Vole Facts

VOLE FACTS

Appearance:

Voles are small rodents, 5 to 8 inches in length, brown to gray in color.  They look similar to a mouse, with small eyes, a shorter tail, and a stout, compact body.  They have a rounded snout, and round furry ears.

Diet:

Voles have a vegetarian diet which consists of plant crown/roots, seeds, tubers, fruit, tree needles, bark, and various green vegetation such as grass and clover. They also love to nibble on tasty bulbs.  Voles prefer not to feed in the open, they eat what they find during their tunneling.  Vole colonies feed 24 hours a day, and rest between feedings.

Habitat:

Voles are found in wet and dry areas of the U.S. (and almost every other country), and prefer to live in fields or under dense grass cover. They love fresh garden beds, new landscaping where soil and mulch are loose, woodland beds, and tilled garden soil.  They build their nests in the top 12" of subsoil.  The easier it is to dig, the easier it is for voles to maneuver through your landscape.  They will also utilize existing mole tunnels for easy access to your tasty plants.  Spring and Fall are generally the best times of year to locate vole tunnels and tracks.

Reproduction Cycle:

Voles generally have 5 to 10 litters per year, and each litter contains 3-6 babies on average.  They can breed year round, but their peak reproductive season is Spring.  Females reach maturity in 35-40 days, and the cycle starts all over again.  

Health Risks:

Voles can carry the same insects and diseases as any other rodent, including rabies.  The most common pests hitching a ride on voles are ticks, fleas, mites, and lice.  Vole activity in your yard can contribute to these pests infesting your pets, home, or business.  

Impact:

Voles can be very destructive.  They attack the plant by eating the root system and crown (the base of the plant, where the stem stops and the roots start) directly under the plant, or just below the surface in the top 1-3" of soil or mulch.  You will likely not realize you have a vole problem until the plant falls over and the damage is exposed. They will also gnaw the bark off the base of young trees, especially under snow cover, which causes girdling. Voles will wipe out landscapes, garden beds, and crops, without you knowing you have a problem until it’s too late.  Voles do not hibernate, so year round protection is crucial, and given their rate of reproduction, damage can add up quickly.