The following are among the other favorite feeds you should include in your vole’s diet:
- Seeds and grains: grains and seeds remain natural vole favorites whether they are attached to plants or harvested and...
- Vegetables: in the wild, voles will often raid moist gardens with plenty of vegetable cover. Some of the best vegetables...
What do bulbs do voles not eat?
Voles don’t eat all types of flower bulbs. Bulbs they avoid include daffodils and fritillaria. They also rarely bother alliums, camassia, chionodoxa, muscari and snowdrops. Natural Barriers. Planting bulbs beside a walkway, against the house, between the sidewalk and road, or inside a planter makes them less accessible to burrowing voles.
How to prevent or stop voles from eating your plants?
Try the following to prevent voles from sneaking in:
- Maintain your lawn.
- Till it frequently.
- Get a cat.
- Install a wire mesh fence.
- Place a perimeter around your plants.
What type of plants do voles eat?
What Plants Will Voles Not Eat?
- Daffodils. Voles don't like daffodils. ...
- Ornamental Onions. Nearly any plant included in the onion family will work to effectively deter voles from eating your plants.
- Mountain Mint. ...
- Sweet Goldenrod. ...
- Grape Hyacinth. ...
- Crown Vetch. ...
Do voles eat grubs?
Voles tunnel for their food but they do not eat the strict diet of grubs and worms that moles do. Voles like to eat the roots of plants. This is the reason why they tend to create problems around a yard. Vole tracks are not always obvious unless you are walking through the grass, but any dead plants will be a sure sign.
What are voles favorite food?
grassVole Diet. Primarily herbivorous, voles commonly feed on grass, as well as the seeds, roots, stems and leaves of plants. On rare occasions voles will eat insects and snails, but they certainly have a strong preference for vegetation.
Do voles like peanut butter?
The best bait for voles includes bread and butter, small nuts, cherry pits, oatmeal, sunflower or similar seeds, mixed peanut butter and oatmeal or gumdrops.
How do you take care of a wild vole?
Voles make reliable pets and taking care of them is considered relatively simple. Fill your vole's cage with soft material for bedding. Because the bedding must be washed or changed often in order for your vole to be healthy, the bedding that you choose should either be washable or disposable.
Can voles eat mouse food?
Voles, also known as meadow mice, are herbivores that feed on grasses, tree bark, roots, tubers, and vegetable crops. The rodents generally prefer to live in moist areas with plenty of grass and groundcover where they can scavenge for food without being spotted by predators.
Do voles eat cheese?
They will eat cheese if they come across it, but typically they will only do so if they are hungry enough and no preferable food source is available.
Do voles eat carrots?
Remember: It's the voles who are plant eaters. If you have partially eaten carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables in your garden, you probably have a vole problem. According to one reader, “They dig under my carrots, pulling them down, and eating them.
Can I keep a wild vole as a pet?
While keeping voles as pets may not be detrimental to the population for some species, it is inadvisable. These rodents are wild animals, and do not become accustomed to living in human care like domesticated animals are.
How long can a vole live without food?
2-4 daysMice fall in at the low end of the scale Most mice can only last 2-4 days without food, however interestingly enough, they can last quite a while without water as they can usually get enough moisture from the food they consume.
Do voles carry disease?
Voles can bite, and they can carry many diseases including tularemia and rabies.
Do voles eat apples?
1:593:21Essential Step in Vole Control - The Apple Sign Test - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe areas where the apples are eaten are considered where a vole colony is and this would be awareMoreThe areas where the apples are eaten are considered where a vole colony is and this would be aware you to group your VOC control bait stations in groups of three to control that vole colony.
Do voles eat celery?
Voles eat plant roots, tree and shrub bark, and all sorts of bulbs, including garlic. They also eat seeds, flowers, grasses, and tubers. Celery, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, turnips and sweet potatoes are just a few of the garden plants enjoyed my voles.
What time of day are voles most active?
Voles are active day and night, year-round, with peak activity occurring at dawn and dusk. They do not hibernate. Their home range is usually ¼ acre or less, but this range varies with season, population density, habitat, and food supply.
Are moles attracted to peanut butter?
Bait the trap with a strong-smelling lure such as peanut butter. While the mole won't eat the peanut butter, it'll sense its presence and is attracted to the fragrance.
What will get rid of voles?
