How To Repair Lawn After Mole Damage

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Quick facts

• Voles can cause damage to small copse and shrubs.
• They can accept multiple litters in a yr, and every 3 to 5 years there is a population boom.
• Lawn damage is about visible in the spring.
• Forestall and manage vole damage through thousand sanitation, reseeding grass, tree guards, trapping and pesticide application.

Voles

Voles, also known as field mice, are small chocolate-brown rodents very common in yards and fields. They are most the size and shape of a mouse, and have small ears and a brusk tail. Minnesota has several species of vole, the nigh mutual beingness the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogastor).

Their presence is nearly often observed in the late wintertime and early leap correct later the snowfall melts, when their grassy trails are exposed and areas of expressionless grass announced. Voles do the near harm to small trees and shrubs when they chew on the bark, often hidden beneath winter snow.

Life cycle

• Like virtually rodents, voles do not live long.
• They are very productive breeders.
  • One female vole can have 5-10 litters in a year, averaging 3 to v young.
  • They may nest in shallow grass-filled nests on the ground, or dig a small tunnel about 4 to 5 inches down to nest.
• Vole populations bicycle. Every iii to 5 years there will be a population boom.
  • Mild winters with skillful snow can help to increase vole populations.
• Voles are a prime number food source for many predators such every bit snakes, hawks, owls, foxes and badgers.

Identifying vole impairment

• Voles spend a great deal of fourth dimension eating grass and roots and making trails. These surface runways are one of the easiest ways to place voles.
  • Normally seen in early on jump just after snowmelt, a series of criss-crossing trails tin exist viewed on the surface.
  • There may be larger patches of dried grass that serve as storage areas for extra food and nesting materials.
• Voles will also make small holes almost one inch across to get to tubers and bulbs.
• Voles sometimes utilize mole tunnels, which causes moles to exist blamed for eating roots instead of the white-grubs they actually eat.
• Vole harm may besides be noticed on trees and shrubs where they take chewed through the bark near the basis. The vole's front teeth volition leave ¼ inch side-by-side grooves in the wood.

Vole tunnels in snow

Vole rail

Preventing and managing vole impairment

Voles may go unnoticed for a large portion of the year. In an boilerplate yr, it may not even be worth the endeavour to control the population.

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Voles are very common and total prevention is impossible, only full general grand sanitation may aid keep vole numbers down.

• Remove woodpiles and other debris from the ground that may be hiding places for voles.
• Go on grass trimmed short and bushes trimmed upwardly from the ground.
• Bird feeders are some other allure for voles. Remove them or keep the basis very clean.

While lawn harm is most visible in the spring, it is rarely permanent.

• Rake upwardly the expressionless grass and reseed the expanse.
• Equally the surrounding grass grows, it will cover up the trails.

Prevent vole damage to tree bawl past encircling the tree with a light colored tree guard.

• The guard should be tall plenty to reach above the snowfall line in the winter.
• The base should be buried in the soil or accept a soil ridge around the base.
• Brand sure that the guard is loose plenty so that it does not tuck the tree.

In small areas, trapping may exist an effective manner of reducing vole populations.

• Standard mouse snap traps ready along runways or virtually tunnels will take hold of some animals.
• Bait with peanut butter.
• Cover the traps so that pets and children exercise non accidentally notice them.

Reduce large vole populations with toxic baits.

• There are some pesticides available for dwelling house use. Be sure to read the characterization earlier you buy whatever pesticide and again earlier y'all use the pesticide.
• Vole baits should be placed inside bait stations to reduce the risk of non-target species ingesting the bait.
• Most pesticides recommended for voles are restricted and can only be used by certified pesticide applicators.
• Contact your local Extension educators for more data about pesticide utilise.

CAUTION: Mention of a pesticide or utilize of a pesticide characterization is for educational purposes only. Always follow the pesticide label directions fastened to the pesticide container you are using. Remember, the label is the law.

Reviewed in 2022

Source: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/vole-damage

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