Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:51 pm
The vole is a dangerous rodent that can cause some damage in the garden. It can eat plants and make it difficult for even small trees to grow. To get rid of the vole there are many different ways. You can use vole poison to kill them and make sure the plants are saved. But there are also more animal-friendly measures such as the vole gas or the vole grid. These methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The gas is used only when the vole is already in the garden and the grid must be installed in the garden beforehand.
A vole scare is a simple method to protect yourself from voles that requires very little effort. You don’t have to lay grids all over the garden and you don’t have to apply poison or gas. The vole scarecrow is also very pet-friendly and does not put the vole under a lot of stress.
How does the vole scarecrow work and is it suitable for your garden?
Contents
The function of the vole scarecrow
Voles are very sensitive animals. Both sounds and movements can be perceived in your passage system. Vibrations can indicate danger and the vole will flee as a result.
A proven home remedy is to stick empty bottles into the vole’s passageways. When the wind blows over the bottles, they start to whistle and vibrate. However, this can lead to an unpleasant volume and is not exactly a visual highlight in your own garden.
A vole scarecrow is based on a similar principle. Here, a wind gyroscope is driven, which moves a clapper that strikes the tube. The vole scarecrow is inserted into the ground and even a small breeze causes the clapper to strike the tube. The vibrations emitted from the pipe are very unpleasant for the vole, which can be frightened away.
The vole scarecrow works completely mechanically and does not require any maintenance. It can be operated even in winter when there is snow. Visually, the vole scarecrow can also be well integrated into the overall appearance of the garden. It does not fall so negatively on the empty bottles and the wind gyroscope can be a nice detail in the garden.
No batteries are necessary for operation. Only with a little wind, the clapper is driven and the voles scared away.
The scarecrow in use against moles
As an old home remedy against moles in the garden, empty bottles are also listed. Similar to the vole, the vibrations and noise also pose a threat to the mole.
Unlike electronic ultrasonic devices, you do not need to replace batteries with the scarecrow, and there is no need to connect to electricity. Thus, you can place scarecrow in any corner in the garden and it is not subject to any restrictions.
In addition, driving away the mole in this way is compliant with animal welfare. Although the noise is unpleasant for the mole in the long run, it does not represent a stress that would endanger its health.
Thus, the vole scarecrow is also very useful against other pests in the garden.
Beckmann vole scarecrow
In the trade, especially two models from Beckmann are popular, which can act against voles in the garden. Thus, there are numerous reviews and buyers who are convinced of the vole scarecrows.
If you yourself also want to buy such a scarecrow, then you have the choice between a version with 156 centimeters in height or 200 centimeters in height.
The longer version is designed for a total area of 1500 m², whereas the shorter scarecrow still covers a good 800 m². The effective range is huge for private use and in most cases one device is sufficient to protect your entire garden.
To ensure that the devices can be used even in winter and rain, they are made of rustproof aluminum. So you don’t have to worry about replacing them quickly.
The application of the vole scarecrow
If you have decided on a version, then it only needs to be built in the garden. This is very simple and should be done in a few minutes.
To do this, you just need to put the rod into the ground. However, this must not be firmly fixed. To be able to send the vibrations through the soil, the rod still needs some room to move. Therefore, you should not put the vole scarecrow too firmly into the ground.
However, you must bear in mind that the scarecrow can topple over during a strong storm. Here you should take precautions yourself and dismantle the scarecrow yourself in case of very strong gusts of wind, or at least do not have any sensitive objects in the vicinity.
Advantages and disadvantages of the vole scarecrow
As with many defensive measures against the vole, there are some supporters and opponents of this method. But in general, what is the opinion and do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for you?
Advantages
A clear advantage is the very simple handling. You just have to put the device into the ground and it can send out its vibrations. There are no batteries to change at regular intervals, and you don’t have to go through the hassle of flattening hills to put out possible gas or poison.
Users can observe a definite effect from the scarecrow. If it is not exactly calm, then the animals, no matter whether mole or vole, shift already in the next days their hills further outside until they are completely gone. For support a second device can be used, which provides for a higher security in the fight against the vole.
The sound can only be heard in the immediate vicinity. When the window is closed or at a distance of about 5 meters, the clapper is almost imperceptible. So you don’t have to worry that you would now be constantly bothered by these knocking noises. After all, the knocking is not about the volume, but mainly about the vibrations.
The Beckmann vole scarecrows are manufactured entirely in Europe. In Allgau, there is a small company for this purpose, where devices are manufactured. Thus, a high quality can be guaranteed and this is not dependent on suppliers from China.
However, if there are problems, Beckman can help quickly and provide replacements or tips to make the fight more successful.
Disadvantages
Instead of relying on batteries, the scarecrow relies entirely on the wind. While a strong pull is not necessary and even small wind speeds are sufficient to move the clapper, if there is complete windlessness, the device is ineffective. For example, some gardeners have reported that while the scarecrow works flawlessly when the wind is blowing, if the calm persists, the animals may return.
The soil also plays a role in the scarecrow’s effectiveness. This is because the vibrations spread further or less depending on the nature of the soil. A loose clay soil has the best characteristics in this regard and sends the sound waves the farthest. In sandy soil, the radius is reduced by about a third and several vole scarecrows may need to be purchased.
It is also reported that the animals partially get used to the vibrations and sound waves. Thus, although they are initially driven away, over time they approach the scarecrow and lose respect and fear.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a very simple way to drive the voles out of your garden, using non-lethal methods, the vole scarecrow is an ideal device to place in the garden.
With a little wind, the scarecrow will make the clapper swing against the rod and the vibrations will make the vole feel uncomfortable. However, not only the vole, but also the mole feels annoyed by these vibrations.
So if you have a problem with both animals, you can get rid of them in one fell swoop. Instead of digging up the entire garden and placing grids or nets, it is enough if you place a scarecrow in the ground.
This is ready to work at the same time and does not require extensive maintenance. So rely on this gentle method to protect your garden and the animals.