Vole Control: How To Get Rid of Voles

This page is a general Vole control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Voles. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Voles. Consult your local and state guidelines to see if Voles are a protected species in your location before applying control.

If you own a garden, there can be a lot to worry about other than the elements and weather. Aside from insects that like to feed on your plants, there are issues like Voles which can do a lot of damage to your vegetation.

While Voles have a similar sounding name to Moles, there is very little in common between Voles and Moles other than the fact that they like to tear up yards and eat everything in sight. Moles seem to be better known than Voles but Voles can create substantially more damage than the pest they are often confused with.

Voles are incredibly destructive to farms, gardens, and lawns. They can eat and damage plants, crops, and vegetables, even flower beds. They can also gnaw the bark of young trees. They also destroy root systems in both trees and plants, which in the winter, goes unnoticed until the trees are dead.

If you have a Vole problem in your yard, our DIY Vole treatment guide below will show you how to get rid of Voles. At Solutions Pest and Lawn, we have all the high-quality products you may need in order to get rid of Voles easily and at an affordable price.

Identification

Before you can carry out a treatment approach, you need to first properly identify your pest as a Vole. Voles are similar to rodents like mice and rats, but they have unique characteristics that can distinguish them from other pests. Below you can find the characteristics that set Voles apart.

• Voles also called “meadow mice” are small mammals usually 5 to 8 inches long. They have tails, small eyes, and a heavy body.
• They usually have a fur that is blackish brown to greyish brown.
• To differentiate Voles from Moles, Moles have prominent, large front teeth and black eyes. On the other hand, Voles have small eyes, shorter tail, and longer fur in comparison.
• The best sign of identification is the runways Voles create above ground. They compact dense vegetation and connect to their underground burrows. Moles usually spend their time below ground.
• Vole droppings are small and usually green in color.

Use the image and description above to aid you in identifying Voles on your property. If you are unsure, contact us and one of our experts will assist you with correct identification.

Inspection 

After you have confirmed that Voles are the pest you are dealing with, you should carry out an inspection to pinpoint the areas where Voles are frequenting and most active. This will help determine where you should focus your treatment methods. 

Where To Inspect

Voles can be found in a variety of habitats in meadows, woody areas, along lakes, gardens, grassy fields, in crops, and in lawns and backyards.

Voles like all living things need food and shelter to survive. Dense vegetation in overgrown lawns and gardens can provide them with lots of food (they are mainly herbivorous) and shelter since tall grasses are perfect for them to create surface runways where they can hide.

Search in your yard and lawn, near gardens, flower beds, crops, vegetables, fields, and where vegetation is dense and the grass is tall. 

What To Look For

You're looking for evidence of Vole activity or damage. The most common sign on Vole activity is the surface runways they create on grass and turf, which leads to the burrow openings.

Voles, like moles, do have a tunnel system, although not as deep. These shallow surface tunnels, or “runways” have the appearance of trails of dead grass about 1-2 inches wide, or ditches of bare soil about 1/2 inch deep. They are a result of voles consuming blades and stems of grass, as well as numerous traveling back and forth over the same path.

Another notable evidence of their activity are their droppings which are about 3/16 inch long and are green in color. Once you have confirmed Vole activity it is time to begin treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Vole activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To get rid of active Voles on your property, we recommend using outdoor the Solutions Humane Live Trap. This trap is a great non-lethal method that has been proven to be extremely successful in catching Voles. 

Step 1 - Remove Food Sources and Bait the Trap

Before setting the trap, you will first want to eliminate competing food sources in order to bait the live trap and lure the Vole with the food you place in the trap. Remove any debris from your lawn, such as birdseed. You can also mow your grass short and remove weeds as much as possible so hungry Voles don't have food options and will seek out the bait.

After competing food sources have been cleared, place the trap strategically in an area you have noticed the Vole frequenting. Bait the trap with peanut butter or a fruit paste. This sticky food will make sure that Voles cannot take the bait and run away without being caught. The bait should be placed near the back of the trap so the Vole will have to crawl over the trigger plate in order to reach the food.

Step 2 - Set the Trap

You will then set your trap by pushing on the door lock and lifting the door plate. Keep the door plate lifted while pulling the trigger arm forward to set it. You will know it is set when the trigger arm's hook catches the door.

Monitor the set trap frequently, at least twice a day, preferably once in the morning and once in the evening. This is when you will refill bait if necessary.

Once you have captured a vole in your live trap, check your local authorities to make sure you are correctly relocating the animal. Typically you should travel 5 miles or more from your home and then release the animal into the wild or woodsy area. Carefully open the trap and release the animal. 

Prevention

After you have removed invading Voles from your property, you need to implement preventative measures to make sure they don't come back. To make your yard less appealing to voles, you need to engage in routine lawn maintenance.

This means removing weeds and heavy underbrush as quickly as you can. The extra plant life which comes with overgrown areas encourages voles to target your lawn so do what you can to get rid of that excess vegetation.

• Mow your grass regularly to keep it short and well-trimmed to prevent Voles from building runways.
• Build fences to protect your trees, crops, gardens, and vegetables. These fences should be at least 12 inches high with fine wire mesh and dug deep underground at least 6 to 10 inches, to prevent Voles from digging underneath.
• You can also protect trees from Vole damage by wrapping them around hardware cloth, or metal meshing, making sure they are far away from the trunk (to prevent Voles from pressing against) and deep enough underground to prevent Voles from digging underneath.
• Use Mole & Vole Stopper Granular Repellent to create a protective barrier around the vulnerable areas of your property. This is an effective granular repellent that will scare away Voles from the area with its strong smell and terrible taste.

Key Takeaways

What Are Voles?

• Voles are tiny, sturdy rodents with tiny rounded ears that are often hidden by a thick fur. They have a short tail and small eyes making them very similar to mice. The color of their fur usually ranges from light brown to gray.
• Voles are known for damaging outdoor spaces by nibbling plants and causing turf damage.

How To Get Rid of Voles In Your Yard

• The best method of getting rid of Voles is to use a Solutions Humane Live Trap. Clear away competing food sources from your yard, bait the trap and set it up strategically in an active area where you have seen Voles.
• Monitor the trap carefully and once caught, relocate the Vole away from your home.

Preventing Vole Reinfestation

• Complete control is not finished until you modify your environment to make it less suitable for Voles. Building fences around gardens, crops, and vegetables will bring lasting results.
• Use Mole & Vole Stopper Granular Repellent repellent to create a protective barrier around your yard to keep Voles away from your property.