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	Voles

Voles
-by Dennis M. Ferraro Extension Educator Douglas/Sarpy Extension Unit

These rodents, also referred to as meadow mice, are common in eastern Nebraska. They are about three to four inches long and have brownish-black fur, very short tails and small ears. They are often mistaken for house mice, but are slightly larger. Unlike mice, voles seem to have necks and are lighter colored on their undersides.
Voles prefer to be outdoors. They do not nest in kitchens as mice do, but live in outdoor burrows. However, occasionally a vole will wander indoors in the winter. This is accidental, and the animal will try to escape.
These rodents live in yards and feed on seeds and bulbs. They frequently eat spilled seed from bird feeders. Voles are active at night all year round. Signs of their activity are most noticeable in late winter and very early spring, when sod is not actively growing and hiding their trails.
Voles make holes and trails in lawns and flower beds. They often nest near and in rock walls. Their holes consist of open entrances about two inches in diameter, with no soil around them. In rock walls, they may push small piles of soil outward. They may leave trails or runs on the surface of the soil between holes.
This little animal damages young trees (by feeding on bark) and bulbs. When vole nests are in rock walls, they can cause structural problems. If control is needed, a box trap such as "ketch-all" or "tin-cat" can be used to capture and remove voles. These need not be baited. When traps are placed in the nesting area, large numbers of voles may be captured overnight. Poison seed baits can be used, but are not recommended because of potential hazards to birds, pets and children.