Voles are destroying our trees.

In Huelva, Andalusia, the *Cabrera's vole (Microtus cabrerae)* and the *Southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus)* are present[1][3]. Voles primarily feed on grasses, roots, seeds, and other vegetation. Their population density can vary widely; specific numbers per hectare are not provided in the search results. Voles generally have a short life expectancy. They prefer wet areas with irrigation because these environments provide abundant food and cover. Natural enemies include birds of prey, snakes and carnivorous mammals. In Andalusia, voles can become a pest due to their potential to damage crops[1][3].
Citations:
[1] Mammals of Andalusia • 74 species to discover - g3 guides g3-guides.com/...
[2] Doñana National Park - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.o...
[3] [PDF] A REVISION OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF CABRERA'S VOLE ... www.italian-jou...
[4] (PDF) A revision of the distribution of Cabrera's vole (Microtus ... www.researchga...
[5] Overall results of the survey carried out in Andalusia. - ResearchGate www.researchga...
[6] A revision of the distribution of Cabrera's vole ( Microtus cabrerae ... www.italian-jou...
[7] New records of pathogenic bacteria in different species of fleas ... www.sciencedir...
[8] Voles in Spain - IberiaNature www.iberianatu...

[@rajsinghji-84]

Nice update. Can hardly wait for the rains and see your earthworks in action. Good luck.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@rajsinghji-84 Thanks Raj. Let's walk the road as it unfolds

[@esbrasill]

I got a few eucalyptus trees here, some observations: they trow great amounts of very flammable material on the ground. This may not be wise in such a dry climate. Also, the leafs contain some substance that does not let anything grow under it. And, Eucalyptus leafs are small and pointy, generating heavy drops of water hitting the bare soil under it and causing erosion. It always looks like a dead zone under them. But the grow very fast, that largest one you have would be that big in one year here. Last year i cut some down , 35m high, 15 years old. Oh, just started raining here after months, while typing this

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@esbrasill Great sharing. I'm happy that you received some rain. Keep typing!

[@mechanics4all405]

you should be proud of the earth works,looks professional,well done❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@mechanics4all405 Oooh. Coming from the master the student will delight in small achievements

[@hotbit7327]

Voles dig holes, mix sand/clay with organic matter, oxygenate soil, and make soil able to absorb a lot more water. This fine line between a "Pest" and an "Asset".

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@hotbit7327 Very well said. That wisedom will take us a long way.

[@TimelineRanch]

There will always be another challenge it is part of the farm life. I'm sure you will overcome everything as the problems arise. Thanks for the walk and talk.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@TimelineRanch Yea. Another opportunity to learn. Thank you for commenting

[@ourrockydreamontheelephant4188]

Well done, those giant oaks are just beautiful .

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@ourrockydreamontheelephant4188 Yes, I love walking around at sunset. Thank you for sharing

[@erwinsegers3696]

Try creating some nesting places in the trees for kestrel (falcon) to get the voles under control

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@erwinsegers3696 Good one. I'll surely look into it. We already have owls.

[@davidstokes8441]

Please = why plant eucalyptus, an Australian tree that has gone wild in so many places as to become a pest plant. Surely there is a native species that will give growth without the invasive properties of my favorite tree (I am an Australian).

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@davidstokes8441 Every time I comment about my eucalyptus then someone talks about the invasive properties. Maybe I planted them s a conversation item. Ha ha. Keep sharing. Much appreciated

[@mechanics4all405]

put some wire mesh around the seedling oaks to give them a chance,vibration from sound on ground gets moles to move❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@mechanics4all405 Good one. I'll dance more. Thank you for sharing

[@erwinsegers3696]

Some rain should be coming up tomorrow ... i am curious now to see the effect and quantity of water ...

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@erwinsegers3696 I have first row seats to the water show. Let it start.

[@Thewildmindofmike]

Acorn flour is on my list to try also. Hope you can cover it in a video 🤠

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@Thewildmindofmike Let's have this special bread soon. Thank you for sharing

[@BrianJensen-ym5gk]

Thanks for the video. That cistus bush sounds a bit like the shrub variant of walnut-trees. Walnuts excrete Juglone, which also prevents plant growth in their vicinity. Out of curiosity: Do you think Balsam poplar (OP42 variant) would thrive on your farm? They grow like mad in a lot of different conditions, and could potentially speed up the "shade-project" by decades, if you can get them to establish. Bucks do like to smash them, when they are young saplings, though, but it looks like the deer pressure isn't so great on the farm at the moment. Take care and have a great weekend. Brian.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@BrianJensen-ym5gk Great sharing. Thank you. I'll look at balsam poplar now.

