If you think voles are like moles, you are not alone. But the truth is, voles are rodents and have much more in common with mice. In fact, voles are also called field mice, or meadow mice. They measure around 4-7 inches in length, weigh about an ounce, and have a stocky, rounded body. Their ears are tiny, their eyes are tiny, and they have a blunt nose. Being rodents, voles have a set of incisors that never stop growing. Because of this, they never stop chewing on things. They have a need to constantly wear down those ever-growing teeth. But this is only the beginning of the problems these little creatures can cause. Not only are they a vector for spreading diseases, through their droppings and by introducing disease-carrying parasites such as lice, mites, fleas and ticks, they can also cause significant damage to property if left unchecked.

When voles come and take up residence on a property, they don't only do damage to lawns and open grassy areas, they will burrow underneath everything from colorful flowering plants to vegetable in your garden. Voles can cause bushes to suffer ugly brown patches, and flowers will die if voles continue to chew on their roots or bulbs. This can be very frustrating to gardeners who have put hard-earned money, time and energy into making their property look beautiful. If you are seeing any of these signs of vole activity, it is best to seek professional help before the damages become severe.

As mentioned, these little rodents never stop chewing, and one of their favorites things to chew on is wood. They especially love the bark and wood around the base of trees. If voles have invaded your property, it probably won't be long before you start noticing this kind of damage on the base of your trees. Voles can do significant damage as they remove bark. This injury, called girdling, can stop the flow of water and nutrients from going from the root system to the rest of the tree. So this chewing not only causes a tree to look damaged and worn, but it can actually kill it.

How To Get Rid Of Lawn Destroying Voles In Northern Colorado

There are a number of steps a home or business owner can take to minimize the effects voles are having on their property. And these efforts may cause these little property destroyers to pack up and leave. But, they are resourceful little creatures that can be difficult to eradicate. Here are a few suggestions on how to discourage voles:

If you're struggling with voles and you'd like them taken care of completely, and efficiently, reach out to the professionals here at . We have the proper tools and experience to save your property from these destructive pests. In most cases, we can be at your service on the same day or the very next day. And we guarantee complete satisfaction. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.

‟The people at are responsive to our needs and keep working the problem until it is fixed. We used to have a big mouse problem, but not any more!”As the deep snows in our yards or on our properties recede, you may be greeted by one or more pathways in the snow (see photo). If you’re lucky, these paths only run from one burrow opening to another. Unfortunately, some of the trails probably lead to some of your favorite trees and the damage caused by the animals girdling (gnawing the bark off all the way around the plant) the tree will kill it.

Meadow Vole Identification, Habits & Behavior

Also known as meadow mice, these small, stocky short-tailed rodents can cause severe damage in landscape, orchard, windbreak or timber plantings. They measure from 4 to 8.5 inches long and vary in color from brown to gray. They are pudgy, with blunt faces and small eyes, small and sometimes inconspicuous ears, short legs, and a short and scantily haired tail (the long-tailed vole is an exception).

Voles are active day and night throughout the year. They usually live 2 to 16 months. Voles construct many surface runways and underground tunnels with many burrow entrances.

Voles are extremely prolific, having three to six young per litter and three to 12 litters per year. Females may become pregnant at three weeks of age and voles breed almost year round. Large population fluctuations ranging from 14 to 500 voles per acre are common.

Do Voles Dig Your Landscape?

Most vole damage occurs in the winter when voles move through their grass runways under protection of snow or where there are thick, tall grasses and weeds. Heaviest vole damage seems to coincide with years of heavy snowfall.

Vole damage to trees and shrubs is characterized by girdling and patches of irregular gnaw marks about 1/16 to 1/8-inch wide. Gnawed stems have a pointed tip. Do not confuse vole damage with damage by rabbits, which includes stems clipped at a smooth 45-degree angle and wider gnaw marks. Stems browsed by deer usually have a rough jagged edge. Voles also girdle the roots of trees and shrubs.

