When the snow melts, you may be left with a strange surprise. A network of winding "trails", "runways", or "trenches" in your turf that were not there before. A small rodent may be at fault, who has taken advantage of the snow cover to expand her network of trails and nibble on your plants.

VOLES (with a V) are small rodents that range in size from 5 to 7 inches long, have stocky bodies, a blunt nose, short legs with front and rear feet equal sized, and short tails less than half their body length. Their coloring may be similar to mice with a brown base coat mixed with dark grey and black hairs. Voles are commonly mistaken for mice, moles, and shrews (PSU, 2007).

As snow melts away, extension offices and lawn companies may receive concerned calls when these ground runs are revealed. And that's just what happened recently when we received this photo and were asked, "What did this to my lawn?"

This is the work of none other than the vole. (Probably the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, when found in lawns). Voles create ground "runways" to help them get from place to place, and connect burrow entrances. These runs are constructed like trenches in a "U" shape with an open top. This is an ID feature and is distinct from MOLE runs, which are completely buried, though voles may utilize mole tunnels as well. Runways may be found in turf or garden beds and mulched areas as well.

Voles do not hibernate and so year-round, they are active, even under the snow. Voles may even create small temporary burrows in the snow to retreat to until the snow melts again. They are prolific breeders and can have a brood every 3 weeks March through November (Titchenell, 2023). Fortunately, populations are often checked as they are an important food source for birds of prey and small predators like foxes, weasels, and even my cat on occasion!

Voles are plant feeders and eat grasses, seeds, roots and bulbs of a wide variety of plants. Unfortunately, they are also known to eat bark, chewing through stems and trunks of woody perennials at ground level. This behavior can girdle sections of shrubs, whole shrubs, and young seedlings. Where populations are high, they can cause extensive damage. Populations may reach 10 - 100 voles per acre in some situations (Titchenell, 2023)! Vole damage may also be confused for rabbit gnawing but the difference in size and uniformity in the gnaw pattern can help differentiate the culprit. And of course more than one animal can gnaw on the same plant!

Voles like to keep their runs free of obstruction and so finding trimmings of vegetation in or around runways may be a sign of fresh activity. You can also look for vole droppings which are described as "Brown or green in color and shaped like rice" (PSU, 2007). If grass begins to regrow within the track, that may indicate that the voles are no longer using that network.

While unsightly, the runs are considered a temporary problem that can be filled in after vole populations drop either from predation or management. Voles can be trapped similar to mice using snap traps placed within an active runway. Young plants can be protected from vole chewing damage by using hardware cloth or small chicken wire guards wrapped around trunks. Wire must be buried 4-6 inches deep and you want to make sure you leave ample room for the tree to grow (PSU,2007).

Keeping lawns mown to 3-6 inches limits food and protective cover for the voles and helps predators see this prey item. Keeping grass and mulch away from the immediate trunk will limit access to the root and trunk zone to prevent gnawing.

Repellents do exist for voles but their effectiveness is mixed. These may contain hot pepper (capsaicin) or predator urine. There are labelled pesticide baits available for voles but may require a licensed professional to purchase and apply. Contacting a licensed wildlife trapper to inquire about bait application may be warranted in severe cases. All baits cannot be used near food-producing plants and gardens (Titchenell, 2023). Read all label instructions for use as the label is the law for proper legal use of any pesticide products.

Ron Wilson

In The Garden With Ron Wilson