Are voles nocturnal or diurnal?
Some species are diurnal and active during the day, and others are nocturnal and only active at night. Many species are social, and live in groups, while others are solitary or even territorial. Many vole colonies can grow to be very large, as vole families can produce many offspring per year.
What time of year do voles mate?
Active both day and night year-round like most vole species, though may be more active in the day during winter and at night during summer. Mate from March to November, during which time females have been known to become more aggressive, although not notably toward humans
Do voles hibernate?
On rare occasions voles will eat insects and snails, but they certainly have a strong preference for vegetation. Activity: Voles are active at all times of the year, day and night, and they do not hibernate. Reproduction: As some of the most prolific breeders in the rodent family, voles can produce 5-10 litters per year with 3-6 young per litter.
Do voles live in groups or colonies?
Many species are social, and live in groups, while others are solitary or even territorial. Many vole colonies can grow to be very large, as vole families can produce many offspring per year. Most species of voles can produce anywhere between 5 and 10 litters in a single year.
What time of day are voles most active?
Voles are active day and night, year-round, with peak activity occurring at dawn and dusk. They do not hibernate. Their home range is usually ¼ acre or less, but this range varies with season, population density, habitat, and food supply.
What is the fastest way to get rid of voles?
How to Get Rid of Voles: 5 Effective WaysRemove vegetation. Voles don't like to feed out in the open. ... Protect young trees. Voles love to gnaw on the trunks of young trees. ... Use live traps. ... Use natural repellants. ... Contact a professional pest management company. ... Vole Poisons. ... Repellents. ... Traps.More items...•
What do voles hate?
You can repel voles by using scents they dislike such as rosin and peppermint. Voles also hate certain plants like pachysandra, daffodil, and boxwood and are repelled by cleared areas such as crushed gravel, pavement, and clear yards.
What attracts voles to your yard?
Any property with vegetation or greenery will attract them. They often choose properties with moist areas or that are near lakes, swamps, or other water sources. Not only will meadow voles damage your yard, but they are known for spreading diseases, as well.
Do coffee grounds repel voles?
There are many ways to use coffee grounds in the garden; they can add nutrients to the soil and may also act as an effective natural pest repellent. The idea is to prevent voles from eating your plants by putting coffee grounds around the vegetable area to ward them off.
How does Dawn dish soap get rid of moles?
InstructionsHeat water in kettle.Pour castor oil into jar.Pour 3 quarts of hot water into the jar.Add Dawn Dish Soap.Shake or stir the mixture together.Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer.Spray lawn.Pour extra directly onto mole holes.
How do you permanently get rid of voles moles?
Grow protective plants. Put them around the perimeter of your lawn for a natural, effective and attractive mole repellent. Try marigolds, alliums, fritillarias, daffodils, garlic and shallots. Castor bean plant also works, but it's poisonous and should not be used anywhere around pets or children.
What are signs of voles?
Here are some signs you may have voles in yard:Tiny Trails in Your Yard. Voles travel on the same paths, by creating 1- to 2-inch-wide ruts or runways in the ground. ... Collapsed Plants. Voles are herbivores and like to feast on bulbs, tubers, or roots. ... Spongy Soil. ... Holes in the Soil. ... Damaged Harvest. ... Cats. ... Visual Sighting.
What is a home remedy to get rid of voles?
To make a natural vole repellent spray, dice up hot peppers and mix in a spray bottle that has equal parts water and dish soap. Then spray around areas that voles like to visit, such as the garden or any remaining brush piles. You will need to reapply the spray every week or so, especially if there is rainfall.
What gets rid of voles?
Try Havahart live vole traps situated perpendicular to the widest vole runways or near the nesting sites at the base of trees and shrubs. Bait traps with peanut butter. Set baits midday to early evening when voles get more active. Reset the traps as often as necessary until you eliminate the population.
Do voles come inside the house?
Although they do not infest houses often or on purpose, they can sometimes be found indoors. One or two of them may find their way into your house by accident. Voles are not the kind of animals that sleep when it is dark, and therefore, they can be active whether it is day and at night.
Can voles climb walls?
They eat bark and roots of trees, usually in fall or winter. Voles store seeds and other plant matter in underground chambers. Voles are poor climbers and usually don't enter homes or other buildings.
How deep do voles dig?
12 inchesSome voles burrow and create many shallow tunnels, while other types dig down to a depth of 12 inches. The tunnels give soil a spongy feel when you walk on it. Voles also happily inhabit mole and chipmunk tunnels.
