Heres how to tell if you have voles and what to do about them.
But some types of tunneling are resulting from a different small mammal called a vole.
While moles typically make a mess of lawns, voles can be destructive throughout your garden.
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Voles eat whatever plant material is readily available.
They damage crops and orchards, too, by gnawing on saplings and the roots of trees.
Voles also may nibble on fruits or vegetables, leaving them on the stem.
As a food source for many predators, they also have to be incredibly proficient at reproducing.
Gestation takes three weeks with five to 10 litters per year averaging 3 to 5 young.
Their numbers vary from year to year, with population explosions occurring every few years, says Owen.
Moles are seldom seen because theyre tunneling for food below ground.
Voles typically live in colonies.
There may be four to five flat entrance holes to burrows concentrated in a small area.
In the fall, voles also stockpile seeds, tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs, says Pierce.
