Vole (Meadow Mouse or Field Mouse)

Introduction

Voles are small, burrowing rodents found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Often called meadow mice or field mice, they are known for creating shallow surface runways and extensive underground tunnel systems. Voles are important prey for many predators and help aerate soil, but their rapid reproduction and feeding habits can cause significant damage to lawns, gardens, and young trees.

Taxonomy:

• Family: Cricetidae

• Subfamily: Arvicolinae

• Closely related to lemmings and muskrats

Physical Characteristics:

• Size: 3–9 inches (7.5–23 cm) including the short tail

• Appearance: Stout body, short legs, small eyes and ears often hidden in fur

• Fur: Dense, soft, and typically brown, gray, or reddish

Habitat and Distribution:

• Found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia

• Live in grasslands, meadows, forests, agricultural fields, and dense vegetation

• Build underground burrow systems or nests above ground in thick ground cover

Adaptations:

• Excellent diggers with complex tunnel networks

• Can reproduce rapidly, allowing populations to spike suddenly

• Remain active year-round, even during winter

• Activity: Crepuscular to nocturnal; most active at dawn, dusk, and nighttime

• Social Structure: Highly territorial; populations fluctuate in cycles, sometimes causing outbreaks

• Ecological Role:

  • Aerate soil through burrowing

  • Important prey for owls, hawks, foxes, snakes, and other predators

  • Their feeding impacts plant communities and can damage agricultural crops

• Breed year-round in favorable climates

• Gestation: ~21 days

• Litters: 3–6 pups per litter

• Sexual maturity: As early as 1 month

• Populations can grow explosively when food and shelter are abundant

• Primarily herbivorous: feed on roots, tubers, bulbs, seeds, grasses, bark, and plant stems

• Occasionally eat insects or fungi

• Known for girdling trees and shrubs, which can kill young plants

Trapping & Control

Trapping Tips:

Trap Choice: Standard mouse snap traps are effective; live traps can be used but are less common.

Bait Selection: Peanut butter, apple slices, and oats work well.

Trap Placement:

• • Place traps perpendicular to vole runways or near burrow entrances

  • Look for surface runways in grassy areas or small holes at tree bases

Handling: Wear gloves to minimize human scent and for safety

Frequency: Check traps daily and reset as needed

Signs of Vole Activity:

• Surface runways: Narrow, 1–2 inch-wide grass trails, often visible after snow melts

• Burrow entrances: Small, clean holes (1–2 inches in diameter) without soil mounds

• Gnawed vegetation: Rough, irregular chew marks on stems, roots, and bark

• Girdled trees: Bark chewed completely around young trees, especially in winter

• Root damage: Plants may wilt or die from underground feeding

• Droppings: Small, dark, pellet-shaped droppings along runways and feeding sites

Baiting with Rodenticides:

• Only use tamper-resistant bait stations to protect pets and wildlife

• Common active ingredients: warfarin (anticoagulant), bromethalin (acute neurotoxin), zinc phosphide (fast-acting toxin)

• Best time for baiting: Fall and early spring, when natural food is scarce

• Avoid baiting during heavy rain, which can reduce effectiveness

Habitat Modification (Prevention):

• Keep lawns mowed and remove dense ground cover

• Clear woodpiles, brush, and debris near gardens or trees

• Install underground hardware cloth barriers around garden beds and wrap tree bases with wire mesh (bury 6 inches deep and extend 18–24 inches above ground)