How to Prevent Voles: 6 Easy Fall Garden Steps
Voles, also known as field mice or meadow mice, can be a huge problem for gardeners. These early fall strategies can prevent a vole infestation without chemicals.
Quick Reference: Preventing Voles
- What they are: small herbivore rodents, more than 20 species in North America, with the meadow vole the most common.
- The damage: chewed turfgrass roots, gnawed tree bark near ground level, and nibbled low fruits and vegetables.
- Best time to act: this fall, before snow and freezing, so voles never settle in for winter.
- Six no-chemical steps: mow short, seal the compost, mulch late, guard young trees, let pets patrol, and trap as a last resort.
- Not the same as a mole: moles are carnivores that eat grubs and worms, so the fix is different.
Voles, also known as field mice or meadow mice, can be a real problem for gardeners. Voles are herbivores, eating up the tasty items in your lawn and garden. They feed on the roots of turfgrass and chew the bark from trees near ground level. They will even gnaw on low-lying fruits and vegetables. Sometimes you will see small holes in the ground that lead to their extensive underground dens, where they tunnel and hide from predators, as well as store food. The good news is that there are several ways you can thwart these rodent pests now, without chemicals, before they decimate your garden next spring. The work you do this fall is what keeps them out by the time the ground thaws.
About Voles
There are more than 20 species of vole native to North America, with the meadow vole (Microtus pennysylvanicus) being the most common. Voles closely resemble mice, but they usually have heavier, thicker bodies and shorter tails than mice. Their heads also tend to be more rounded. Voles are communal and will produce huge numbers of offspring in a year. Some species will even give birth during the wintertime. Penn State Extension’s guide to voles notes the same thing folks see in the yard: these rodents breed fast and can do their worst damage hidden under snow cover. Tidying your garden before winter and putting protective measures in place for vulnerable trees and plants is the key to preventing vole infestations before they occur.
Not Moles!
Don’t confuse voles with moles! While moles also can make a mess of your lawn with their extensive digging, moles (Scalopus aquaticus) are actually not a rodent and a different problem. And unlike voles, they are carnivores, which eat grubs and earthworms, so some of the strategies to get rid of these pests differ. Read more about getting rid of moles here.
A quick way to tell which pest you are dealing with: voles leave shallow surface runways and small holes in the lawn and go after plants, while moles push up raised ridges and volcano-shaped mounds as they hunt for insects below. If your roots and bark are the casualty, you have voles.
When Vole Damage Happens by Region
Voles are active all year, but the heaviest damage shows up in the cold months when snow gives them cover and food runs short. The fall window for prevention shifts with your first frost, so the calendar date changes by region even though the trigger does not.
| US Region | When to Finish Vole-Proofing |
|---|---|
| Northeast & New England | Early to mid fall, before the first hard freeze and snow cover |
| Great Lakes & Midwest | Mid fall, once leaves drop and before the ground freezes |
| North Central & Plains | Early fall, ahead of an early and lasting snowpack |
| Northwest | Mid to late fall, before steady winter rain and frost set in |
| Southeast & South Central | Late fall, since mild winters keep voles active longer |
| Southwest | Late fall, focusing on irrigated lawns and garden beds |
In Canada, gardeners across the Prairies, Quebec, and the Maritimes should finish vole-proofing in early fall, since snow arrives early and stays. British Columbia and southern Ontario have a little more time, usually mid to late fall before a hard freeze. Either way, the goal is the same: clear the cover and guard the trees before the snow flies.
Here are a few simple and natural strategies you can do this fall to prevent a vole infestation:
6 Easy Strategies To Prevent An Infestation of Voles
- Start with your lawn. Cut it short in the fall before the snow arrives. Tall grass is a good habitat for voles and mice. Rake fallen leaves and fruit off the ground and save them for the compost. Pick up all the trimmings from tree pruning. The key is to eliminate all potential hiding places (and possible food sources).
