What are some of the best ways to get rid of voles from your yard?
When I think of holes in the yard, I think of five critters – moles, voles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and gophers. I have already written an article discussing various ways to eliminate moles from your property. You can read that article here.
I guess I am slowly running through the gauntlet of these 5 critters. Next up, however, the pesky vole.
What Exactly Is a Vole?
Voles are fairly small rodents that can often be mistaken for large mice. They can grow to 4 to 7 inches long and each have a slightly stockier bodies than a typical mouse. Voles can also be distinguished from mice by their smaller tails and ears. They also possess slightly larger eyes than the typical mouse. They are known to be fairly active breeders. A typical female can birth close to 100 baby voles per year.
Voles typically burrow underground, a little deeper underground than the typical mole or gopher. Unlike the mole, they do not leave behind mounds of dirt where they typically dig. However, they often leave behind small exit holes in your yard. A Vole will oftentimes piggyback on a moles tunnel digging prowess as well, using the established tunnels for their own use.
Because a vole is an herbivore, it can contribute to damage in your garden – they will eat plants, leaves and stems. They are known as a springtime pest. However, they do not hibernate in the winter season and will remain active, essentially damaging your lawn.
How Do You Know if You Have Voles?
During the winter months, voles tend to run freely along the ground’s surface and beneath the snow. Their pathways measure approximately an inch or two across. As the snow melts, however, in the early spring months, you may become aware of the vole trails. These vole trails are often a sign of vole activity.
If Left Unattended What Damage Can Voles Possibly Cause?
Voles can cause damage to your lawn (with their tunnels) as well your gardens, small trees and shrubs. Another concern to be weary of is that voles are natural prey for snakes, coyotes, foxes and bobcats. None of which are particularly known to be pet or small child friendly. While these predators may not bother with your pets or children, I personally do not want a hearty population of voles to drive a higher level of predator activity in my yard.
What Are Some Ways to Get Rid of Voles?
So, you have had enough of these voles scurrying beneath the ground of your yard, eating your lawn and garden, and you would like to get rid of voles or at least control the population. What are some ways to do so?
Method 1: Castor Oil to Get Rid of Voles
Castor oil is said to be a very effective repellent for voles. Castor oil works by creating a malodorous smell of the soil and vegetation in the opinion of the vole. Typically, a human will not pick up on the smell. A good strategy would be to apply the castor oil repellent to plant beds and other areas you suspect vole activity to be high. Simply mix together castor oil, dish detergent and water and apply the concoction to your lawn, garden and mulch bed. Try applying it before the winter months to drive voles away before the first snowfall.
Below are a couple of products available (links to Amazon.com).
| Mole Repellent 100% Castor Oil – By: Nature’s Mace | Lawn Mole Castor Oil – By: Baar |
For castor oil in a different form, there are also castor oil granules. Below are a few (links to Amazon.com).
| Castor Oil Pellets – By: Glaobule | Mole and Gopher Repellent – By: Chase |
Method 2: Traps For Voles
When the vole population seems to be centered within a smaller area, trapping can be extremely effective. Just be sure to utilize a adequate number of traps. The single kill trap is only designed to remove one pest at a time, and given their breeding habits, you may need quite a few of them. Below links to Amazon.com.
Traps Designed to Kill Voles
| Vole Trap – By: Guarden | The Original Blackhole Gopher/Rodent Trap – By: Black Hole Trap |
Traps Designed for Catch and Release
If using a catch and release trap, please remember to release the vole far away from your home and others. Look to release the voles away from anyone’s residence. When looking for a catch and release trap that has been around and working very well for a long period of time, the Kness wind-up trap is definitely one to consider. I have written an article on the Kness trap before. You can read it here.
The Kness wind-up trap is catch and release trap that uses the critter’s natural sense of curiosity in order to enter a limited sized passageway located on either side of the trap. Once inside, the critter’s bodyweight will trigger a mechanism that will act as a one way revolving door, nudging it into a separate portion of the trap that is inescapable.
Below are the Kness wind-up traps, offered on Amazon.com.
| Kness 101-0-002 Ketch-All Trap – By: Kness | Ketch-All Mousetrap w/ Clear Lid – By: Kness |
Method 3: Baiting Voles with Poisonous Baits
Poisonous baits can easily prove to be the quickest and most efficient method to control the voles, especially when a vole population seems unbearable. However, please take any needed steps to guarantee the safety of children, pets, and any animal not intended to be targeted. Below are a few effective, poisonous bates that can be effective. All links to Amazon.com.
| All Weather Bait Chunx – By: TomCat | Green Fish Flavored Weather Resistant Rodenticide Nuggets, 4 lb bag – By: Neogen |
| Vole Bait – By: Kaput | Bait Station – By: Redtop |
| Bait Station Set Of 6 – By: TomCat | Top Loader Tamper Resistant Bait Station – By: J T Eaton |
Method 4: Try To Attract Owls To Your Yard
An owl’s diet consists of smaller animals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, voles and moles. Although it is not recommended to try to attract an owl to nest on your property if you have cats or small dogs, if you can and are willing, assembling an owl box may be worth it. Below are a few owl boxes available Links to Amazon.com.
| Premium Owl Box – By: Kingwood | Cedar Owl Box – By: Kingwood | Screech Owl House Box For Nesting – By: Vundahboah Amish Goods |
Method 5: Professional Exterminator
If the vole population has reached the point where it is just too overwhelming, it may be time to call in a professional exterminator. Simply google “professional vole exterminator near me” and you should come across a few different options.
To Conclude
Voles can wreak havoc on your outside living areas. Because voles tend to reproduce at a pretty rapid rate, it is best to get rid of voles quickly and efficiently. Hopefully, the above options can give you some quality ideas to do so. Take action now and control voles on you property.
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