[@downtoearth1950]

We are near the 35th parallel in South Australia and about to enter Summer but have just experienced a very dry winter possibly the driest in 40 years for many.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@downtoearth1950 Nooooo. Let it rain. Good luck to all of us. Keep sharing

[@srantoniomatos]

When you wander around i always look for the pines, ciprest and olives...they grow there right? If you "clean" the land, mostly the underbushes, the voles (no rabits?) become more expose to predators (snakes, cats, birds...) and helps to control it a bit. Irrigation also dosent help.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@srantoniomatos Thanks for the sharing. Good advice on clearing the brush.

[@steverapisura5418]

2:48 Re: voles, perhaps plant DECOY TUBER CROPS like sweet potato & white potato, carrots & radish, maybe also PEANUTS as companions around those vulnerable trees. 11:11 Sorghum Sudan-grass was developed for hot, dry regions, so of course it thrived. I believe many of your other viewers had recommended it.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@steverapisura5418 Decoy idea I like. Thanks for the sharing. Sorghum we will plant again.

[@steverapisura5418]

@@SuerteDelMolinoFarm ...one possible experiment w/sorghum: try planting many different varieties in the same area for hybridization & see how well those adapt.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@steverapisura5418 I like that. Let's do it.

[@Charlie-oj4wj]

Rain and wind tomorrow. We are on orange alert. Do you have Acacia pycnantha there ? It's fast growing, good for firewood and timber and very drought tolerant.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@Charlie-oj4wj The Golden Wattle we don't have. We do have several vachallea species. Thank you for sharing

[@terry269]

well sounds like a good plan you have there, this may be a silly question the cork oak trees are those the same trees that people harvest cork from, and if so is that something you could sell .

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@terry269 Yes. It's the good quality Portuguese cork. It's harvested every 9 years.

[@HylanderSB]

Are you planning to coppice the eucalyptus?

[@Extremealgarve1]

Nice work. here in Monchique Ive lost hundreds of trees / seedlings to moles and voles in my reforestation. Get that microbiology back in the soil amigo, JADAM, EM etc you see a big difference also cut the senescent grasses.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@Extremealgarve1 Great suggestions. Thank you for sharing. When should the grass be cut? How tall should the grass be after cutting?

[@Extremealgarve1]

​@@SuerteDelMolinoFarm Hey brother. so the best time for cutting is as it goes into senescence (end of spring) I usually let it go to seed first then its pretty much dead. You can do a cut before that say in ferbruary. This triggers the Gibberellic acids to trigger a growth spurt and will benefit trees and plants nearby. Now the big thing with cutting is using a strimmer is no good (unless you have hectares and no animals) (If you have animals, check out mob grazing or planned holistic grazing. If your neighbours have goats, sheep or cows you can use them but you need to know what youre doing as they dont) the first cut in february needs to be no more than two thirds otherwise regrowth might be prevented. Once the grass is dead, you can cut it down to the base (with some kind of sickle, unfortunately the trimmer obliterates everything and leaves no nesting places for beneficial insects etc) you can buy the sickle with the long pole in most farm / coops etc. I would use the sickle in and around the trees and leave it as a mulch. Now is a good time to do it but go to the coop first and buy some lupins (tremocilha) vetch (ervilhaca) and a grass mixture cover crop (ray grass and fescue is good) broadcast them in a and around the oaks then cut the grasses with the sickle and leave them as a mulch on top of the seed. This will all improve the soil. Broadcast them around your awesome earthworks too. keep up the great work.

[@lenkamaresova4116]

Voles can do a lot of damage. A few years back, I have lost all newly planted trees, tulips and roses to overpopulated voles.

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@lenkamaresova4116 Ooh. That doesn't sound nice. Thanks for letting us know

[@jimdotcom1972]

the same rodents that were chewing on your drip irrigation pipes?

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@jimdotcom1972 I was thinking the same. Thank you for sharing

[@gospelofchange]

guild planting with garlic will help with voles

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@gospelofchange Super. Yes. Guild planting will keep me guilt free

[@NachoMartorell]

you need to attract barn owls and kestrels to your land, they will take care of the voles. Also foxes are heavy rodent hunters

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@NachoMartorell Foxes we have. Let the hunt begin. Thank you for sharing

[@jonmatthews4254]

I thought you had 5 mm of rain the other day?

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@jonmatthews4254 Yes and no. That was more fog than anything else. Also it's more dramatic to say we had no rain. Ha ha. Thank you for sharing

[@jonmatthews4254]

Get some cats

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@jonmatthews4254 Yes yes. I need some baby ones that can get used to the chickens.