How to get rid of voles
Voles are different from moles — they're small mouse-like rodents that eat plants, chew bark off trees, and leave surface runways through grass. Trap them with mouse-sized snap traps in their runways, protect trees with guards, and remove ground cover where they hide.
Tools
- ✓For trimming ground cover and tall grass.
Materials
- +Voles are mouse-sized. Set the same trap in their surface runways.
- +Bait the trap with a dab of peanut butter mixed with oatmeal.
- +Wrap around the base of young trees and shrubs to stop bark damage.
- +Castor-oil based. Apply along garden beds and lawn perimeter.
- +Also works on voles when applied to ground cover beds.
Steps
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1
Confirm voles vs moles
Voles leave 1–2 inch wide surface runways in grass (visible after snowmelt), chew bark off the base of trees, and eat plants. Moles leave raised tunnel ridges and rarely surface. The fix is completely different.
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2
Remove ground cover
Voles use thick ground cover (English ivy, dense mulch, tall grass) for safety. Trim ground cover back from trees and garden beds. Mow grass short along property lines.
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3
Set snap traps in active runways
Place mouse-sized snap traps directly in the surface runway with the trigger end perpendicular to the path. Cover with a small box or upturned flowerpot weighted with a brick — voles avoid open traps but enter sheltered ones.
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4
Protect tree trunks immediately
Wrap hardware cloth tree guards around the base of any young tree or shrub showing bark damage. Bury the bottom edge 2 inches deep. Without this, you can lose trees in a single winter.
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5
Apply repellent granules
Treat garden beds and the lawn perimeter with castor-oil granules. Reapply after heavy rain. This pushes voles to neighboring properties.