A Guide to Voles from Your Source for Rodent Control in Alaska

No, we didn’t spell that wrong. We’re not talking about moles, but actually another pest, known as the vole, that can just as easily destroy your lawn or garden. Much like the mole, the vole will wreak havoc in your yard by creating small tunnels near the surface of your beautiful lawn. But unlike a mole, you’ll likely never actually see a vole due to its small size. This doesn’t mean it’s not a major nuisance, though.

One of the best ways to prevent any rodent problem from growing worse is to know exactly what you’re dealing with and how to best combat it through rodent control in Alaska. Read on to discover more about the vole.

Appearance

Many homeowners might accidentally think a vole is actually a mouse. The vole, which is also known as a meadow mouse, looks quite similar to a common mouse. But their bodies are a bit more round and typically span five to eight inches. Voles have short legs and tails, and their bodies are covered with brown and black fur. Still not sure whether you’re dealing with a mouse or a vole? Check out the length of the tail. A mouse has a long tail that typically spans half of its body length, while the vole has a short, stubby tail.

Habits

Voles are primarily active during the dusk and dawn hours, but you’ll likely never notice them. These small rodents are mostly interested in creating a complicated system of burrows located just below the surface of the ground in grassy or weed-filled habitats that provide them with lots of coverage. They also love making their home in a beautifully landscaped lawn or garden. A whole family of voles could be living in a completed burrow system. Over time, your new residents will likely burrow into the root systems of any shrubs or trees, gnawing at the base of the trunks and killing your plants. These small tunnels allow them to move from place to place without being attacked by a variety of predators, including hawks, owls, snakes, cats or raccoons.

Signs of an infestation

The same tunnels the vole calls home are usually the biggest indicators that they have infested your yard. You’ll be able to identify one of the tunnels by looking for small pieces of cut vegetation or any vole droppings. Unfortunately, these signs also mean the vole has already moved on to a new tunnel, and the one you’ve discovered is likely no longer in use. Unlike moles, voles leave no mounds behind.

Vole prevention

It’s always easier to prevent a vole infestation than it is to attempt to eliminate an existing problem. Keep voles away from your lawn by mowing it regularly and avoiding any ground cover plants, such as a creeping juniper.

Don’t worry if you’re already facing an infestation, though. A professional rodent control specialist with Pied Piper Pest Control can eradicate the problem both quickly and effectively. To learn more about how we can protect your property through effective rodent control in Alaska, call us today!

Categorised in: Rodent Control

This post was written by Writer