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Meadow Vole
(Microtus pennsylvanicus) Order Rodentia
The Meadow Vole can adapt to human environments easily and usually by choice. In human environments Meadow Voles can adapt easily due to the abundance of food and shelter. Urban landscapes provide attractive feeding areas, such as flower gardens, healthy green lawns, and vegetable gardens. Meadow Voles are often confused with Eastern Moles just because they have similar names and biological habits. Meadow Voles are herbivores, which means that they eat only plant matter. Eastern Moles are insectivores, which means that they eat insects. Their biological physical features are very distinguishable and when side by side the two species cannot be confused. Evidence that Meadow Voles are present in your lawn or landscape is when plants start to die in rows and the root structure is missing or your grass is eaten down to the root with visible surface trails. These urban feeding areas also have close or nearby shelters that the Meadow Vole can build a chamber under to sleep in or raise a family. Any side walk, stone wall, stepping stone, log pile, or just an old rotting stump will provide enough cover for their chamber. Landscapes that have low growing plants or ground cover plants are favorable habits that the Meadow Vole will thrive in.
If you need Meadow Vole removal services, Blue Ridge Wildlife Management, LLC is here to help you. Please Contact Us to help solve your problem.
Identification
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| Vole on left and Shrew on right |
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Eastern Mole |
Description:
Often confused with moles and shrews. The Meadow Vole, as seen above, has a well rounded head.
Body Size:
Average Length (Adult): 4 - 7 ½"
Tail: 1 - 2 ½" with hair on it.
Average Weight (Adult): ¾ - 2 ½ oz.
Young at Birth: Eyes and ears closed, pink and weigh 1/20 oz.
Young at 1 week: Hair develops.
Young at 2 weeks: Eyes open.
Young at 3 weeks: Independent.
Fur Color:
Gray to brownish yellow with black tipped hairs and the belly is gray.
Tracks:
Very uncommon. Series of above ground trails in the grass or below ground tunnels that lead to trees or shrubs. The below ground tunnels do not show evidence of the dirt being pushed up like Eastern Mole tunnels. Girdling or trees or shrubs with non-uniform gnaw marks.
Reproduction
Time of Year: Year round. 2 - 3 times.
Gestation: 20 - 23 days.
Young Born: Year round.
Number of Young Born: 4 - 5 per litter.
Average Reproductive Age: 3 weeks.
Weaning: 3 weeks.
Other Information
Habitat:
Biologically they prefer wet meadows and grasslands. In urban environments they prefer well landscaped yards with ground cover and low lying plants.
Home:
Their home is a series of tunnels just below the surface or above the surface that lead to plants and trees. They may use an above ground nest or a below ground chamber to rest in.
Home Range:
Shifts depending on food supply. Usually 75 - 200 square yards.
Food:
Turf grasses, landscape grasses, hostas, tulips, flower bulbs, azaleas, and fire bush are the most common in urban environments.
Habits:
Diurnal or night and daytime activity.
Average Life Span:
2 - 3 months.
Trapping Techniques
There is a science to Meadow Vole trapping. Trap placement is the key to effective Meadow Vole trapping. Knowing their biological habits and the use of sub-surface snap traps will solve or control most problems. Intensive trapping or placing 12 to 24 traps, on average, in a landscape for 2 to 3 weeks straight is our method with spot trapping as needed through the season. Typical capture rates in yards are anywhere from 6 - 40 or more Meadow Voles.
Damage and Damaged Areas
Urban environments offer the ideal place for Meadow Vole to thrive due to their biological habits and their ability to live in man made landscapes. Their appetite for mature well established root structures and grasses create unsightly lawns and landscapes due to dieing plants.
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| Root structure eaten out of a fire bush |
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Above ground trails leading to a shrub |
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| Ornamental grass root structure eaten |
Health Concerns
There are not direct health concerns related to the Meadow Voles and humans. They do carry fleas, ticks, and lice. Their sub-surface habits prevent most of these health concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you charge for Meadow Vole services?
- Yes. We are not funded by your local, state or federal government. We are a private business and must charge for our services.
- See our Services page or Contact Us for pricing.
Do you guarantee your Meadow Vole service?
- We guarantee that you will receive the most courteous, honest, and professional wildlife management service in southwest Virginia or its FREE!
- See Warranty page for more details.
What does the Meadow Vole service fee cover?
