DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18348675
title: Suppression of common vole (Microtus arvalis) population densities using natural plant repellents
title: Tlumenı́ populačnı́ch hustot hraboše polnı́ho (Microtus arvalis) pomocı́ rostlinných repelentů

description: This dataset is a comprehensive dataset containing underlying research data for the articles: 

Repelentní ochrana proti hrabošům na polích ("Natural plant repellent against common voles in a field trial") https://zenodo.org/records/18323400 

The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is a main vertebrate pest of agricultural landscapes. Its control relies mainly on farming practices and rodenticides, but their use is associated with risks and pressure to reduce pesticide use. In this study, we developed a repellent granular formulation with black pepper oil and verified its efficacy in an alfalfa crop. Two doses of the product (50 and 100 g) were applied to 25 m² experimental plots and compared with an untreated control. After four applications, the num-ber of active vole burrows decreased by 42.4 % at the 50 g dose and by 28.7 % at the 100 g dose. In the control plots, the number of burrows increased by 11.3 %. The results indicate the potential of black pepper oil as a repellent for non-chemical control of the common vole as well as the suitability of the developed granular formulation for practical use.

An evaluation of two counting methods to establish rodent densities in crop fields 

https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/artkey/pps-202504-0007_an-evaluation-of-two-counting-methods-to-establish-rodent-densities-in-crop-fields.php 

The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is the main pest in agricultural areas of Central Europe. It is particularly important to monitor its numbers during spring, and if high numbers are detected, some form of pest management should be considered. In the Czech Republic, the number of active burrows is monitored using the burrow index, BI, which allows estimation of the total number of rodents, saves time and is easy to use. We aimed to assess the relationship between the burrow index and the relative abundance of the rodent species examined by snap trapping in crop fields. Bayesian MCMC algorithms with a zero-inflation model were used for this analysis. The positive relationship between BI and vole abundance occurred in the total sample of all fields and in alfalfa, winter wheat and barley crop fields. A positive relationship between BI and the abundance of the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), the second most common pest in the area, was only confirmed in barley, and this relationship was negative in winter rape. The positive influence of the degree of weed cover on BI was confirmed in the total sample and in winter rape and alfalfa, but weed cover has a negative effect on BI in barley and winter wheat. In contrast, weed cover did not affect the relative abundance of both rodent species in any of the sampled crops. The presence of shrubs and forests around the fields reduced BI in the whole sample, especially in alfalfa. The relative abundance of the voles was not affected by the presence of shrubs and forests around the crop. Still, a positive influence was confirmed for the abundances of mice in the whole sample and alfalfa. BI can be a reliable indicator of vole abundance in crops with high densities, but it is not very accurate at low densities and in crop fields rarely used by voles, such as sunflower and maize. 

Can repellent crops reduce the abundance of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) as a way to reduce crop damage? 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219424004241?via%3Dihub#da0010

The common vole is one of the most damaging rodents in agriculture. A number of methods are used to suppress its numbers and limit damage. One option is growing crops that are not suitable for voles; this might limit their numbers and distribution. Through long-term monitoring of common voles throughout the Czech Republic, their abundance in eleven crop types (annual, biennial and perennial crops) was evaluated through active burrow counts. Reference crops were selected from perennials and biennials and annual crops were selected as potential repellents. The perennial crops were clover with alfalfa, which serve as the primary habitat for voles. These crops are where voles are found in their highest densities, and from which they spread to the surrounding crops during periods of high abundance. The biennial winter rape was selected because it provides favourable conditions for voles to overwinter and multiply rapidly in the spring. Compared to perennial crops and winter rape, significantly lower numbers of voles were found in onions, poppy seeds and maize. Additionally, fewer voles were also found in mustard compared to perennial crops. Onion and poppy were the only crops to show a significantly lower abundance of voles in comparison to wheat. The annual crops tested are unattractive to voles and due to the cultivation practices used, they do not even have enough weeds as food. As profitable crops they can be cultivated over sufficiently large areas to potentially prevent the spread of voles to surrounding crops, especially during outbreak years.