Mole vs. Vole Damage in Gardens & Lawns
Learn More Information About How to Get Rid of Moles & Voles in Your Yard
Homeowners and business owners take pride in their gardens, landscaping, and lawn, but all it takes is a burrowing pest or two to ruin all your hard work.
Moles and voles may look cute, but there’s nothing cute about the damage the rodents can cause. Both these pests wreak havoc on lawns, gardens, and outdoor spaces.
However, mole versus vole damage is a bit different. Moles create more dynamic tunnels, but they do eat damaging insects like grubs. Voles tend to use mole tunnels for cover or to create their own runways and only deeply tunnel occasionally. However, voles eat plants, roots, and vegetation, making them quite destructive.
Mole vs. Vole Damage: How Is It Different?
Not sure how to spot the differences in damage caused by moles and voles? You’re not alone. Many residents and business owners are plagued by these critters, but they aren’t sure which one.
Moles and voles have distinct appearances, but they aren’t easy to spot. If you don’t see the rodent, then learning to recognize vole versus mole tunnels and damage can provide clues as to which has taken over your landscape.
Once you know which burrower is the problem, you can create an action plan to address how to get rid of moles and voles. This includes learning about exclusion systems and other strategies to evict them for good.
Moles 101
Moles have a distinctive appearance, with pointy noses and two large, clawed, flipper-like front feet. Their forepaws are tipped with long, sharp claws that are so powerful the critter can dig more than 200 yards in a single day.
A mole can move roughly 540 times its body weight in soil in the same day, giving you a clear picture of just how much destruction these small animals can cause in a short time.
Moles enjoy making a meal out of insects and they consume up to 100% of their body weight daily in grubs, beetle larvae, and earthworms. That’s a lot of insects!
Although they enjoy insects, moles don’t typically make a meal out of plants.
That means if you notice damage to the plants in your outdoor space, you can rule out moles as the culprit.
The diet of moles seems to make them beneficial to the garden, as they consume pests that typically harm seedlings and plants. However, the unsightly hills and tunnels can cause injuries to humans and damage plant life, which outweighs the benefits for most homeowners and businesses.
Voles 101
At a glance, voles look similar to mice, but these nocturnal, timid rodents have a stockier frame with shorter tails and smaller, rounder ears than mice. With their soft, dense fur and black eyes, the tiny rodents look deceptively harmless.
However, voles eat a variety of plant materials, including the bark from mature trees. If you notice that the bases of tree trunks are bare, you could have a vole problem. This practice, which is called girdling, can kill limbs or even entire trees.
Voles also enjoy making a meal from tree roots, flower bulbs, seedlings, plant stems, grass blades, and root vegetables. These rodents are small, but they are significant enemies of many gardeners and landscapers in the Northeast United States.
Vole vs. Mole Tunnels
The different types of damage aren’t the only way you can differentiate between the two critters. Although both wreak havoc with tunnels, their tunneling style is quite different.
Voles only occasionally tunnel underground. When they do, it’s usually part of an effort to access tree roots and other subterranean vegetation. More commonly, voles create shallow runways and unraised tunnels with open entryways.
Moles create extensive tunnel systems and hills of dirt. These rodents live almost exclusively underground in closed tunnel systems that have no visible entryways. In addition to mole hills, raised tunnel ridges may also be visible.
Not only does this destroy a landscape or garden area, but it can also create passive damage to structures and buildings. The underground tunnels create air pockets of dirt, and those pockets can affect the stability of foundations.
Additionally, if the tunnels flood, rainwater can seep into foundations and cause water damage. During cold New England winters, that flooding can freeze, creating a freeze-thaw cycle that causes extensive damage to foundations.
A true nightmare for any homeowner or business owner.
How to Get Rid of Moles & Voles
A variety of home remedies can help with controlling moles and voles, including cayenne pepper, ultrasonic repellents, and traps to catch or kill them. But, unless this process is facilitated by a trained professional, the property will more than likely encounter a similar — or worse, situation in the future.
Ultimately, the most effective and efficient way to get rid of moles and voles is to call a professional. Catseye Pest Control is comprised of expert pest and nuisance wildlife technicians equipped with the experience, knowledge, skills, and equipment to effectively control and remove moles and voles safely and efficiently.
Homes and businesses are unique, as is the pest or rodent infestation it faces. To eliminate the issue and prevent it from reoccurring, a customized plan is created after a thorough inspection is completed.
Removing the nuisance wildlife from the property is only one step in eliminating any infestation. To prevent tunnels from being dug under porches, decks, sheds, and other low-clearance areas, preventative measures must be taken.
Our Platinum Home Protection Plan has been designed to do just that — prevent rodents and nuisance wildlife from accessing or burrowing beneath structures.
The all-in-one preventative and maintenance program is customized to the structure and takes a proactive approach in pest and nuisance wildlife control.
Don’t wait until moles or voles have destroyed the landscape surrounding the structures on your property — or compromised the foundation of the structures. Contact us today to reclaim your outdoor space.
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