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Voles control

Voles are small mice like rodents that range up to7.6 to 22.9 cm depending on the species. There are different species of voles such as the common vole, European water vole and short-tailed field vole.

Voles are relatives of lemmings and hamsters except that they have a stouter body, shorter hairy tail, slightly rounder head, smaller eyes and ears and differently formed molars. Voles molars are often high-crowned with angular cusps not low crowned with rounded cusps.

Voles are also known as meadow mice or field mice in North America but they are different from mice.

Female voles can have up to five to ten litters per year. Voles’ gestation period lasts for about three weeks and the young voles can reach sexual maturity within a month.

Because of this biological make-up, voles can multiply very quickly in a short period of time as they have a high breed rate.

This article is going to discuss voles as pests, ways to control them, their habits, detection, damages caused by voles and how to remove voles from your place humanely.

Voles are attracted to areas with lots of vegetation for food and shelter. Make sure to mow your lawn, remove weeds regularly, get rid of ground covers like brush and low lying bushes. Keep your place neat and clean to deter voles from seeking shelter in your yard.

Remove woodpiles and hiding places for voles from near your garden, shrubs, and trees.

Avoid putting dense mulch too close to trees and shrubs as this will make it a perfect spot for voles to make their shelter there.

Voles like eating tree roots and gnawing at tree bark so protect young trees by wrapping the lower trunk with a guard. This will keep the voles away and of course, protect your trees from voles damage.

Bird feeders are another factor that calls voles into your place so make sure to keep the place clean or remove them in areas where voles can easily access them in order to keep voles away from your home.

Voles also feed on dead meat so bury dead livestock or take care of dead animals that died in your yard so that they won’t attract voles.

Like mice, voles also feed on nuts and fruits so make sure you don’t leave any of these lying around because this will invite voles into your place.

Habit of Voles

Voles girdle small trees and ground cover resulting in the death of most of these young trees and shrubs.

Voles like to gnaw at the roots of trees and in the garden they can cause holes in carrots or any other root plants or tubers.

Voles dig shallow snake-like tunnels in the ground especially on your lawn as they will be digging for food and chew on grass stems.

Voles usually like to live in dense grassy fields, gardens, meadows, woodlands, along lakes and rivers and in agricultural areas. 

Voles make their nests in underground burrows around tree roots, ground cover and beneath fruit trees.

Voles rarely enter the house as they prefer outdoor conditions the most and don’t do well indoors. Since their diet is mainly planted materials they don’t usually bother coming inside and if they do, they won’t even settle in.

How to detect voles in your home 

The presence of voles can be evidenced by shallow tunnels that they dig on lawns. Voles are often mistaken with moles because of this digging but they are really different.

Voles create shallow burrows while looking for food whilst moles usually dig deeper and leave a heap of soil on the area they dig.

Voles also eat flower bulbs as they are near the surface so if you find some disturbing flower bulbs in your yard then know that you might have a voles problem.

Voles also feed on root plants so they leave visible damage. They leave holes in carrots, potatoes or any tubers so these can also tell you if you have voles in your yard.

Voles can feed during the day so you can also see them physically sometimes. If you happen to see them then be ready to deal with them before they become a pandemic.

Damages caused by voles

Voles damage lawns by burrowing in lawns looking for food.

They also destroy crops like celery and parsley as their diet mainly consists of plants.

Voles also cause the death of young trees and shrubs by gnawing at their trunks.

Voles are a prime food source for predators like snakes so having them in your home might put you at risk of attracting snakes into your home. 

Though it’s very rare, voles can bite people and cause diseases like tularemia. They can also spread rabies but in rare cases. Voles don’t necessarily need to bite people in order to give them tularemia or other diseases.

Eating contaminated food can put you at risk of contracting these diseases so refrain from eating food that voles have come across. If possible throw away damaged carrots or any other affected plants instead of eating the remaining part.

Removal of Voles

Traps can help in reducing the vole population but unfortunately, they cannot eradicate them completely. Use bait traps with peanut butter as this will attract voles from a far distance and make sure not to put traps where children and pets can reach. If you catch the voles, it is better to relocate them than to kill them.

Voles are turned off by pee so use predator urine repellents to chase voles away. These repellents are most effective after it rains so make sure you apply them everytime it rains.

Some people suggest that peeing in your yard may also help in chasing voles away but that is all hearsay and it’s not a proven theory.

Surround bulbs with gravel to stop voles from nibbling at the bulbs and before planting the bulbs, dip them in fungicides to keep voles from eating them.

Protect your plants by fencing the area with about half inch of mesh at least 22 inches above the ground and buried 6 to 10 inches deep. 

This will prevent voles from burrowing under the fence and since they are not good climbers, they won’t climb over the mesh.

Have an outdoor cat or dog that will keep voles away from your place and make sure you have a ratter of a dog in order to scare the voles away.

The most effective way to deal with voles is to involve pest control services so that they deal with the matter professionally.

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    Topline Pest

    21 panamount st NE, T3k0H2
    Phone: 4038133666

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    Topline Pest

    385 Taralake Terrace NE Calgary, T3J0A1
    Phone: 4038133666

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    Topline Pest

    Calgary Phone: 4038133666

    Contact Us
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