what do voles eat

Voles eat a wide variety of plants, most frequently grasses and forbs. In late summer and fall, they store seeds, tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes. They eat bark at times, primarily in fall and winter, and will also eat grain crops, especially when their populations are high.

What are voles favorite food?

Vole Diet. Primarily herbivorous, voles commonly feed on grass, as well as the seeds, roots, stems and leaves of plants. On rare occasions voles will eat insects and snails, but they certainly have a strong preference for vegetation.

What attracts voles to a yard?

Voles are attracted to areas with ample vegetation for food and cover. Rather than encouraging voles to live in your yard, take steps to remove these elements to help drive them out naturally. Mow your lawn and pull weeds regularly. Remove ground cover like brush, low-lying bushes & shrubs.

What do voles hate?

Some suggestions for repelling Moles and Voles include pouring ammonia down the holes and burrows of moles and voles. An alternative method is to soak cloth in ammonia and then shove the cloth down the holes. Another household chemical that is used in a similar fashion to repel moles and voles is chlorine bleach.

What is the best bait for voles?

The best bait for voles includes bread and butter, small nuts, cherry pits, oatmeal, sunflower or similar seeds, mixed peanut butter and oatmeal or gumdrops. When baiting vole traps, make sure you put the bait in and around the trap.

What time of year are voles most active?

Voles may be active day or night, but most activity occurs at dawn and dusk. Their activity is comprised of short, quick visits from the burrow through their runways and back. They typically will make 15 -20 forays from the nest, each foray lasting only about 10 minutes.

What is the fastest way to get rid of voles?

Try Havahart live vole traps situated perpendicular to the widest vole runways or near the nesting sites at the base of trees and shrubs. Bait traps with peanut butter. Set baits midday to early evening when voles get more active. Reset the traps as often as necessary until you eliminate the population.

How do I kill voles in my yard?

If you're wondering how to kill voles instantly, mouse traps such as the Snap Traps by Victor® will do the trick. For maximum effectiveness, bait the traps with peanut butter or oatmeal. Then, place them in front of any holes you can spot around your garden.

How do I get rid of voles in my yard naturally?

Go Natural

Non-toxic ways to ward off voles include castor oil, derived from the seeds of the castor plant, and capsaicin, an oil found in hot peppers. Spraying either substance on your greenery provide a smell and taste voles are sure to find unpleasant.

How deep do voles dig?

Vole tunnels have openings 1.5 to 2 inches across and are typically hidden beneath mulch, shrubs, or spreading plants. Look for fresh grass clippings or seeds near tunnel entrances. Spongy soil. Some voles burrow and create many shallow tunnels, while other types dig down to a depth of 12 inches.

How long do voles live for?

The average life of the smaller vole species is three to six months. These voles rarely live longer than 12 months. Larger species, such as the European water vole, live longer and usually die during their second, or rarely their third, winter.

Do voles come into houses?

Voles generally like to stay outside. ... Voles prefer eating plant materials and generally don't do well indoors. As such, they rarely enter the house. When they do enter your house, you have several options for getting rid of them.

Can voles damage your foundation?

After the winter thaw, many a homeowner has discovered extensive vole damage around their foundation plantings. ... Fact: Voles aren't particularly difficult to kill; however, state and local regulations often stipulate what they'll allow because of environmental regulations.

How many voles live in a colony?

How many voles are in a colony and what makes up a colony? There may be two adults, several juveniles, and a nest with up to 5 babies in a family colony. Adults are thought to defend their home habitat or territory from invasion by other voles.

Where do voles nest?

Habitat. Voles can be found throughout North America in dense grassy fields, gardens, meadows, woodlands, along lakes and rivers and in agricultural areas. Voles make their nests in underground burrows around tree roots, ground cover and beneath fruit trees.

Should I get rid of voles?

Eliminate Entryways

Even though you're more likely to see other rodents like mice and rats inside your home, voles are the same size and just as likely to make their way there. Any type of rodent in close quarters with you can cause a variety of hazards, including health problems and danger for your pets or children.

Are voles active at night?

Voles are active day and night, year-round. You'll normally find them in areas with dense vegetation. Voles dig many short, shallow burrows and make underground nests of grass, stems, and leaves. In areas with winter snow, voles will burrow in and through the snow to the surface.

What time of year do voles have babies?

Voles may breed throughout the year, but most commonly in spring and summer. Generally, they have 1 to 5 litters per year. Litter sizes range from 1 to 11 young, but usually average 3 to 6 young. The gestation period is about 21 days.

Do coffee grounds keep moles away?

Coffee grounds give off a strong odor that instantly repels garden moles. To use as a repellent, either sprinkle some fresh coffee grounds throughout the lawn and garden, or toss your brewed coffee grounds into the garden each day after making your morning pot of coffee.

How do you get rid of voles in the winter?

Trapping voles with simple snap-traps will be a very successful way to get rid of moderate vole populations: Fall and winter is a good time to begin trapping; not only because food sources are dwindling, but it can help reduce populations before winter, which is when vole damage is at its worst.

How do you tell if you have moles or voles?

Moles are evolved to live underground virtually full time. They don't see well, with skin over their eyes, and their limbs are built specifically for digging. Mole fur is very soft and velvety compared to voles. Both rodents are of a similar size though — four to five inches.