Rodents
Voles: identification, signs & control
How can you tell vole damage from mole damage?
Vole damage shows up as narrow surface runways through the grass, small open holes without mounds, chewed bulbs and roots, and bark gnawed off the base of shrubs and young trees. Mole damage is raised tunnels and volcano-shaped dirt mounds. Voles eat plants; moles eat grubs and worms. Rehoboth controls voles with tamper-resistant bait stations.
How do you identify voles?
- Small, stocky, mouse-like rodent with a short tail and small ears
- Brown to gray fur
- Rarely seen; damage is the giveaway
What are the signs of voles?
- Winding 1–2 inch runways in the lawn, obvious after snow melts
- Small round burrow openings with no mound
- Girdled bark at the base of shrubs and young trees
- Missing bulbs and wilting plants with chewed roots
Are voles dangerous?
- Kill shrubs and young trees by girdling
- Destroy bulbs, hostas and vegetable roots
- Populations can grow quickly
How can you prevent voles?
- Keep mulch thin and pulled back from trunks
- Mow grass short around beds in late fall
- Use hardware-cloth guards around young trees
How does Rehoboth treat voles?
Tamper-resistant bait stations placed along active runways and near damaged plants, then re-checked until activity stops.
More questions
Are voles the same as field mice?
They're related rodents, and people often call them field mice, but voles have shorter tails, smaller ears and a stockier build, and they do far more damage to plants.
Get rid of voles
Tell us what you're seeing. We'll inspect, explain what we find and recommend the lightest plan that will actually work.