How Do Meadow Voles Invade San Francisco Bay Area Lawns?

Bay Area's Gopher & Pest Control Specialists

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You wouldn’t expect a little 3-inch critter to be a serious threat to your lawn but voles will have you changing your mind quickly. The runways they create in your ground cosaver will be hard to miss. The girding they do on trees will make them unsightly and can lead to the death of the trees. When trees die, it can be hard to replace them in your landscaping without throwing the entire aesthetic of your landscaping off. They attack ornamental plants, like the New Zealand flax, from the bottom upwards. They’ll chew right inside the bulb. This can cause them to collapse and the ferns to fall off. The amount of damage meadow voles can do is startling. So today we’re going to talk about how meadow voles invade your yard and what you can do to prevent them from damaging your lawn and landscaping.

meadow vole san francisco

Vole Invaders

Voles run across the ground and tunnel under the ground. They can use either method to get into your yard but it is likely to be the first. As meadow voles feed on grass, they make runways. These runways could give you some idea as to which side of your property voles came in if you catch them early enough. Over time, and as more and more voles populate your yard, it is harder to tell.

Vole Control

It can be extremely difficult to control meadow voles without proper training and equipment. This leads some property owners to make choices that are destructive or dangerous. It is best to contact a trusted wildlife control specialist like Smith’s Pest Management when meadow voles invade your yard. At Smith’s we don’t just trap gophers, we trap meadow voles as well. Our technicians deal with many wildlife pest problems, including meadow vole infestations. They are state licensed and insured professionals who have been trained under Zachary Smith, a professional horticulturist and expert in wildlife trapping. Here’s how it works:

  • We perform a detailed inspection of your property and assess the extent of your infestation.
  • We develop a pest-management plan using advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. The philosophy of IPM is to use Green solutions first, only resorting to chemical products when absolutely necessary.
  • We strategically place and mark specially designed, ground tamper-resistant traps and supervise a systematic collection of the voles from your yard. You’ll receive frequent visits from a licensed technician who will remove dead meadow voles from your property and re-bait the traps as needed.
  • We perform an expert analysis of your vole control plan as it is implemented. If new meadow voles are showing up, your technician will know it and act appropriately to address the situation.
  • We fumigate holes, when necessary, to eliminate troublesome voles. These injections use carbon monoxide to eliminate voles humanely.
  • We provide ongoing meadow vole service when needed. If you have expensive landscaping, you can’t let your guard down when it comes to vole infestations. The destruction of one plant can create an eyesore that will cost you thousands to fix. If you have an orchard, these pests can eat into your profits by damaging your trees. Ongoing monitoring can help to prevent a loss of revenue.

When it comes to dealing with a tiny critter with such destructive potential, you shouldn’t settle for just any pest control company. Many companies give inflated promises and provide less-than-ideal results. Choose a company like Smith’s Pest Management, one that has a proven track record of successfully controlling wildlife pests. Check the page of the company you’re researching and see if they provide the comprehensive services listed above. Be sure to check their credentials on their “About Us” page. See if they employ state-licensed professionals and find out what type of training they receive. It could save you a lot of money and a lot of frustration.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, we hope you’ll choose Smith’s Pest Management for your wildlife control needs. Whether you’re a homeowner or a business owner, and no matter how big your property is, we have the experience and training to remove pests and protect your property from future infestations.

Bob M. - Fremont, CA

The gophers killed my fruit trees, and upended my garden and it became impossible to keep up with them. So I contacted Smith and they took care of them for me.