Cooler temperatures can invoke a certain amount of inertia among homeowners. Fall is no time for procrastination, however, when it comes to essential outdoor chores in preparation for the challenges that nature can present to the landscape.
Animals, like humans, like to eat throughout the winter. It is foolish to rely on hope alone that voles or deer, or heaven forbid, both, won't choose your lawn, trees or shrubs to snack on.
Taz Stuart, entomologist and director of information technology for Poulin's, a pest-control company, says Winnipeggers can expect the vole population to be huge if we get a lot of snow.
"Their cycle is based on snow cover," said Stuart. "If it is a mild winter, we will see the vole population crash because then it is easier for natural predators, such as birds, to find them."
Regardless of which long-range forecast you want to believe, the wisest course of action is to follow a few basic guidelines this fall to ensure fewer surprises next spring when the snow melts.
Do the practices you follow really make a difference? Consider the experiences of these two homeowners.
Ron Blunden, a Linden Woods resident since 1990, has taken pride in his healthy lawn. This spring, when the snow finally melted, fully 50 per cent of his backyard had been damaged by voles, leaving behind unsightly ridges and dead patches that snaked across his lawn, up to 10 cm wide and 122 to 152 cm long.
Matted pathways or yellow grass tunnels in the lawn are characteristic of voles, which spend the winter beneath the snow in their search for grass roots.
Blunden, in his words, "worked like a dog" in early spring and throughout the summer to restore his lawn. First, he raked out all of the dead grass and aerated. After spreading a four-way soil mix and seeding with a turf-building bluegrass seed product, Blunden carefully nurtured the lawn back to good health during the summer, which also benefitted from the abundance of late season rainfall.
Kendra Smith, a homeowner in a brand-new subdivision in south Winnipeg, installed sod in May 2013 only to see the majority of her new lawn severely damaged over the winter by a vole infestation.
"It was heartbreaking after all the time and money that was invested in our landscape", said Smith.
She and husband, Michael, wondered if they might have to resod but over the course of the summer, following a regimen of raking, fertilizing and adequate watering, their lawn fully recovered.
Both Smith and Blunden were vigilant over the summer, monitoring for burrow openings, using traps with peanut butter and removing nests.
It's great news that lawns, even after severe damage, can recover with a little TLC. While this is encouraging, voles don't stop at eating the roots of your grass. In Blunden's yard, voles stripped a portion of bark from two fruit trees. Blunden applied Wilson tree-pruning paste and the trees seem none the worse for wear.
In Smith's yard, though, rabbits stripped large portions of bark off the midsection of seven newly planted Dakota Pinnacle birch trees, just above the snow line, causing them to eventually die in the spring as a result of girdling (disruption of water and nutrient transport that can lead to death).
Both Blunden and Smith are taking steps this fall to ward off any further damage. Blunden is experimenting with Vamoose, a scent deterrent for deer and rabbit control, sprinkling it along his fence line and Smith is applying Skoot, a taste repellent for deer, rabbits and mice, to her trees. Neither product, however, is registered for the control of voles.
Grant Dunn, a representative for Eddi's Wholesale Garden Products, says there are currently no repellant products in Canada registered for use on voles. Interestingly, Dunn says a well-known product called Plantskydd is registered in the U.S. for deer, rabbit, and vole control but in Canada it is only registered for deer and rabbit control.
Dunn suggests that could be an economic decision by the U.S.-based company because it may have been too costly to register the product in Canada as a vole repellent.
The active ingredient in Plantskydd is bloodmeal, emulsified into a liquid. A dry powder concentrate is also available. Plantskydd repels with a scent that is also vile to humans for a short while after application. Dunn recommends applying it to trees while the temperature is still above freezing. Providing it doesn't rain shortly after application, it can provide up to three months of protection once it dries.
Bobbex is a similar product that has proven effective in deterring visiting wildlife but Dunn says it is not as residual or long lasting. A less expensive option, says Dunn, is to buy a box of bloodmeal. After mowing his lawn as short as possible in the late fall, Dunn sprinkled it on his lawn last year. His neighbour's lawn was damaged by voles but the vole damage stopped right at his property line.
Stuart says proper identification is key to implementing the proper pest-management strategy. Effective control of voles, he says, begins with cutting grass to a short height and placing snap traps along the edges of your deck or fence line.
Paul Jenkins, owner of Wildflower Farm, producers of Eco-Lawn seed, a blend of fine fescue grass seeds that produce a free-flowing carpet effect but require less fertilizing, also recommends mowing eco-grass very short in late fall for two reasons. First, the grass will green up faster in the spring and secondly, mowing it short in the fall reduces the likelihood of snow mould damage in the spring.
Deer are perhaps a greater dilemma. Manitoba Conservation receives many calls during the winter about sightings of these beautiful creatures in urban areas.
Human-wildlife conflict management biologist Janine Stewart says that while contact repellents and fresh predator urine can be effective in deterring deer from eating plants, other practical measures include the installation of chicken or mesh wire around trees, cleaning up fruit that falls onto the ground, erecting fences, or using motion- or light-activated devices.
Deer become habituated, though, says Stewart, who recommends switching up occasionally whatever you are using and moving it around. Also, deer are particularly attracted to cedar trees so creating a protective barrier using wooden stakes and burlap, ensuring that the burlap does not come in contact with the foliage, will protect cedars over the winter.
Diana Dhaliwal's garden, located close to Assiniboine Park, which is visited by large numbers of deer, regularly sees the same group of deer who have recently been joined by a spindly legged fawn. Dhaliwal's lush landscape was part of the Manitoba Master Gardener Association's garden tour this year and on the eve of the tour, she made a startling discovery while surveying the vast evidence of deer damage throughout her garden.
With the tops of every hosta and all of her lily buds thoroughly devoured, Dhaliwal took a walk through her rose garden until she came upon a sleeping newborn fawn. With respect and awe for the miracle of nature, Dhaliwal graciously resigned herself to sharing her foliage and blooms. Still, for the winter she has erected a temporary barrier with fence posts and heavyweight fishing line as a gentle deterrent.
Manitoba Conservation's Stewart reminds homeowners to please not feed visiting deer. "To do so," says Stewart "teaches them that a food source is available and encourages them to return."
Stewart also suggests hanging bird feeders well out of their reach. Choose one that prevents seed from going onto the ground below. The phone number for CWF Problem Wildlife is 204-945-5221.
What about the wildlife that you are hoping to attract? Sherrie Versluis, owner of the Preferred Perch, recommends moving your bird feeder to a more accessible location for the winter for easy viewing from your window.
A feeder with a dome is practical for two reasons. It keeps the snow off and offers shelter to the birds from hungry squirrels.
Squirrels are intelligent creatures. The red squirrel, half the size of the grey squirrel, is territorial and keeps grey squirrels away. Both are partial hibernators so the weather determines their activity. To make your feeder squirrel-proof, erect it on a pole system and add a baffle to prevent them from climbing. Site the pole at least three metres from whatever point a squirrel might jump.
Want to add a bit of luxury for visiting birds? Versluis says heated birdbaths have come a long way. Although birds won't bathe in winter, they will appreciate taking a sip from water rather than eating snow. Thermostat-controlled birdbaths keep the water just above freezing and will be a huge attraction.
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