Other signs of voles being present include: 1) 1- to 2-inch wide runways through matted grass and burrows; 2) visual sightings; 3) hawks circling overhead and diving into fields; and 4) spongy soil from burrowing activity. Trees that appear to be suffer from disease or insect infestation may be suffering from unseen vole damage.

Catalogue Of Organisms: Voley, Voley, Voley

Methods to prevent and control vole damage are habitat management, exclusion, repellents, trapping and poison baits. Voles are non-game animals in Colorado and may be captured or killed when they create a nuisance or damage property.

Elimination of ground cover including weeds and tall grasses by frequent close mowing, tilling or herbicide application is the most successful and longest lasting method to reduce vole damage.

To protect trees and shrubs from vole damage, encircle them with 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth or 3-inch diameter (young trees) Vexar plastic mesh cylinders. This barrier should project 18 inches above the ground and 3 to 6 inches below the surface.

Man Poisoned After Fighting Voles With Acid

Little data are available on effectiveness of repellents to deter vole damage. There are a variety of commercial repellents labeled for protecting tree seedlings, shrubs, ornamental plantings, nursery stock, and fruit trees from voles. Check with nursery supply stores

Capsaicin (Hot Sauce Animal Repellent, Miller Chemical and Fertilizer Corp.) is labeled to protect various woody plantings from voles. The following home made repellent has also proven to be quite effective in keeping most animals away from given areas and plants. It must be reapplied after three to five days.

Boil ingredients for 20 minutes in two quarts of water. Let the solution cool and then strain through cheesecloth. You can apply this with a tank-type sprayer or a spray bottle.

Watercolor Meadow Vole 05, Estes Park, Colorado Art Print By Carlson Imagery Nature And Landscape Pho

Another home made repellent that has been shown to be effective in reducing deer and elk browsing and may reduce vole damage.

A spray of 20% whole eggs and 80% water is effective, but to keep the sprayer from clogging, remove the chalaza or white membrane attached to the yolk before mixing the eggs. The egg mixture is weather resistant but must be reapplied in about 30 days.

Use mouse snap traps to remove small populations of voles from lawns. Place traps perpendicular to runways with the trigger mechanism in the runway and bait the trap with small amounts of peanut butter or a mixture of peanut butter and rolled oats. Set traps in the fall before most damage occurs.

The Secret Life Of Central Montana's Most Common Prey Species

Rodenticides are a short-term solution to damage by voles. Habitat management usually is more successful than rodenticides for eliminating damage, particularly in orchards. Two percent zinc phosphide is the only legal grain bait in Colorado. It is a restricted use pesticide, so only certified applicators can use this material.

Another toxic bait, Kaput©, has been labeled for vole control in placement packets. In this product, the active ingredient, Warfarin, is metabolized in about 42 hours according to the manufacturer, meaning the vole may not even be dead yet before the chemical is out of its system. This means a very small chance of secondary poisoning of non-target species that might eat voles killed by this product. This product is not a restricted use pesticide.

Article modified from information in “Managing voles in Colorado”, W.F. Andelt and S. Ahmed, Colorado State University Extension, Fort Collins, CO. Fact Sheet No. 6.507An increase in rodent infestations for Cheyenne Mountain home and business owners has come to a head this summer — particularly in the form of voles. “It’s been a gradual increase over the past year, little more than a year, maybe, but we are definitely getting more calls for them, ” said Tyler Gehauf, co-owner of Integrated Pest Management, which provides commercial pest-control services for businesses in the Cheyenne area, including Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Ivywild School and Texas Roadhouse on 8th Street. Wildfires in the Pikes Peak region might have something to do with the increase, having driven away natural predators of the vole, said Colorado Master Gardner and Colorado State Extension

How To Get Rid Of Voles In Colorado — Whitmore Pest & Wildlife Control Services │ Denver Colorado

An increase in rodent infestations for Cheyenne Mountain home and business owners has come to a head this summer — particularly in the form of voles.

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