Voles, often mistaken for mice or rats, are small rodents that can cause significant damage to gardens, lawns, and agricultural crops. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll explore the differences between voles, mice, and rats, as well as provide valuable insights on how to avoid vole infestations and what to do if you’ve already encountered them, and potential options of how to handle your own vole control.
Understanding How to Identify Voles:
Voles, also known as meadow mice or field mice, belong to the rodent family Cricetidae and are distinct from mice and rats in several ways. Unlike mice and rats, voles have stocky bodies, short legs, and small eyes and ears. They also have a rounded muzzle and a short tail, which sets them apart from their rodent relatives.
One of the most significant differences between voles and mice or rats is their behavior and habitat preferences. While mice and rats are commonly found indoors, particularly in urban areas—voles are primarily outdoor creatures that inhabit grassy fields, meadows, and wooded areas. They construct elaborate tunnel systems underground, which they use for shelter and protection from the elements and predators.
How Voles Differ from Mice and Rats
Vole Behavior
Voles are primarily herbivorous and feed on grasses, roots, bulbs, and other vegetation. In contrast, mice and rats are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods, including grains, seeds, fruits, and insects.
Vole Habitat
Voles prefer outdoor habitats such as fields, meadows, yards and gardens, where they can find ample vegetation for food and shelter. Mice and rats, on the other hand, are more adaptable and can thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Vole Damage
While mice and rats may cause damage to structures and food supplies, voles are more known for their destructive behavior in yards, gardens, and agricultural fields. They can consume or damage a wide range of plants, including crops, ornamental flowers, and shrubs.
Preventing Voles: Tips to Avoid Vole Infestations:
Remove Vegetation
Keep grass and vegetation trimmed to minimize hiding spots for voles and make your property less attractive to them.
Install Physical Barriers
Use hardware cloth, wire or plastic mesh fencing to protect gardens, flower beds, and other vulnerable areas from vole damage. Since voles dig, it’s a good idea to bury the physical barriers at least 6 inches to keep them from getting easy access.
Reduce Mulch
Limit the use of mulch in gardens and landscapes, as voles may use it as cover and nesting material to remain hidden.
Maintain Cleanliness
Keep outdoor areas free of debris, clutter, and food sources that may attract voles.
Plants That Keep Voles Away
Voles feed on a wide variety of plants but there are those that voles won’t touch. These plants include: daffodils, crown imperial, grape hyacinth, iris, hellebores, salvia, and snowdrops.
Another series of plants that you can include in your garden that voles will avoid, are most plants in the allium family. A combination of ornamental alliums, garlic, onions, or chives will deter voles from planning on making it a long term home.
What to Do If You’ve Got Voles?
Identify the Problem: Look for signs of vole activity, such as runways or tunnels in grassy areas, chewed vegetation, or burrow entrances.
Voles will mound dirt at the entrances of their burrows which will be about an inch in diameter and just below the surface of the soil. The more noticeable trace of vole activity is when they create their shallow surface runways or tunnels—they will usually look like trails of dead grass. These trails are a result of them eating blades and stems of grass.
Implement Control Measures: Voles are the most prolific breeders in the rodent family, reproducing up to 12 times a year. Their litters can range from 3 to 7 offspring per litter. This means a female vole can give birth to more than 100 babies in a year. With that in mind, if you have a vole problem, use traps, baits, or repellents to reduce vole populations and protect your property from inevitable damage.
Consult a Professional about Vole Control : If you’re dealing with a severe vole infestation or are unsure how to implement effective vole control, consider seeking assistance from professional pest control services, like Green Pest Management. Our experienced vole exterminators can assess the situation and recommend targeted treatment options to address the problem.
Conclusion
While voles may share some similarities with mice and rats, they are distinct creatures with unique behaviors and habitat preferences. By understanding the differences between voles, mice, and rats, as well as implementing effective prevention and vole removal measures, homeowners can protect their properties from vole damage and maintain healthy outdoor spaces. If you’re dealing with a vole infestation or other pest problems, don’t hesitate to contact Green Pest Management for expert pest control for voles. With our comprehensive pest control services, we’ll help you reclaim your property from these small but troublesome rodents.
Sources:
https://www.almanac.com/pest/voles
https://attra.ncat.org/publication/rats-mice-and-voles-vertebrate-ipm-tip-sheet/
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