How to Get Rid of Voles: 5 Effective WaysRemove vegetation. Voles don't like to feed out in the open. ... Protect young trees. Voles love to gnaw on the trunks of young trees. ... Use live traps. ... Use natural repellants. ... Contact a professional pest management company. ... Vole Poisons. ... Repellents. ... Traps.More items...•
Do voles infest houses?
Although they do not infest houses often or on purpose, they can sometimes be found indoors. One or two of them may find their way into your house by accident. Voles are not the kind of animals that sleep when it is dark, and therefore, they can be active whether it is day and at night.
Where do voles go in the winter?
During the winter, voles move about under the protection of snow cover and create unique surface runway systems with numerous burrow openings. Runways are 1 to 2 inches in width, and vegetation near well-traveled runways is often clipped near the ground.
What repellents are good for voles?
Repellents. Repellents containing thiram (a fungicide) or capsaicin (the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot) are registered for vole control. Little data is available on the effectiveness of repellents to deter vole damage. Therefore, repellents should not be used as the sole method of vole control.
How big are voles?
Voles are small, chunky, ground-dwelling rodents. Mature voles are 5 to 7 inches long and have stocky bodies, short legs, and short tails. Adults are chestnut-brown mixed with black, and their underparts are dark gray.
What are the signs that voles are using runways?
Bits of freshly cut vegetation and accumulations of vole droppings (brown or green in color and shaped like rice grains) in surface runways are positive evidence that the runways are being used. Vegetation, small roots, or mold in the paths indicate that voles no longer use them. Meadow voles may also build and use underground tunnels, and they will often use underground tunnels made by moles or woodland voles.
What are the four species of voles in Pennsylvania?
Left to right: Mole, vole, and shrew. Four species of voles occur in Pennsylvania: the meadow vole ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ), the woodland (or pine) vole ( Microtus pinetorum ), the red-backed vole ( Clethrionomys gapperi ), and the rock vole ( Microtus chrotorrhinus ).
How to tell if a vole is in the meadow?
The most easily identifiable sign of meadow voles is an extensive surface runway system with numerous burrow openings (see diagram). Voles keep these runways free of obstructions, and vegetation near well-traveled runways may be clipped close to the ground. Overhanging vegetation provides cover as they travel along runways. Such travel lanes, about 1½ inches wide, are reliable indicators of meadow vole activity. Woodland voles do not use surface runways, but rather build extensive systems of underground tunnels. As they build the tunnels, they push out dirt, producing small, conical piles of soil on the ground surface. These small, conical piles of soil are an indicator of woodland vole activity.
What is the difference between a mole and a vole?
Voles are frequently mistaken for moles, shrews, and mice. Moles have greatly enlarged front feet, with prominent digging claws. Moles also have no external ears and very small eyes. Shrews are smaller than voles, and have long, pointed snouts and pointed front teeth, with their eyes and ears nearly hidden in their fur. Voles have rounded, blunt snouts, and their front teeth are chisel-shaped. Their eyes and ears are readily apparent. The distinction between voles and mice is less obvious. The best way to distinguish them is by tail length. Mice have long tails that extend nearly half their body length, whereas voles have short tails.
How to tell if a vole is a mouse or a shrew?
The distinction between voles and mice is less obvious. The best way to distinguish them is by tail length . Mice have long tails that extend nearly half their body length, whereas voles have short tails. Left to right: Mole, vole, and shrew.
What to feed a vole?
A variety of fresh greens are the best choice for these rodents, rather than a diet aimed at domesticated mice. The occasional fruits, veggies, seeds, and insects make good treats. The exact care requirements vary species by species, some species are social and must live with other voles.
What do voles eat?
However, they are not strictly herbivores. They will also feed on carrion when they come across it, as well as seeds, nuts, and berries. Grasses and flowering plants make up a large portion of their diet.
Why is it important to reduce vole population?
A healthy population of voles maintains the predators without damaging the ecosystem. If the predators die off, the vole population shoots through the roof, and they kill much of the vegetation in an area.
What predators eat voles?
Wide Variety – Many different types predators will feed on voles, particularly birds of prey. Hawks, falcons, barn owls, pygmy owls, short-eared owls, gray owls, and many other owl species all hunt these little rodents. In addition to birds, voles also fall prey to coyotes, lynxes, bobcats, snakes, raccoons, and foxes.
How many different types of voles are there?
There are about 155 different species of voles, and many are important prey sources to a number of different predators. Read on to learn about the vole. Water Vole at breakfast. Cute tiny Vole peeking out from its den. Vole eating his favorite salad! Water vole photographed at the British Wildlife Centre.
