Do you see paths in your grass? If so, you could have meadow voles. These little 3 to 4 inch rodents chew runways in turfgrass. At first, it is just an eyesore. But over time, it can start to really damage your lawn. These pests are known to completely decimate ground cover.
Do you have trees with damaged bark at the base? Meadow voles damage trees by encircling the bottoms and eating away all the bark. This can deprive trees of vital nutrients and lead to the death of those trees.
Do you have dead ornamental plants? While meadow voles aren’t the only critters that can damage ornamentals, they sometimes do it in a way that is somewhat unique. A meadow vole will often chew its way up through the center of a plant and kill it from the inside out. If you’re trying to maintain a beautiful landscape, this type of damage can be costly to deal with.
Do you have holes? Meadow voles create holes. Lots of holes. The more meadow voles you have, the more holes you’re going to have. More voles means more holes. And these holes differ from groundhog and mole holes in that there is no pile of dirt. A groundhog hole will usually have a pile to one side of its hole and moles tend to have a pile of soil all the way around their holes. Meadow vole holes look like someone shoved a 2-inch pipe in the ground. Over and over again.
Are you seeing holes without dirt piles in your yard? Do you see runways in your ground cover? Are you seeing dry patches or dead plants? Are you seeing tree girding? You probably have a meadow vole. But, whether you do or not, we can help. At Smith’s Pest Management, we are experts at trapping a wide range of ground-dwelling pests. We can help you get rid of meadow voles and keep them from costing you an arm and a leg in landscaping and lawn care repair. If you live in the Bay Area, contact us today for a consultation.
