Voles are small rodents that can cause considerable damage to ornamental plants, lawns, and gardens. These common pests feed primarily on vegetation, targeting the roots of plants, bulbs, and the bark of young trees and shrubs. They are active year-round and reproduce rapidly, meaning a small initial presence can quickly escalate into a destructive infestation. Protecting your property from these herbivores requires the implementation of effective removal and prevention strategies.
Vole Identification and Signs of Activity
Identifying a vole infestation begins with recognizing the specific signs they leave behind. Voles are stocky, mouse-like creatures with small eyes, rounded ears, and very short tails, unlike the long-tailed house mouse. They are herbivores that cause damage by gnawing on plant material.
The most distinctive sign of vole presence is a network of visible, one- to two-inch-wide surface runways that wind through the grass or mulch. These shallow trenches are created as the voles travel and feed, pushing aside vegetation. In contrast, moles create deeper, subterranean tunnels that result in raised ridges or volcano-shaped mounds of soil. Voles also damage plants by chewing the bark completely around the base of a tree or shrub, and by eating flower bulbs and roots underground.
Active Trapping Methods
Trapping is the most effective and immediate method for reducing a vole population in a localized area, particularly in small gardens or yards. Standard mouse-sized snap traps are highly effective, offering a quick method of removal. For successful results, a sufficient number of traps should be deployed, often requiring ten or more traps for a small area.
The placement of snap traps is paramount; they must be set perpendicular to an active runway with the trigger plate positioned directly within the trail. Voles habitually use these established pathways, and the trap’s placement ensures they run directly over the trigger. While bait is not strictly necessary for traps placed in active runways, baiting can increase success. Effective baits include a smear of peanut butter mixed with a small amount of rolled oats, or a small slice of apple.
To protect non-target animals like birds and pets, and to encourage voles to approach the trap, the device should be covered. A small cardboard box, a shingle, or a length of PVC pipe with a one-inch entry hole can be placed over the set trap. Traps should be checked twice daily, in the morning and evening, and reset immediately after a catch. If no voles are caught within two days, traps should be moved to a new location exhibiting fresh signs of activity. For those who prefer a non-lethal method, baited, small-opening live traps, such as Sherman-style traps, can also be used effectively, but they require the animal to be relocated appropriately.
Long-Term Exclusion and Prevention
Once the immediate population has been managed through trapping, long-term exclusion and habitat modification are necessary to prevent future infestations. Voles are attracted to areas that provide dense cover and easy access to food. Maintaining a clean landscape by regularly mowing the grass short and removing piles of leaves, weeds, or debris eliminates their protective shelter.
Mulch should be pulled away from the base of vulnerable trees and shrubs to create a buffer zone, as deep mulch provides an ideal hiding and nesting location. Tillage or cultivation of the soil can also disrupt their runway and burrow systems, making the area less hospitable. The most reliable method for protecting individual plants is installing physical barriers.
Hardware cloth with a mesh size of one-quarter inch or smaller should be used to create wire cylinders around the trunks of young trees and vulnerable plants. For proper exclusion, this wire barrier must be buried at least six inches below the soil surface to prevent voles from burrowing underneath. Repellents, such as those containing capsaicin or castor oil, can offer some short-term protection by making the environment unpleasant, but they are less effective than trapping and physical exclusion and require reapplication.