The presence of small, tunneling mammals in a yard often leads to confusion between moles and voles. These two pests belong to different biological orders and display distinct behaviors: moles are insectivores, while voles are rodents. Since they require entirely separate control strategies, correctly identifying the culprit is the only way to choose an effective solution and protect your landscape.
The Critical Clues: Analyzing Yard Damage
The most telling sign of which animal is present lies in the pattern of damage left. Moles create “mole hills,” which are mounds of soil pushed up from their deep burrow system. Moles also create surface tunnels that appear as raised ridges, which can be easily flattened. The damage is primarily structural, uprooting grass and disturbing plant roots as they search for food.
Voles, by contrast, leave behind clear “surface runways,” which are narrow, visible trails that snake through the grass or mulch. These runways are created as the voles travel and feed, using the ground cover for protection from predators. Vole activity is destructive to plants, often evidenced by gnaw marks on the bark of young trees and shrubs. If you find plant bulbs hollowed out or roots clipped, a vole is the likely suspect, as their damage focuses on consuming vegetation.
Distinguishing Physical Characteristics
Observing the animal directly, though often difficult, reveals clear physical differences. Moles possess highly specialized features adapted for subterranean life, including large, paddle-like front feet with prominent claws turned outward for efficient digging. Their eyes and ears are extremely small and often hidden beneath their velvety fur, and they have an elongated, pointed snout. Moles are generally robust, ranging from four to seven inches in length.
Voles are rodents that look much like a stocky field mouse, typically measuring between five and eight inches long. They have small eyes and small, rounded ears that are partially visible. Voles lack the mole’s specialized digging paws, reflecting their behavior of traveling primarily above ground.
Understanding Their Diet and Behavior
The fundamental difference between the two animals is their diet, which dictates their behavior. Moles are insectivores; their diet is composed of animal matter, primarily earthworms, grubs, and other soil-dwelling invertebrates. Moles must consume a large amount of food daily, sometimes up to 100% of their body weight, and their extensive tunneling is simply a foraging behavior to locate this food source. Any plant damage is an accidental consequence of their digging.
Voles are herbivores, meaning their motivation is to eat the plants themselves. Their diet includes grasses, seeds, roots, bulbs, and the bark of woody plants. Voles are prolific breeders, with populations that can increase rapidly, leading to significant damage to gardens and landscaping. They are active year-round, often foraging beneath snow cover during winter, which can make damage to tree bark particularly severe.
Effective Management Strategies
Control methods must be tailored to the specific behavior and diet of the identified pest. Since moles are driven by their need for insect prey, the most reliable control method is trapping, using specialized mole traps placed in active, deep tunnels. Reducing their food source through grub control can be a supplementary strategy, though moles will still feed on earthworms. For mole control, baits that mimic their natural prey, such as worm-shaped toxicants, can be effective when placed directly into the main runway.
Vole management focuses on exclusion and baiting. Protecting valuable trees and shrubs is achieved by installing hardware cloth or wire mesh barriers around the base. The mesh should be buried several inches below the soil line to prevent gnawing. Trapping voles can be done using mouse snap traps baited with foods like peanut butter or apple slices, placed perpendicular to their surface runways. Castor oil-based repellents can also deter voles by making their food sources unpalatable, encouraging them to relocate.