out rain/snow. The long part of the T is the reservoir. I fill it with Ramik bait, http://www.fullersupplyco.com/sites/default/files/products/ramik-rat-bait-4oz-pack.jpg which are about the size of marbles. I then cover the 'dispenser' with a flat rock to prevent other animals' access. The voles crawl into the open ends of the T to get the bait. They carry the bait back to their community nests where all the voles dine on it and are exterminated. Since I started using these (I use 4 for my whole yard), I've had no tunneling under snow or damage to trees from voles; whereas before the war, they were dining on whatever they chose at will, so they, in combination with the Ramik bait, are very effective.

Al 

This thread caught my attention as I have had trouble with voles in my vegetable garden this year. Most info I have found discusses vole species that use surface runs. My problems were with woodland voles. They are primarily subsurface tunnelers and can be tough to intercept. After various methods failed I succeeded with the following method.

Find a location were a vole has eaten a plant. Diagnostic in the garden by seeing a plant that is wilted and looks a lot shorter than it used to be. When you grab the plant and lift up you find that roots and bottom of the stem are gone. There will be a tunnel entrance were your plant used to be.

To trap use a mouse trap.

Drill a hole in the trap in a location that will not affect the trap mechanism. A 16 penny nail will be put through the hole into the soil to anchor the trap in place.

Place 2-3 small cubes of apple to form a trail starting in the tunnel and leading up to the edge of the hole. Bait your trap with an apple cube, place next to tunnel entrance, anchor with nail, and set trap.

Place a large pot or five gallon bucket over top of trap set and place rock or brick on top to prevent non target catch.

Sorry about the length of this post.

Maybe I can help prevent somebody the frustration I had.

Womack

Al- does that stuff kill them quick, underground? I found a poisoned Red Tail hawk a couple of winters ago that died from anticoagulants. What I learned was that mice and other animals that eat the baits are driven into the open to find water, where they die, or are caught, and eaten by predators, which then die, and are eaten by predators... I buried the hawk though. I understand that in Condor country D-con is a big no-no, for this very reason.

Remember to look for, collect, and dispose of any poisoned animals, if you are using poison, everybody, please.

I doubt that a vole could ingest enough of the poison to kill a mammal of any size (dog, cat, fox, coyote, skunk, coon, possum ..... a weasel or mink - possibly). I can see where birds of prey could be affected. I use it only in winter when the hawks have gone and the voles hungry enough to gnaw trees to reach the carbohydrate store in cambial tissues. I've never found a carcass or seen bone remains, so I don't know where they go to die. I've been feeding the same stray (crippled) cat for at least 7 years, so I know she hasn't been harmed.

On a number of occasion though, I've seen goshawks, sharpies, and red-tailed hawks take kittens and baby rabbits. I once watched a 10 minute, 3-way battle between a mother rabbit, a murder of crows, and a pair of red-tailed hawks as they took 3 or 4 of the kits as the mother rabbit wore herself out jumping at the predators while they dive-bombed each other trying to make whoever had a baby rabbit drop it. In the end, all the rabbits were taken. I'm sure the mother rabbit must have been a young mother because she had her litter in a depression in the lawn at the base of a young pine tree - only a matter of time before they became part of the food chain.

Al 

I have always loved hawks. We even have bald eagles around here again. Anyway, thank you for being careful and following the label.
I think one of my trees was damaged this winter, it is struggling with this heat right now. I might need to figure out what I am going to do about them I guess. Was not sure if they were snake holes, they were too small to be from a gopher, but i think now I know, they are now unoccupied at least.