Can voles climb walls?
They eat bark and roots of trees, usually in fall or winter. Voles store seeds and other plant matter in underground chambers. Voles are poor climbers and usually don't enter homes or other buildings.
What is the fastest way to get rid of moles in your yard?
You'll have the most luck killing moles in your yard if you use traps or bait in the spring or fall. Both products should be placed in a main, or active, runway. These are usually the straight tunnels in your lawn or the tunnels that follow the perimeter of your yard.
Will cayenne pepper keep voles away?
Cayenne powder. This very hot pepper will deter a lot of animals from your garden. You can sprinkle it directly into mole holes or mix with water and spray it. Cayenne is also mixed with garlic, vegetable oil, soap and water to make a natural insecticide.
What are some interesting facts about voles?
Interesting Facts About the Vole. These prolific little mammals are widespread and an important part of the food chain, albeit, at the bottom. They may look like mice, but these creatures have behavior all their own. Plant Power – When food is plentiful, voles are quite fond of eating plants.
Where do voles live?
There are few habitats that voles cannot survive in. They have adapted well to a human-centric world, and can even live in cities and urban areas, as well as farms and pastures. Some of their primary habitats include meadows, and other open areas.
Why is it important to reduce vole population?
A healthy population of voles maintains the predators without damaging the ecosystem. If the predators die off, the vole population shoots through the roof, and they kill much of the vegetation in an area.
What predators eat voles?
Wide Variety – Many different types predators will feed on voles, particularly birds of prey. Hawks, falcons, barn owls, pygmy owls, short-eared owls, gray owls, and many other owl species all hunt these little rodents. In addition to birds, voles also fall prey to coyotes, lynxes, bobcats, snakes, raccoons, and foxes.
How many different types of voles are there?
There are about 155 different species of voles, and many are important prey sources to a number of different predators. Read on to learn about the vole. Water Vole at breakfast. Cute tiny Vole peeking out from its den. Vole eating his favorite salad! Water vole photographed at the British Wildlife Centre.
Why do humans kill voles?
Humans and voles interact frequently, though humans do not realize it as much as the voles do. Because they are so small, these rodents go unnoticed most of the time. Humans kill or trap them for destroying crops, or getting into animal feed. Humans also threaten some species through habitat destruction.
What are the negatives of voles?
Downside to Voles – Because they prefer plants, high number of voles can be very destructive to an ecosystem. They will eat a strip of bark around small trees and plants, much like porcupines do. This damages trees and shrubs, and kills young plants entirely.
What do voles eat?
Voles, similar to other rodents, have a mainly vegetarian diet. Voles mainly eat stems and blades of lawn grass —so it’s usually vole tunnels that you’ll see near the surface of the yard. Moles have a mainly carnivorous diet. (Moles are beneficial in many ways. They help plow the soil and eat grubs and insects!)
How to tell if you have a vole problem?
If you have partially eaten carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables, you probably have a vole problem. According to one reader, “The y dig under my carrots, pulling them down, and eating them.
How do you know if a vole is chewing on your tree?
If you see chewed-up bark near the base of trees and shrubs, look closely. A vole’s front teeth will leave ¼ inch side-by-side grooves in the wood as it gnaws away on the bark. (They’re rodents, after all!) Voles also tunnel through any root system, causing damage to trees and shrubs.
What are the two types of voles in North America?
Two common species of voles in North America are the prairie vole and the meadow vole. Meadow voles are more widely distributed, but prairie voles are more common in prairie areas. They are very similar, and methods for controlling them are mostly the same.
What is the difference between a mole and a vole?
In fact, a vole might look like a mouse at first glance. In contrast, moles are NOT rodents. Moles are all nose and mouth.
How do you know if a vole is manic?
You’ll know voles by the shallow snake-like tunnels that you’ll see all over your lawn. The tunnels are about two inches wide and very near the surface so they can eat their favorite food, grass stems and blades. Voles are especially manic in the early springtime.
How to keep voles away from trees?
Avoid putting dense mulch too close to trees and shrubs. Keep snow cleared from the base of trees and shrubs. Protect young trees by wrapping the lower trunk with a guard. Bird feeders are another attraction for voles and should either be removed or the ground kept very clean to keep vole numbers down.
Why are voles so hard to detect?
