Have you noticed irregular pathways or gnawed plant roots in your lawn? These could be signs of vole activity.
Understanding how to manage vole lawn damage effectively can help you restore your yard’s health and appearance. This guide will walk you through identifying vole damage, repairing it, and preventing future incidents.
What Are Voles?
Voles, often confused with moles, are small rodents similar in appearance to field mice. They have stout bodies, short legs, and a dense, furry coat. Unlike moles, voles are herbivores and cause damage by eating plant roots and creating surface runways through the grass.
Voles have a high reproductive rate, with females capable of producing five to 10 litters per year. Each litter can have three to six young. They can live up to 12 months, and their population in a given area can fluctuate widely from year to year, largely depending on food availability and predation levels.
Voles are most active during dawn and dusk and don’t hibernate, which means they can cause lawn damage any time of year.
Identifying Vole Damage
Vole damage can be identified by:
- Surface runways: Unlike the deeper tunnels created by moles, voles create shallow, grassless paths in your lawn that are about 2 inches wide.
- Plant damage: Look for gnawed bark near the base of trees, chewed roots, and damaged bulbs.
- Holes: Small holes that lead to their burrows are often found around the runway systems.
Repairing Vole Lawn Damage
When voles have disrupted your lawn, restoring its health involves a few critical steps that can help your grass recover and thrive.
Smooth and Reseed
Begin by filling in the vole runways with good-quality topsoil to level out the surface of your lawn. Once these gaps are filled, smooth the area to create an even surface. Choose a grass seed that matches your existing lawn and sprinkle it generously over the repaired areas. This reseeding will help to reintegrate these patches back into the rest of your lawn, promoting uniform growth.
Water and Fertilize
After seeding, ensure the area is kept moist to encourage germination. Water the new seeds gently but consistently, especially during the first few weeks after planting. Applying a balanced, slow-release fertilizer will provide the essential nutrients needed for the new grass to establish strong roots, thereby enhancing its ability to compete with any returning voles and other common lawn pests.
Protect Tree Bases
If voles have damaged the base of trees, give these areas extra attention. Install tree guards around the trunks to shield them from further gnawing. These guards should be made of a durable material like plastic or metal and fit securely around the trunk, extending into the soil to prevent voles from burrowing beneath them. As the trees heal, these guards also help prevent other animals from causing additional damage.
Preventing Future Vole Lawn Damage
Protecting your lawn from voles requires ongoing effort and several preventive strategies:
- Reduced shelter: Keep your lawn mowed and remove ground cover such as heavy mulch or leaf piles where voles may find shelter.
- Repellents: Consider using vole repellents that deter voles with unpleasant smells or tastes. These need to be regularly reapplied, especially after rain.
- Natural predators: Consider encouraging natural predators like owls and snakes by installing owl boxes.
Do I Need Pest Control for Voles?
While DIY methods can be effective, severe or recurring infestations might require professional pest control for voles. Pest control experts can offer more robust and sustainable solutions, including traps and commercial-grade repellents, tailored specifically to your yard’s conditions.
Contact Aptive if you’re struggling with voles and need more comprehensive solutions. Our team is ready to help you reclaim your beautiful lawn with expert pest control services.
