Voles are small, mouse-like rodents often found in gardens and landscapes. Their presence can sometimes lead to damage to lawns, plants, and even trees, impacting the health and appearance of outdoor spaces. Recognizing the signs of vole activity can help individuals protect their landscaping investments and maintain healthy environments.
Vole Habits and Habitat
Voles, often referred to as meadow mice, are herbivores. Their diet largely consists of tender grasses, herbaceous plants, roots, tubers, and bulbs, though they also frequently girdle the bark of trees and shrubs, particularly during winter months when other food sources become scarce. This bark consumption can be particularly damaging to young fruit trees and ornamental plantings, as it can disrupt nutrient flow and lead to tree death.
Voles prefer habitats with dense vegetative cover, such as grassy fields, meadows, orchards, and areas with heavy groundcover like mulch beds or unkempt garden sections. This dense vegetation provides both a consistent food supply and ample protection from predators like hawks, owls, snakes, and coyotes. Their subsurface lifestyle also offers a degree of safety from surface-dwelling threats.
These rodents are active year-round, without true hibernation, and often exhibit both diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns, though their peak foraging might occur at dawn and dusk. Voles construct intricate burrow systems just beneath the soil surface, forming a complex network of narrow tunnels and well-worn surface runways. These subterranean pathways and surface trails allow them to move discreetly between feeding areas and their nests.
A single female vole can produce multiple litters per year, typically ranging from five to ten litters annually, with gestation periods lasting approximately 20 to 21 days. Litter sizes generally range from 3 to 6 young, though larger litters of up to 10 are possible, particularly with abundant food resources. The young are weaned quickly, often within two to three weeks, and can reach sexual maturity in as little as three to four weeks, allowing their populations to increase rapidly under favorable environmental conditions.
How to Spot Vole Activity
One common sign is the appearance of well-defined surface runways, narrow visible paths about one to two inches wide, winding through dense grass or groundcover. These pathways connect burrow openings and feeding areas, often becoming more noticeable after snowmelt or in closely mown areas. Small, clean-cut burrow entrances, approximately one to two inches in diameter, are another clear indicator, typically found within these visible runway systems and free of excess soil.
These distinct, round holes differ from the larger, irregular soil mounds created by moles. Voles also cause damage by gnawing on the bark of trees and shrubs, especially near the base, often in irregular patches within six inches of the soil line. This damage can encircle the trunk or stem, effectively girdling the plant and disrupting nutrient flow. Furthermore, their feeding on roots and bulbs beneath the soil surface can lead to the sudden wilting or decline of seemingly healthy plants, with evidence of excavated soil or damaged roots visible upon careful inspection.
Dealing with Vole Presence
Managing vole presence often involves modifying their preferred habitat to make it less appealing and accessible. Regularly mowing lawns and keeping grassy areas short significantly reduces the dense cover that voles favor for protection and travel from predators. Clearing away leaf litter, weeds, and other dense vegetation from around garden beds and the base of trees also helps expose voles, reducing their available shelter and food sources. Maintaining a clean, well-managed landscape discourages their establishment.
Exclusion techniques provide a durable physical barrier against vole damage to valuable plants. Installing hardware cloth cylinders, with a mesh size of quarter-inch or smaller, around the base of young trees and shrubs effectively protects their bark from gnawing. The mesh should be buried a few inches into the soil to prevent burrowing underneath and extend at least 18 inches above ground. This barrier creates a protective zone around the plant’s lower trunk.
Fencing around garden beds, constructed from quarter-inch mesh and buried six to ten inches deep, can also deter voles from accessing valuable plants. The buried portion of the fence should be bent outwards at a 90-degree angle to create an L-shaped barrier, further preventing burrowing. Additionally, planting bulbs within wire cages or placing a layer of gravel around the base of plants offers protection against root and bulb damage.
Various deterrents can also be employed to discourage voles from specific areas. Applying granular repellents, often containing active ingredients like castor oil or thiram, to lawns and garden beds can make the area less desirable for burrowing and feeding. These repellents work by creating an unpleasant taste or odor in the soil or on plant roots, prompting voles to seek food elsewhere. Reapplication may be necessary, and regularly rotating the types of deterrents used can help maintain their effectiveness, as voles may habituate to a single method over time.