Voles - The Old Farmer's Almanac

Are your garden beds and lawn starting to look like a miniature subway system? You may have voles to thank. These sneaky little rodents tunnel just under the surface, feasting on your plants and grass roots as they go. Unlike their mole cousins, voles are plant-munching machines that leave behind winding, snakelike trails in your turf. But don’t worry, we’ve got everything you need to identify voles vs. moles, prevent further damage, and kick these furry squatters to the curb. Here’s how to get rid of voles and reclaim your yard!

What’s the Difference Between Voles and Moles?

First off, voles are not moles! People confuse the two animals because they both tunnel through your yard and are small, dark-colored mammals. You might not have seen either critter since they’re usually underground, but they look very different up close. Voles are small, stocky rodents similar to field mice. In fact, a vole might look like a mouse at first glance. In contrast, moles are NOT rodents. Moles are all nose and mouth. And they have big feet used for digging! See our article on dealing with moles here.

Voles have small, rounded ears that are often hidden by their fur, small eyes, and short tails. Their fur is generally thick and light brown to gray. Two common species of voles in North America are the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Meadow voles are more widely distributed, but prairie voles are more common in grassland and prairie areas. They are very similar, and the methods for controlling them are mostly the same.

What Do Voles Eat?

Like many other rodents, Voles are omnivores, meaning they’ll eat almost anything. However, voles have a primarily vegetarian diet; they mainly eat stems and blades of lawn grass, so it’s usually vole tunnels that you’ll see near the yard’s surface. Moles, on the other hand, have a mainly carnivorous diet consisting of invertebrates. (Moles are actually beneficial in many ways. They help plow the soil and eat pest larvae and insects!)

It’s helpful to know this difference not only because it will help you identify the damage (see below) but also because a vole bait might use peanut butter, whereas moles would be more interested in an insect or earthworm.

If it helps, remember that their frenzied activity does subside. Vole populations cycle, and about every 2 to 5 years, there will be a population boom. Mild winters with good snowfall can help to increase vole populations, as the voles can travel beneath the snow cover, safe from predators.