Townsend’s vole
Habitat
Lawns
Open grasslands
Gardens
Farms
Orchards
Meadows
Cropped areas
Young forested plantations
Lawns
Open grasslands
Gardens
Farms
Orchards
Meadows
Cropped areas
Young forested plantations
Vole Management in Home Backyards and Gardens (Home Garden Series)
Description
Voles that inhabit home backyards and nearby areas belong to the genus Microtus. They are commonly found throughout North America and are often mistaken for other small rodents such as mice (because they physically resemble one another) or moles (because the words mole and vole sound so similar).
Although not a mouse, voles are sometimes called “meadow mice” based on their close resemblance. The two species most often responsible for vole-related backyard and garden damage in Washington are the Townsend’s vole (west of the Cascade Mountains) and the Montane vole (east of the Cascade mountains).
These voles prefer succulent grasses, forbs, roots, and bulbs but will also readily feed on the bark and roots of woody plants during winter when other food sources are scarce.
Montane vole
Habitat
Lawns
Open grasslands
Gardens
Farms
Orchards
Meadows
Cropped areas
Young forested plantations
Photo by Roger W. Barbour, courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Lawns
Open grasslands
Gardens
Farms
Orchards
Meadows
Cropped areas
Young forested plantations
Photo by Roger W. Barbour, courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Vole Birth Chart
One pregnant female births an average of five female offspring in the first litter (28-day gestation). Those in turn can produce 25 more females, then populations jump to 125, then 625 and can end up at 3,125 females within 4.6 months, if none die.
Backyards and gardens that share borders with open grasslands, fields, and forests may experience high vole population pressures. There are periodic vole population explosions in these open areas, commonly occurring every 3 to 5 years, where populations may number more than 1,000 voles per acre. Irruptions such as these are usually followed by a population crash.
Backyards and gardens that share borders with open grasslands, fields, and forests may experience high vole population pressures. There are periodic vole population explosions in these open areas, commonly occurring every 3 to 5 years, where populations may number more than 1,000 voles per acre. Irruptions such as these are usually followed by a population crash.
Symptoms and Damage
Voles will feed on a variety of garden vegetables and ornamental plants, both above and below ground. Tooth scars, as seen here, are generally 1/16 inch wide and appear in a crisscross pattern on the damaged woody plants. Herbaceous plants are cropped just above the soil surface.
Photo shows damage on fir Christmas tree.
Photo shows damage on fir Christmas tree.
Voles cut runways through grass, feeding on vegetation as they move. This damage is especially common in areas with extended snow cover.
Voles generally construct shallow burrow systems throughout their territories, although Montane voles are known to tunnel as deeply as 30 inches.
Tunnel entrances remain open unless they are also occupied by moles or gophers.
Photo of damaged roots of semi-dwarf apple trees WWFRF Fruit Garden WSU Mount Vernon.
Voles generally construct shallow burrow systems throughout their territories, although Montane voles are known to tunnel as deeply as 30 inches.
Tunnel entrances remain open unless they are also occupied by moles or gophers.
Photo of damaged roots of semi-dwarf apple trees WWFRF Fruit Garden WSU Mount Vernon.
Tall grass is the primary food and safe harborage for these rodents, so grass must be kept mowed short around gardens and between trees subject to attack. Vegetation-free buffers of thinly mulched (no more than 1 or 2 inches) soil around the perimeters of gardens and around trees and shrubs help reduce migration of new rodents. Avoid applying thick layers of organic mulch or weed-barrier cloth, which can encourage vole tunneling. Crushed rock is a suitable vole-resistant mulch in some situations. Reduce accumulations of thatch, which allow voles to hide from predators.
Management Options
Traps
Common mouse traps, baited with apple pieces or peanut butter, or used un-baited, are legal in Washington State. Traps should be set at right angles to vole runways and tunnels to manage small populations. Cover the traps to prevent harming birds. Use at least one trap per 100 sq. feet. For large backyards and gardens, it may take 80 or more traps per acre to effectively reduce the numbers of rodents. Check traps at least once a day and remove any captured voles. Carcasses should be buried.
Photo of Townsend’s vole in mouse trap.
Photo of Townsend’s vole in mouse trap.
Rodenticides
There are no home-use rodenticides registered for voles in yards and gardens.
Repellents
Few data are available concerning the effectiveness of vole repellents to deter damage.
Homeowners who are willing to test repellents to see how well they perform under local conditions should use the highest label rates of products containing blood meal and/or castor oil.
Homeowners who are willing to test repellents to see how well they perform under local conditions should use the highest label rates of products containing blood meal and/or castor oil.
Exclusion
Solid barriers or fences or cylinders of ¼ inch hardware cloth installed around gardens or individual plants can reduce root damage when vole populations are not extreme, but tunneling species may still gain access to vulnerable plants. The fence should be about 12 inches high and the bottom should be buried 6 to 10 inches in the ground. A vegetation-free, lightly-mulched barrier around the outside will increase effectiveness.
Image credit: WDFW. Drawing by Jenifer Rees.
Image credit: WDFW. Drawing by Jenifer Rees.
Biological
Creating habitat (nest boxes, roosts, and brush piles) for hawks, owls, and other predators is a nice gesture, but predators rarely keep vole populations below damaging levels. Predation simply cannot keep up with the breeding rate and predators seldom hunt in home gardens. Domestic cats often will kill large numbers of voles but also destroy other wildlife and don’t provide adequate control.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
By carefully managing the habitat and dealing with voles BEFORE they reach damaging populations, gardeners can minimize damage to their gardens and landscapes.
Further Reading
Andrews, P. Orchard Floor Management in Organic Apple Orchards. Washington State University.
Hygnstrom, S.E., R.M. Timm, and G.E. Larson, eds. 1994. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific States: California, Oregon and Washington. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
Integrated Pest Management for Blueberries: A Guide to Sampling and Decision Making for Key Blueberry Pests in Northwestern Washington—Voles. WSU Extension Whatcom County.
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. 1998. Final IPM Plan, 1998. Vertebrate Pests.
Salmon, T.P. and W.P. Gorenzel. 2002. Voles (meadow mice). Pest Notes Publ. 7439. U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Sullivan, T. 2006. Vole Populations, Tree Fruit Orchards, and Living Mulches. Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Washington State University.
Tobin, M. E. and M.E. Richmond. 1993. Vole Management in Fruit Orchards. Biological Report 5. U.S. Dept. of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service.
Verts, B. J. and L.N. Carraway. 1998. Land Mammals of Oregon. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Witmer, G. W., A. Hakim, and B. Moser. 2001. Investigations of Methods to Reduce Damage by Voles. Proceedings of the Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference 9:357–365.
Witmer, G. W., N. P. Snow, L. Humberg, and T. Salmon. 2009. Vole Problems, Management Options, and Research Needs in the United States. Proceedings of the Wildlife Damage Management Conference 13:235-249.
By Dave Pehling, Extension Educator, WSU Snohomish County, Everett, WA.
Photos in this publication are by Dave Pehling unless otherwise noted.
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