Woodland vole damage is more difficult to detect because it occurs underground. Injured trees grow more slowly, look off-color, and generally appear sickly. Often by the time orchardists note weak, unhealthy trees, the damage to tree roots is already extensive.
How to tell if a vole is in the meadow?
The most easily identifiable sign of meadow voles is an extensive surface runway system with numerous burrow openings (see diagram). Voles keep these runways free of obstructions, and vegetation near well-traveled runways may be clipped close to the ground. Overhanging vegetation provides cover as they travel along runways. Such travel lanes, about 1½ inches wide, are reliable indicators of meadow vole activity. Woodland voles do not use surface runways, but rather build extensive systems of underground tunnels. As they build the tunnels, they push out dirt, producing small, conical piles of soil on the ground surface. These small, conical piles of soil are an indicator of woodland vole activity.
What repellents are good for voles?
Repellents. Repellents containing thiram (a fungicide) or capsaicin (the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot) are registered for vole control. Little data is available on the effectiveness of repellents to deter vole damage. Therefore, repellents should not be used as the sole method of vole control.
What are the signs that voles are using runways?
Bits of freshly cut vegetation and accumulations of vole droppings (brown or green in color and shaped like rice grains) in surface runways are positive evidence that the runways are being used. Vegetation, small roots, or mold in the paths indicate that voles no longer use them. Meadow voles may also build and use underground tunnels, and they will often use underground tunnels made by moles or woodland voles.
What are the four species of voles in Pennsylvania?
Left to right: Mole, vole, and shrew. Four species of voles occur in Pennsylvania: the meadow vole ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ), the woodland (or pine) vole ( Microtus pinetorum ), the red-backed vole ( Clethrionomys gapperi ), and the rock vole ( Microtus chrotorrhinus ).
What is the difference between a mole and a vole?
Voles are frequently mistaken for moles, shrews, and mice. Moles have greatly enlarged front feet, with prominent digging claws. Moles also have no external ears and very small eyes. Shrews are smaller than voles, and have long, pointed snouts and pointed front teeth, with their eyes and ears nearly hidden in their fur. Voles have rounded, blunt snouts, and their front teeth are chisel-shaped. Their eyes and ears are readily apparent. The distinction between voles and mice is less obvious. The best way to distinguish them is by tail length. Mice have long tails that extend nearly half their body length, whereas voles have short tails.
How to tell if a vole is a mouse or a shrew?
The distinction between voles and mice is less obvious. The best way to distinguish them is by tail length . Mice have long tails that extend nearly half their body length, whereas voles have short tails. Left to right: Mole, vole, and shrew.
When do voles mate?
Mate from March to November, during which time females have been known to become more aggressive, although not notably toward humans.
When are voles more prevalent?
Vole runways and tunnels are more prevalent and noticeable in the spring right after winter snow has melted.
How to tell if a mole is a vole?
Walk carefully around the entire length of your property, paying special attention to the ground. Even in daylight, you may want to use a flashlight to shine on the ground so you don’t trip over any runways. If you do see ground damage, you can identify that it’s a vole rather than a mole if there are surface runways or small tunnel entrances. On the other hand, moles will stay solely underground and create large mounds that run the length of the tunnels. Another indicator of voles will be the debris and droppings they leave along their runways or entrances to their tunnels.
How long do voles live?
Both male and female voles will stay with their mother and father for only a short period of time. Voles only live for about a year.
What pets repel voles?
Household Pets. Cats and dogs can serve as natural vole repellents because of their inherent predatory nature. A cat may also bring the voles directly to you, which can actually help you see how many they’ve taken care of, and you’ll notice as the population begins to thin out.
How to get rid of voles?
Once you know you have voles, you can create a long-term strategy to eradicate them using any combination of physical barriers, repellent, poisons, bait and traps. But don’t skip the previous steps – you don’t want to waste money on products unsuitable for vole control. Understanding what you’re dealing with can also help you decide whether you need a wildlife expert who can implement an integrated pest management system.
Where to place a vole trap?
Place the trap strategically where it will receive a lot of traffic. Since vole runways are open-faced, you can peer inside them to see which areas look well-used. These areas will likely be slightly deeper or wider, and there will be more vole droppings.
What is typical vole behaviour?
Voles do not hibernate. They are active throughout the entire year, both day and night.
What do voles eat?
