“Ode to a Vole”
Voles look like small rodents, and they enjoy dining on your plants’ roots.
Photo Credit: John Buettner
Moles have a long, tapering snout, short neck, and distinct forelegs with claws on their feet.
Photo Credit: John Buettner
This poor plant’s root system was decimated by voles.
Photo Credit: Lee Ivy
The story’s the same from year to year.
Moles and voles is what I hear.
Similar woes so the story goes:
Which is which, nobody knows?
Moles eat bugs, earthworms and grubs.
Voles eat stems, roots and bulbs.
Many contraptions trap and zap.
Moles will persist, you can bet on that.
Voles can be found by a simple test.
Placing an apple in the run is best.
If eaten, then surely you know you have voles.
Poisons will work placed down in the holes.
Persistence and patience I offer my friend.
For these you must have to see an end.
You know the game “Whack-a-Mole”? When I played it with my nephew, the moles were purple, orange, green and blue – much prettier than the real deal! The object of the game is to whack the moles on the head when they pop up. It’s lots of fun, but unfortunately real mole and vole control is a little more challenging. Since their names sound so similar, some folks think that they’re the same animal, simply called different things in different regions. Many people believe you can use the same methods to control both bothersome critters. If only pest management were that simple!
There are two types of voles responsible for the damage done to our plants. Pine voles do their munching on roots and other underground plant structures like bulbs, and meadow voles are notorious for severing plants right at the crown (where the plant meets the ground). You can be quite certain you have voles if a plant dies and all you have to do to remove it is lift it up!
Vole tunneling is often misdiagnosed as mole activity. However one clue to mole activity is their likelihood to tunnel through open, sunny lawns in search of insects (their preferred diet). Voles prefer to stick close to their plant meal of choice. You can confirm tunnels to be vole activity by doing the “Apple Sign Test.” Simply place a one-half-inch piece of apple within a suspected mole or vole tunnel, and cover your access hole with a board or roof shingle to keep the tunnel dark. If the apple disappears within 24 hours, you have a vole visitation. Remember, voles eat their vegetables (or fruit, as the case may be), and moles eat meat.
Since voles are in the rodent family, some rat poisons may be used to control them. Be sure to follow all label recommendations and keep pets and children away from the treated area.
As for mole populations, they are mainly after insects like grubs and earthworms in the soil. Unfortunately, controlling the insect population is unlikely to control the moles. And many states have laws to protect the killing of moles. In fact, in some states certain species of moles are protected. While there are lethal traps that will kill the critters, they may not be used without the proper permission. So be sure to contact your local cooperative extension office to find out what your state’s laws are before you go out and whack a mole!
