{"podcast":{"title":"Vineyard Underground","slug":"vineyard-underground-6280933","podcast_index_feed_id":6280933,"rss_url":"https://f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.vineyardundergroundpodcast.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/a/b/3/9/ab390a1f09536c4d27a2322813b393ee/Final_Vineyard_underground_1.jpg","author":"Fritz Westover","episode_count":100,"summary":"What if you could hang out with experienced grape growers, ask them about the science of grape growing, vineyard operations, and more; then take an insight or two to improve your vineyard and ultimately the quality of the wines you produce? That's what we do each week on the Vineyard Underground. Hosted by Fritz Westover –– viticulture expert more than 20 years of experience in the vineyard industry –– every episode is an in-depth look at grape growing methods, care, and even complicated matters of fertilization and pest and disease management? The goal is to provide you with an understanding of the complicated aspects of viticulture science so that experienced and even first-time grape growers will be able to understand and implement new practices in their vineyard.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-09T18:17:07.711312+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933"},"episode":{"title":"084: Damage Control - Voles & Other Vertebrate Pests with Kelly Mulville & Newt Wimer","slug":"084-damage-control-voles-other-vertebrate-pests-with-kelly-mulville-newt-wimer","published_at":"2025-11-11T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933/084-damage-control-voles-other-vertebrate-pests-with-kelly-mulville-newt-wimer","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933","url":"https://f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22.libsyn.com/084-damage-control-voles-other-vertebrate-pests-with-kelly-mulville-newt-wimer","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/f364ccd0-b8ab-4504-aea4-3e21b899bc22/VU_Ep084_Master.mp3?dest-id=3650511","summary":"Voles, gophers, and ground squirrels are more than a nuisance — they can devastate vineyards if left unchecked. In this episode, host Fritz Westover sits down with Kelly Mulville of Paicines Ranch and Newt Wimer, an agricultural innovator, to discuss practical, sustainable ways to manage these vertebrate pests. Kelly shares his firsthand experience with a sudden vole outbreak at Paicines Ranch — one of the worst he's ever seen — and explains how quickly the damage escalated. He walks through the telltale signs of vole damage, how girdling kills vines, and why population cycles and rainfall patterns play a role in outbreaks. Newt provides insight into developing an organic-approved, non-poisonous control technology that uses liquid CO₂ to safely and efficiently manage underground pests without harming predators or soil ecology. Together, they emphasize that pest management must balance ecological health, economics, and innovation. Listeners will learn how combining predator support (owls, weasels), physical barriers, and new technologies can help reduce damage sustainably. The conversation also highlights ongoing efforts at Paicines Ranch to create regenerative systems that share successes and failures openly, helping the vineyard community at large. In this episode, you will hear: Voles, gophers, and ground squirrels can cause extensive vineyard damage, especially through girdling and root feeding. Outbreaks are cyclical and may correspond with wetter years that promote vole breeding. Physical barriers like vole tubes and underground fencing can protect vines—but must be properly installed and buried. Encouraging natural predators such as owls and weasels significantly supports organic pest control. New cryogenic CO₂ technology offers a fast, organic-approved, and cost…","meta_description":"Voles, gophers, and ground squirrels are more than a nuisance — they can devastate vineyards if left unchecked. In this episode, host Fritz Westover sits…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2627,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vineyard-underground-6280933/episodes/084-damage-control-voles-other-vertebrate-pests-with-kelly-mulville-newt-wimer/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/vineyard-underground-6280933/084-damage-control-voles-other-vertebrate-pests-with-kelly-mulville-newt-wimer.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}