I have these holes in the yard. Let me know what you think.

Q. I recently put some sand down and now I have these holes in the yard. They may have been there all along, but I have never noticed them until I put the sand in.  There was several holes in the yard where the previous owner had a large homemade swing set and play area and when they were removed it left holes, so I filled them and had lots of sand left over so I spread it around the yard. Please review and let me know what you think.

A. With holes that size (larger than a quarter), I'm thinking you could have voles. They're like tiny moles, but they don't make visible tunnels under the grass like moles do. There are products available made of castor oil that repel voles. Voles don't like castor oil any better than children do, so they run away. The oil mixture is usually mixed with water and sprayed on the affected area. The oil doesn't persist in the soil. It's usually washed away after rain or irrigation. But the castor oil mix is safe for children and pets that might play in the yard.

There are other products available that contain Warfarin. Warfarin is an anti-coagulant and very toxic. Added to some sort of bait, the voles ingest it and hemorrhage. Not only will it kill voles, but moles, gophers, woodchucks, rats, mice and squirrels. Obviously, it's also toxic to children and pets, so you should use extreme caution.

If neither of the options I've mentioned appeals to you, purchase a classic spring-loaded mouse trap. Bait it with apple bits or peanut butter. Set it near the vole holes. Go away for awhile and wait.

Always follow label instructions for repellants and poisons. Watch your fingers around the trap. Wear latex gloves to dispose of dead voles.

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