Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast · Forum Communications Co.

Protect your garden from rabbits, voles and other critters

·1 hr 1 min·3 clips

John Lamb and Don Kinsler begin with the usual late-fall check-in on what still needs doing in the yard. Don is still trying to finish the season’s work. John is cleaning up too and taking advantage of a stretch of mild November weather. The talk soon shifts from chores to animal damage. Rabbits come up as a common problem. Voles enter the picture as another small but stubborn pest. Don describes trying castor oil-based repellents. He notes that university recommendations sometimes mention them as well. The real test, though, is the yard itself. In his case, the repellent did not stop the voles. They were still active in the area the next day. Even so, the discussion does not treat that as a dead end. Don frames repellents as something worth trying because results can vary from place to place. The hosts then widen the subject to what voles are actually doing. They compare them to mice in a loose way, but keep the distinction clear. Voles are not generally a house problem. They are mostly interested in plant material outside. John asks about common mouse advice, like keeping wood piles away from the house, and whether that applies here. Don says voles are not really the kind of pest that moves into the home. A detached garage might be a different story. Otherwise, the concern is outside. The conversation keeps circling back to the same point. Fall is the time to do some protection now and stay alert through winter. That means thinking about rabbits, deer, and voles before the damage shows up. The show keeps its tone easy and neighborly while still landing on useful guidance. It also invites listeners to share their own results, whether they have good luck, bad luck, or a better trick entirely. The episode closes with the sense that winter pest control is mostly about practical prevention and staying aware as the season changes.

As heard by us

Practical fall pest advice with plainspoken, trial-and-error realism.

This episode offers a practical fall-yard talk about final mowing, mulch, pot cleanup, and cutting back perennials, with the pest discussion centered on rabbits and voles.

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Why you'd press play

Keep rabbits, deer, voles, and other winter nibbles from undoing your fall work.

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