Vole Plus+
Voles are among the most prolifically reproducing mammals in North America, and certainly Minnesota. They live outside year round, and typically remain out of sight whenever possible. In the warm months they can damage our trees and gardens, but the most telling damage occurs over the winter months. Voles will venture out into our lawns under the cover of snow, traveling along the surface of the ground to seek food, decimating our lawns with an intricate maze of dead grass runs in the process. Each spring melt reveals the damage they have wrought, leaving frustrated homeowners to repair their lawns.
Vole damage is usually first observed in the spring. We recommend calling to sign up for our winter program for subsequent years as this is typically a recurring issue, and can be hard to remember to initiate come fall. Our office can get you onto the winter schedule and reach back out in the fall in advance of setting up.
For the damage already done to your lawn and landscaping, we offer a 2 week trapping program to reduce the vole population, consisting of a trapping setup and 3 follow up visits. Well manicured lawns with shorter grass will not typically see a continuation of lawn activity over the warm months, though tree girdling and landscape damage can continue throughout these months.
Technicians will place baited traps within locked compartments to ensure only the target species, not pets or children, can access them. Technicians will note and dispose of any captures, note any habitat modification recommendations for property owners, and rebait the traps. Trapping can be a good solution for an immediate problem, however, there is no lasting effect over time.