Why do humans kill voles?
Humans and voles interact frequently, though humans do not realize it as much as the voles do. Because they are so small, these rodents go unnoticed most of the time. Humans kill or trap them for destroying crops, or getting into animal feed. Humans also threaten some species through habitat destruction.
What are the negatives of voles?
Downside to Voles – Because they prefer plants, high number of voles can be very destructive to an ecosystem. They will eat a strip of bark around small trees and plants, much like porcupines do. This damages trees and shrubs, and kills young plants entirely.
How to get rid of voles?
Once you know you have voles, you can create a long-term strategy to eradicate them using any combination of physical barriers, repellent, poisons, bait and traps. But don’t skip the previous steps – you don’t want to waste money on products unsuitable for vole control. Understanding what you’re dealing with can also help you decide whether you need a wildlife expert who can implement an integrated pest management system.
What pets repel voles?
Household Pets. Cats and dogs can serve as natural vole repellents because of their inherent predatory nature. A cat may also bring the voles directly to you, which can actually help you see how many they’ve taken care of, and you’ll notice as the population begins to thin out.
How to tell if a mole is a vole?
Walk carefully around the entire length of your property, paying special attention to the ground. Even in daylight, you may want to use a flashlight to shine on the ground so you don’t trip over any runways. If you do see ground damage, you can identify that it’s a vole rather than a mole if there are surface runways or small tunnel entrances. On the other hand, moles will stay solely underground and create large mounds that run the length of the tunnels. Another indicator of voles will be the debris and droppings they leave along their runways or entrances to their tunnels.
How long do voles live?
Both male and female voles will stay with their mother and father for only a short period of time. Voles only live for about a year.
Where to place a vole trap?
Place the trap strategically where it will receive a lot of traffic. Since vole runways are open-faced, you can peer inside them to see which areas look well-used. These areas will likely be slightly deeper or wider, and there will be more vole droppings.
What is the difference between a vole and a mouse?
Differences Between Voles and Mice. Mice have very large eyes and ears, while voles’ eyes and ears are small in comparison. Mice have a long tail that extends nearly twice as long as its body, but voles’ tails are much shorter.
Why do voles grow on my house?
Once they’ve grown large enough for a vole (which could be as small as an inch wide), these pesky creatures will make their way inside in search for more food. Monitor for these cracks and holes regularly and seal them with expandable foam, caulk, wood or concrete mix.
What do voles eat?
Voles, similar to other rodents, have a mainly vegetarian diet. Voles mainly eat stems and blades of lawn grass —so it’s usually vole tunnels that you’ll see near the surface of the yard. Moles have a mainly carnivorous diet. (Moles are beneficial in many ways. They help plow the soil and eat grubs and insects!)
How to keep voles away from trees?
Avoid putting dense mulch too close to trees and shrubs. Keep snow cleared from the base of trees and shrubs. Protect young trees by wrapping the lower trunk with a guard. Bird feeders are another attraction for voles and should either be removed or the ground kept very clean to keep vole numbers down.
How do you know if a vole is chewing on your tree?
If you see chewed-up bark near the base of trees and shrubs, look closely. A vole’s front teeth will leave ¼ inch side-by-side grooves in the wood as it gnaws away on the bark. (They’re rodents, after all!) Voles also tunnel through any root system, causing damage to trees and shrubs.
What are the two types of voles in North America?
Two common species of voles in North America are the prairie vole and the meadow vole. Meadow voles are more widely distributed, but prairie voles are more common in prairie areas. They are very similar, and methods for controlling them are mostly the same.
What is the difference between a mole and a vole?
In fact, a vole might look like a mouse at first glance. In contrast, moles are NOT rodents. Moles are all nose and mouth.
How do you know if a vole is manic?
You’ll know voles by the shallow snake-like tunnels that you’ll see all over your lawn. The tunnels are about two inches wide and very near the surface so they can eat their favorite food, grass stems and blades. Voles are especially manic in the early springtime.
How to tell if you have a vole problem?
If you have partially eaten carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables, you probably have a vole problem. According to one reader, “The y dig under my carrots, pulling them down, and eating them.
What do voles eat?
According to the University of California, some of a vole’s fav foods include cauliflower, lettuce, tomato, and carrots, among others.
How Else Can You Deter Voles?
We’ve figured out the things that voles hate. Now, what are some other ways to deter these little critters? Let’s take a look!
What is the scent that voles can't tolerate?
