Voles

Question:

We have voles (small mice-like animals). They have chewed the bark on our fruit trees and eaten about 50 percent of our lawn over the winter. They seem to just eat the roots of the grass so the grass in dead. In summer they damage berries and vegetables. Also in the summer months they dig a small holes in the grass and make nests for their babies. I have two neighbors with the same problem. What are these animals, and how can I get rid of them?

Minnesota Master Gardeners say:


Voles, also known as meadow mice, live and feed on the soil surface or just below the surface. Although voles are sometimes confused with moles, the two do not have much in common except their capacity to be a nuisance in yards and gardens. Moles are silver gray and most voles are rusty to chocolate brown.

Moles push up conical piles of soil and develop conspicuous networks of raised tunnels as they dig their burrows and search for soil insects.

Voles often leave little evidence of their presence apart from damage they do to trees, shrubs and vegetables. They feed primarily on plants. When populations are high, networks of shallow burrows and grassy trails are evident. Tiny rows of shredded plant materials that mark winter feeding tunnels sometimes remain on lawns after the snow melts and the shallow nests you mention are also typical of voles.

Voles seldom enter homes but are sometime found in farm buildings or garages where grain or hay is stored.

Vole populations run in two to five year cycles. Some years there might be great numbers of them and then suddenly the population dies off.

Controls include habitat modification, barriers, trapping and bait stations.

Habitat modification

You may be able to reduce the number of voles in your area by keeping the lawn mowed to three inches or less, removing garden litter, and keeping vacant lots, ditches or other open areas free of weeds and tall grass. Eliminating thatch will discourage voles from nesting in your lawn.

If you feed birds, it is a good idea to clean up spilled seed. This removes a source of food for the voles.

Barriers

Place hardware cloth cylinders (1/4 inch mesh or finer) around the trunks of young trees and shrubs. The cloth cylinder should be dug into the ground at least six inches and should extend well above the anticipated snow level. Wrap tree trunks with plastic tree guards.

Wire or metal barriers, at least 12 inches high, with a mesh size of 1/4 inch or less will exclude voles from a garden area. Bury the bottom edge 6 to 10 inches to prevent voles from digging beneath the barrier.

Traps

Some people report success using wooden snap-type mouse traps baited with peanut butter. When you find the tunnel in the lawn, set the traps perpendicular to the grassy runway.

Bait stations

Rodenticides may be placed in a foam cup tipped on its side for a bait station. Use a bait formulated for voles. Set these at right angles to the runways.

Traps and bait stations do pose a threat to pets, children and non target animals so it is important to monitor them carefully. Concealing the traps or bait stations under a shingle or a small box with a hole near the bait or trap may help reduce the risk.

Check these sites for more information a about voles and how to control them:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/environment/BD596.html
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/wildlife/g887.htm