- The service fee covers us coming out, inspecting the damages, setting 12 – 24 traps, monitoring them for two to three weeks, and no additional cost to you for return visits for trapping for the rest of the season. The season ends on the fiscal year or December 31st of that calendar year.
Will the traps hurt my children or pets?
- The traps we use are buried underground. Out of site out of mind.
- The traps are typically set in areas that children do not play.
- The only reason a dog or cat would be attracted to the trap would be because it has a vole in it. The traps humanely euthanize the voles; therefore your pet would not get harmed.
How do you remember where all the traps are if you bury them in the ground?
- The traps are covered with a small bucket or board.
What if the trap is stolen?
- Very unlikely!
- The customer is responsible for the traps. If the traps are set in an area that you feel like they will get stolen, please let us know so that we can move them or anchor it to the ground.
- There is a replacement fee for stolen traps.
I accidentally ran over your traps with my lawn mower. What should I do?
- Accidents happen. Please mark the spot where the traps are and we will re-set the traps on our next visit.
- We try to set the traps in areas that lawn mowers are not needed.
The landscapers ran over the traps. What should I do?
- Try to mark the areas the best that you can and contact us asap.
- Notify the landscape company and let them know that the buckets and boards are there for a reason and not to run over them.
All the Meadow Vole damage is in the grass areas of my yard. Why did you set the traps over there?
- We set our traps in areas that biologically make sense due to the Meadow Voles behaviors.
Do I have to sign a contract agreement?
- Yes. In order to protect you and our company a contract must be signed.
- Our contracts spell out the services to be provided, as well as our guarantee and warranties.
- You should not do work with a company that is not willing to back up their work in writing.
- See our Contract page for more details.
How many traps will you set?
- We set a minimum of 12 - 24 professional grade vole traps.
How long is the Meadow Vole service fee good for?
- Your contract will specify the time period that it is good for, which is usually till the end of the year; December 31st.
How long does your standard Meadow Vole service last once you pull the traps?
- The service lasts till the end of the year; December 31st. If another Meadow Vole shows up we will re-set the area and remove the vole for no additional cost.
Why did you pull the traps before 3 weeks of trapping?
- Results come fast on most jobs and if we have not caught anything in a week and are not seeing continued damage, we will pull the traps.
- The voles may have migrated or travel to a different area due to climate change, soil moisture content, or food. They will be back.
- Our Meadow Vole services are on a seasonal basis, so we will return when they return.
How often do you re-bait the traps?
- Every time that we check them, we will re-bait them if needed.
How soon can you set the traps?
- We will typically set the traps the day you call.
- We always have traps available.
- We carry the necessary traps needed in our trucks daily on a seasonal basis to better service the customer the day they call.
- We do not like to put anything off until tomorrow.
How often do you check the traps?
- State law requires that the traps are checked daily.
How do I get in touch with the technician if I notice that an animal is trapped?
- The contract has our office number on it as well as our business card.
- Our secretary will notify the technician.
- See the Contact Us section for more details.
My yard must have 50 Meadow Voles in it. Will you be able to catch all of them?
- On average, we will capture 10 to 20 voles in a yard in the first 3 week period. Throughout the season we may capture up to 40 voles in your landscape.
- The Meadow Vole tends to travel quiet a bit in search of alternate foods, changes in climate, soil moisture content, or establish its own territory. This travel or migrating pattern may lead you to believe the Meadow Voles are gone, when most likely they will return shortly.
Will the Meadow Voles from my neighbors' yard come into my yard?
- Due to the Meadow Voles travel or migrating patterns, yes is the answer to your question.
- If an Meadow Vole does not detect another voles presence in a tunnel system they may establish a new home.
- We suggest that you contact your neighbors and ask them to participate in our Meadow Vole removal services at the same time as yours. If they are interested, we will discount our service fees for everyone involved.
Why did the Meadow Vole pick my yard and not the neighbors?
- The Meadow Vole prefers landscapes with ground cover plants, turf grass, low lying plants and ornamental grasses. Your neighbor may not care for their lawn as well as you do or have the idea food sources that you have.
- Having a nice lawn and landscape has its advantages and disadvantages.
Will the sonic noise makers rid my yard of Meadow Voles?
- If you feel like these devices work, it is only a coincidence.
- You are convincing yourself that they work, yet your problem is only going to be prolonged.
- Trapping is the only effective method of control!
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