As they are herbivores, A vole’s diet consists mainly of plants. Some of their favorite foods include, but are not limited to: 1 Grasses 2 Herbaceous plants 3 Roots 4 Seeds 5 Seedlings 6 Bulbs 7 Alfalfa 8 bark
Where do they come from, and where do they live?
Voles can be found exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. They inhabit parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Of the 143 species of voles, only 23 of them can be found in the United States.
How do I prevent voles?
Voles like to be in your backyard. Keeping them out is best, but we also have some tips to get rid of them.
How do voles protect themselves?
In these tunnels, the nest, protect themselves and each other, store and eat food, and live out their lives. These tunnels are extensive and are usually connected by runways. Additionally, voles may even take over tubes that have been evacuated by other burrowing animals.
How many feet can a vole swim?
Several species of voles are excellent swimmers. The European Water Vole is capable of swimming up to 50 feet underwater. Voles share the same taxonomic family, Cricetidae, as hamsters. A few of the North American species of voles actually live in trees. The Red Tree Vole are excellent climbers.
What is the difference between a mouse and a vole?
Voles are small mammals. They are part of the rodent family. While they look very similar to field mice or common house mice, there is one main difference between mice and voles. Voles rarely, if ever venture indoors. They live their whole lives outside, much of it underground.
Where can voles be found?
Voles belong to the rodent family and can be found throughout North America.
How deep do you see voles?
The very first noticeable sign of a vole invasion is above-ground runways, tunnels, and golf-ball-sized entry holes that are dug down to a depth of about 12 inches.
How Effective is Plunger Style Mole Trap?
Catching a mole in a live trap is one of the most effective ways to control the mole population in your garden.
How to get rid of moles in a tunnel?
Just put the used coffee grounds on the tunnel and cover it with mud. The scent will irritate these varmints in the infested area and they will move out of their tunnels very fast. This natural home remedy will not just help in eliminating moles and voles but also serve as a natural fertilizer to your soil.
What to spread to kill moles and voles?
You just need to spread vole poison pellets or the baits in your back garden to allure the moles and voles.
Why are moles attracted to my lawn?
If there are a lot of lawn pests at your place, then moles get attracted to it quickly.
How big are voles?
An adult vole is around 5 to 8 inches in length and it has a short furry tail. They have a short and stout body with tiny legs, small black eyes, and well-developed ears which are only half visible. Voles and moles also have very poor eyesight and they usually stay underground in their tunnels.
What does a vole look like?
A Vole Looks Like a Mouse. Voles are nocturnal and timid, so there’s not much chance that gardeners will see them while weeding on a sunny spring morning. And even if they do, the vole might easily be mistaken for a mouse; they’re both rodents, with a similar shape and coloring.
How big are voles?
In fact, voles are tiny in general; woodland voles, the smallest species, are less than 4 inches long and weigh no more than 1 ounce—about the same as five grapes. They have soft, thick, dense fur and eyes that could be described as “bright.” (Although exasperated gardeners might use the term “beady” instead!)
What do moles eat?
Moles Eat Earthworms, Beetles, and Grubs. Moles are insectivores, and voracious ones at that. They can consume up to 100 percent of their own body weight every day, totaling an average of 50 pounds of earthworms, grubs, and beetle larvae annually.
How to make a potato snoot?
Take the biggest potato you can find and fashion one end into a sharply tapered snoot. Add two large flippers, one on either side of the potato’s girth and each equipped with long, sharp, scary-looking claws. Put a pair of smaller limbs at the other end, almost as an afterthought. Cover it with velvety brown fur.
How deep do moles live?
Moles’ subsoil living spaces are generally 8 to 12 inches deep, with one exception. When a mole is actively searching for a mate, it will tunnel just beneath the surface, enabling it to pop up at intervals and scan the surroundings for potential partners. A solo mole’s territory can comprise more than 2 ½ acres.
How many yards can a mole dig?
Averaging a mere 7 inches long, moles are incredible diggers. In just one day, a mole is capable of digging more than 200 yard s, and in so doing, displacing an astonishing 540 times its own body weight in soil.
Do voles live in low vegetation?
Voles Like to Live in Low Vegetation. When it comes to unwelcome visitors, voles are arguably among the cuter nuisances. Much like their country-mouse cousins, they have something of a Beatrix Potter vibe, and their garden-ravaging antics would give Peter Rabbit a run for his money.
What do voles eat?
The primary diet of voles is roots and vegetation. Moles dig underground, but their main diet is carnivorous. They love to eat slugs, earthworms and other bugs.
