Vole

Get To Know Voles

Characteristics

• A vole is mouselike and has a similar appearance to pocket gophers
• The voles body is compact and heavy with short legs, a short-furred tail, small eyes, and partially hidden ears
• Voles have black/breen to gray/brown fur which is long and coarse.
• Adults are 5-8 inches long including the tail
• regularly go through cycles of low to high numbers with occasional sudden increases that can send numbers soaring up to several thousand per acre
• The two vole species that cause the most damage:
  • California Vole
  • Montane Vole

Identifying Vole Mounds

The clearest signs of voles being present are the well-traveled, aboveground runways that connect burrow openings. You can occasionally see a vole scurrying about above ground, but they prefer to spend most of their time underground in their burrow system. A protective layer of grass or other ground cover usually hides the runways. The maze of runways leads to multiple burrow openings that are each about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. You can locate the runways by pulling back overhanging ground cover. Fresh clippings of green grass and greenish-colored droppings about 3/16 inch long in the runways and near the burrows are further evidence of voles.

Behavior

• Voles are active day and night, year-round
• Normally found in areas with dense vegetation
• Voles dig many short, shallow burrows and make underground nests of grass, stems, and leaves
• The vole can also survive in snow and will burrow through snow without problem
• Several adults and young can occupy a burrow system
• Voles are poor climbers
• Voles can breed any time of year, but the peak breeding period is spring
• have 5 to 10 litters per year and each litter ranges from 3 to 6 young
• voles seldom live longer than 12 months
• Common foods include:
  • artichoke
  • beet
  • brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • carrot
  • cauliflower
  • Pcelery
  • celery
  • lettuce
  • spinach
  • sweet potato
  • tomato
  • turnip
  • can damage turf and other landscape plantings
  • Voles will gnaw the bark of fruit trees including almond, apple, avocado, cherry, citrus, and olive

Removal

We carry several products to help you remove voles from your lawn, garden, field, golf course, or anywhere they are pestering you.

Homeowner Vole Baits

• We currently have no homeowner baits for voles

Professional Vole Baits

• Wilco Zinc Ag Bait

Vole Bait Applicators

• Wilco Probe ‘N Funnel

Additional Info On Voles

If you would like to get additional information on voles, click the link below and get some great info provided by UC Davis.
Get More Info On Voles