Another scent that voles can’t seem to tolerate is rosin. Rosin is typically used by musicians on the bows of their instruments, such as a viola or violin. Rosin is obtained from pines, so it’s no wonder it has repellent effects on voles!
What is the best repellent for voles?
If you’re not into homemade brews, you can also purchase commercial repellents such as I Must Garden Mole & Vole Repellent. The two main ingredients in this repellent are peppermint oil and cedar oil, two scents that voles can’t stand.
How do voles damage lawns?
One way that voles cause damage is by building extensive runways which can damage your lawn. These runways are usually dotted with several burrow openings.
How to get rid of voles in my house?
One of the easiest ways to use these scents is by making a spray using essential oils. Add 10-15 drops of the oil for every one cup of water. Place in a spray bottle and use on areas where you’ve noticed vole damage.
How often do voles explode?
An important note about voles is that their populations fluctuate rapidly. Every three to five years, their numbers will explode. During this time, you’ll see increased activity from voles.
What do voles eat?
In the wild (your back yard), voles eat roots, insects, seeds, snails, and slugs. But they are constantly foraging day and night and will eat almost anything any other mouse would eat, so no need for “special baits” for voles.
How to get rid of voles in my yard?
There are many ways to go about getting rid of voles, but here are four key steps for a simple approach: 1 First cut back all weeds and overgrown grass in your yard, and eliminate random clutter. The fewer places there are to hide, the less likely voles will stick around. 2 Next, protect your most valuable plants by enclosing them in steel mesh set a few inches into the ground. 3 Third, spray hot sauce (yes, hot sauce) on your precious plants to keep voles away from them above-ground. 4 Finally, you can set mouse traps outside in the garden, along with your foundation, and on vole trails. But be sure they have covered traps so you, your kid, or your cat doesn’t trap a toe in them!
How to keep mice out of your house?
Use a catch and release trap that holds numerous mice at once. A trap door style contraption that lets voles in but not out can be placed by a vole hole.
What if you see voles under your deck?
What if you’ve spotted voles going under your deck or see voles paths/tunnels leading to the deck and stopping there? If your deck has a surrounding wall, it can be difficult to access areas below your decking where voles may be breeding and threatening to find a way into your house.
How to keep voles off of deck?
Dig around till you eliminate vole refuges and scatter any voles currently present. Then run quarter-inch mesh chicken wire along the edge of your deck to keep the voles out.
How to keep voles out of my yard?
First cut back all weeds and overgrown grass in your yard, and eliminate random clutter. The fewer places there are to hide, the less likely voles will stick around. Next, protect your most valuable plants by enclosing them in steel mesh set a few inches into the ground.
What diseases do voles carry?
Besides ruining your yard, voles also (like other rodents) carry diseases like salmonella and fleas or ticks that carry diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Thus, your health, as well as your property, are at risk if you don’t take steps to eliminate voles. There are many ways to go about getting rid of voles, ...
General Biology
Description of Damage
- Voles may cause extensive damage to orchards, ornamentals, and tree plantings by gnawing on the bark of seedlings and mature trees (girdling). They eat crops outright and also cause damage by building extensive runway and tunnel systems through crop fields. Underground, woodland voles may consume small roots, girdle large roots, and eat bark from t...
Legal Status
- Voles are classified as nongame mammals and are protected. However, they can be controlled when causing damage.
Damage Control
- The preferred vole damage control techniques vary with the size of the population. When populations are low and damage is not extreme, exclusion or trapping may be the most economical means of avoiding damage. Large populations causing extensive damage may warrant the use of repellents and toxicants. If the property owner does not feel he or she can pro…
Acknowledgments
- Portions of this fact sheet were adapted from Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage, a two-volume manual edited by Scott E. Hyngstrom, Robert M. Timm, and Gary E. Larson and published by the University of Nebraska's Cooperative Extension Division, USDA APHIS-ADC, and the Great Plains Agricultural Council's Wildlife Committee. Partial funding for the development of this fact …
Description of The Vole
Interesting Facts About The Vole
Habitat of The Vole
Distribution of The Vole
Diet of The Vole
- As discussed above, when given the choice, voles prefer to eat plants. However, they are not strictly herbivores. They will also feed on carrion when they come across it, as well as seeds, nuts, and berries. Grasses and flowering plants make up a large portion of their diet. Other food sources include flowers, fruits, fungi, insects, snails, bark, ...
Vole and Human Interaction
Vole Care
Behavior of The Vole
Reproduction of The Vole