Why are voles so prolific?
Voles are very prolific and because of their sheer numbers, they adapt quickly . This means that some methods may be effective initially, but cease to be effective later. You may need to use a combination of multiple methods to be completely effective against voles. 1.
How to get rid of voles eating flowers?
Plant Flowers That Repel Voles. If you have a vole problem with eating flower bulbs, then consider replacing your flowers with those that repel voles. Certain bulbs have a strong odor and are offensive to voles. The most effective method is to plant entirely flowers that repel voles.
What is the difference between a mole and a vole?
Moles have large feet for digging. They also appear to have no eyes or ears. Voles have small ears and visible eyes with a short tail. Voles look like a mouse and are often called field mice. You can also tell the difference between a mole and a vole with the damage done to your yard.
How do you know if a mole is a vole?
One of the best ways to know if the tunnels are caused by voles or moles is to look for little mounds of dirt. These mounds will look like little volcanoes and are traps that moles make to trap their food.
How high do you put a tree guard to keep voles away?
Voles don’t climb well so 6 inches high will keep them from the bark of trees. Tree bark is a favorite snack of voles. You can also use Iron tree guards. They are usually 4-6 inches wide and are buried underground to keep voles away from tree roots and bark.
Why are voles so hard to contain?
And, voles are hard to contain because they spend a lot of their time underground.
What Do Voles Look Like?
Voles are little creatures with short tails and small snouts. They have a stocky body that is rounded and shaped sort of like a potato. Voles have short hair that is typically a color between brown and black with a darker belly.
How to tell if a vole is a critter?
They also have sharp teeth that let them chew on vegetation and bark. If you get a good look at this critter, take a look at its ears. Voles have small, rounded ears that can easily be hidden by their fur, along with smaller eyes. Typically, you’ll find vole tunnels right near the surface of the yard. 1.
How to tell a mole from a vole?
Once you get a good look at your creature in question, telling voles and moles apart is easy. Voles are stocky, small rodents that look similar to field mice. At first glance, you might think that you have field mice instead of voles. Moles have tiny eyes and ears, a long nose, and big front feet. Don’t forget that voles have a mainly vegetarian diet while moles eat insects and worms.
How to keep voles away from my house?
The first step if you want to deter voles is to try to make your yard and garden so inhospitable that they have no desire to spend time there. Here are some tips: 1 Cut back any brush, keep weeds at bay, and mow frequently. Voles like dense, heavy vegetative because it protects these creatures from predators 2 Make sure that you remove woodpiles and any hiding places that voles might like near your garden and trees 3 Cut your lawn frequently and trim bushes regularly. You don’t want to give voles any places to hide 4 Keep snow away from the base of trees and shrubs, and make sure you protect young trees by wrapping the lower trunk with a guard. Voles love to take a nibble on tender trees
What is the difference between a mouse and a vole?
If you see a critter running around in your house, it’s more likely to be a mouse. Voles eat plant life, so they tend to stick outside, while mice will eat anything, so they don’t mind hanging out inside your house where there’s plenty of food. 2.
How to get rid of voles in the garden?
Place traps at the base of trees and shrubs. Try setting baits in the midday to early evening because that’s the time when voles get more active. Try baiting the traps with peanut butter. You can reset the traps as often as you like until the vole population is gone. The key to making this work is persistence.
How big do voles get?
Even though these little critters only grow to be 5-7-inches long, they can cause massive destruction to your yard and garden, so figuring out how to deter voles is paramount.
Description of The Vole
Interesting Facts About The Vole
Habitat of The Vole
Distribution of The Vole
Diet of The Vole
Vole and Human Interaction
Vole Care
Behavior of The Vole
- With 155 different species, behavior varies dramatically. Some species are diurnal and active during the day, and others are nocturnal and only active at night. Many species are social, and live in groups, while others are solitary or even territorial. Many vole colonies can grow to be very large, as vole families can produce many offspring per yea...
Reproduction of The Vole
General Biology
- The meadow vole is most often found in extensive grassy or weedy areas such as old fields and moist hillsides with heavy ground cover. However, stream and pond banks, orchards, pastures, hay fields, and fence rows also provide suitable habitat for meadow and woodland voles. Meadow voles occasionally invade lawns, gardens, and nurseries. Woodland vo...
Description of Damage
Legal Status
Damage Control
Acknowledgments