Hello everyone, I just found this forum and hope you can help with a problem.
I live in zone 6 and have to bury my figs in mulch so they survives the winter.
The voles have eaten every bit of bark off them just about every year.
I have tried all the common solutions. like wrapping the trunk. I try to trap them year around, put out the green poison bait for them, run them over with the mower, whatever works, except a cat ( allergic )
Has anyone tried the other poisons like Ramil or Rozol? or maybe some other solution like thermonuclear device?
Thanks in advance
Mac

Sticky strips,work a treat on other rodents,if they want your figs and have to cross a white piece of paper to get to it they will...try.Only problem is you then have to 'deal with them'.,at least with poison they usually just hide somewhere and die.

You could try borrowing a cat,get someone who owns a good mouser to bring it over,Voles are dumb,90% of what the family cats caught when I was growing up were voles,that's despite living next to a far(rats),in shooting country(pheasants),in the countryside(mice,birds etc-the cats basically had their pick).

If you really can't even go near a cat you could get a hawk or a snake,snake might work well,make a nice bed for him with your figs and it will be like an all he can eat buffet

Z6 where?  I ask to determine if you have different voles than me.

I've had 6 in-ground figs in Z6B RI.  In winter, I put plastic on the ground and cover the plants with foil-covered bubble wrap; I put nothing else inside the shelter that may function as cover for voles, mice, etc.  I try to make it as uninviting as possible.

I've had very good success keeping the plants alive.  Cold damage is limited.  Varmint damage is zero.

I've posted this a few times. You can repel rodents with mint and garlic. They don't like the smell or taste. Rub it on the tree trunks when you put them to bed for winter. I've done it with excellent results. If I don't do that then the voles dine on the bark, branches and even the roots.
You might want to even try covering with metal window screen or hardware cloth. There's no such thing as too much protection.

Hi mac_trader,
Search the topic "roots not pruned by air" or something like that.
I bury containers to protect the roots. Just cut the bottom of an 80 liters plastic trashcan or 2 or 4 or +  gallon pot and plant the tree inside.
The roots will escape at the bottom, and rodents won't build their highways straight through and will have to run them along the containers. Keep an eye on those boundaries and track them down there !
As for trapping try searching for "pince puttange" and keep up the fight ... That's what I do !
I sometime use the blue seeds inside the galleries. That is more for smaller rodents that can't trigger the puttange.
I used too "castor-oil-plant pellets" - that is a fertilizer. IT disappeared here ... New law? ... Just close inside the dogs and cats and kids for a week ... and don't let them get access to it.
Try to keep the garden clean. If you have a compost pile, do empty it every now and then or that will be the house of lots of rodents.
As mulch, use loam and not other materials that can dry and be a house for rodents.

Plant garlic, jonquils (planting season starting soon), thrush and leek - those all have some repellent power ... although not 100 % effective.
Jonquils are great and now you could even start a collection with all the different sizes, colors and shapes! BUT DON'T plant tulips ... Those are food for the rodents !