- Seal the compost bin. If you do not compost throughout the winter, make sure your composter is sealed tightly at the end of autumn. Voles love to get into compost bins; it is a luxury hotel for them!
- Hold off on mulching. If you mulch tender plants to protect them over the winter, save the task until immediately after the ground has frozen. Putting mulch in place too early offers a snuggly place for voles to overwinter. They will be less likely to move in if the ground is already frozen and they cannot dig below the mulch.
- Send in the guards! Voles like to feed on young trees during harsh, snowy winters, causing significant damage and sometimes even root girdling. To help prevent this, protect the trees with plastic or wire tree guards. Make sure you do not damage the tree roots when setting up the guards. Once the trees are mature, voles will usually leave them alone.
- Do let the dogs out! If you let your dogs or cats out into the yard, voles may feel threatened and move into different territory.
- Last resort? If you have got the stomach for DIY extermination, you can trap voles with the same inexpensive wooden traps that are commonly used for mice. Load the traps with peanut butter as bait. If you can find the holes that indicate openings to their dens, place the traps nearby. (Do not use snap or glue traps if you have outdoor pets, or if children are playing in the area).
Keeping Voles Out for Good
The trick with voles is steady habit, not a one-time fix. Keep the grass short through the growing season, clear brush piles and leaf litter as they build up, and check your tree guards each fall before the snow. A tidy garden gives voles nowhere to hide and nothing to eat, which does more than any single trap. If you garden near a field, a meadow, or a wood line, expect more pressure and plan to guard your youngest trees first. For more on telling these pests apart and dealing with the digging kind, see our guide to getting rid of moles and voles, use our Gardening by the Moon Calendar to plan the work, and check the long-range forecast so you finish before the first hard freeze.
Preventing Voles: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a vole and a mole?
Voles are rodents and herbivores. They eat turfgrass roots, tree bark, and low fruits and vegetables, and leave small holes and surface runways. Moles (Scalopus aquaticus) are not rodents at all. They are carnivores that eat grubs and earthworms and push up raised ridges and mounds. Because their diets differ, the strategies to control them differ too.
When is the best time to prevent a vole infestation?
Fall, before snow arrives and the ground freezes. Cutting the lawn short, clearing leaf litter, sealing the compost, and guarding young trees in autumn keeps voles from settling in for the winter, which is when they do the most damage to roots and bark.
How do I get rid of voles without chemicals?
Start with habitat. Mow short, rake fallen leaves and fruit, pick up pruning trimmings, and seal the compost bin tightly. Hold off on mulching tender plants until right after the ground freezes, protect young tree trunks with plastic or wire guards, and let dogs or cats patrol the yard. As a last resort, trap with inexpensive wooden mouse traps baited with peanut butter.
Why should I wait to mulch tender plants?
Mulch laid too early gives voles a snuggly, sheltered place to overwinter right against your plants. Wait until immediately after the ground has frozen. By then voles cannot dig below the mulch and are far less likely to move in.
How many species of vole are there in North America?
There are more than 20 species of vole native to North America, with the meadow vole (Microtus pennysylvanicus) being the most common. Voles are communal and produce huge numbers of offspring in a year, and some species even give birth during the winter, which is why prevention before the cold season matters so much.
Are wooden traps safe to use around pets and children?
Use caution. You can trap voles with the same inexpensive wooden traps used for mice, baited with peanut butter and placed near the holes that mark their dens. Do not use snap or glue traps if you have outdoor pets or if children are playing in the area. When in doubt, focus on the habitat steps first and keep trapping as a last resort.
Sheryl Normandeau
Sheryl Normandeau, BA, is a Master Gardener and writer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her articles and short stories have appeared in several international publications. She is the co-author (with Janet Melrose) of the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series.
- Sheryl Normandeau
- Sheryl Normandeau
- Sheryl Normandeau
- Sheryl Normandeau
