Know the Damaging Differences: Voles Vs. Moles

Both are underground yard pests that you definitely don’t want taking up residence, but you need to know your voles from your moles if you are going to deal with their threat effectively.

Here is a look at how to distinguish which pests your yard is under attack from and how to deal with the threat.

There is an overview of the different types of damage caused to identify the pest, plus tips on the various methods you can use to rid your yard of these damaging residents.

Both capable of causing subterranean damage

When you discover the damage that is being done to your yard you might not care that much which pest is responsible as long as you can find a way to get rid of it before it wreaks any more havoc.

But you need to be able to spot the difference between a vole and mole so that you can find the right way to contain the threat.

Moles prefer a carnivorous diet and try to feast mainly on grubs, worms, and insects. If you find that some of your plants have been gnawed, you can, therefore, most likely rule out a mole as the perpetrator.

If you are under attack from a vole they will leave some clues that will soon point to this rodent being the problem. The vole is a rodent and will merrily gnaw away at the base of a tree or shrub in your yard, and they will also feast on blades and stems of lawn grass.

The fundamental difference is that a mole is primarily a carnivore, but a vole survives on a vegetarian diet. It is important to appreciate this distinction as different bait tactics and extermination methods will be needed to deal with the problem.

Getting rid of moles

Having established which pest is attacking your yard from the visual clues left behind, you can set to work trying to get rid of them before they do any more damage.

You might want to try rodent smoke bombs to flush out the moles and it is a viable alternative to setting traps, which a number of people are reluctant to do.

Aside from the moral dilemma attached to setting traps, if you are using a live trap you might have difficulty in disposing of the animal, as relocation is prohibited in some states.

Poisons and mole repellents are also available, but when you are using a method like this you must make sure that you water the area where you will be applying them so that it gets the chance to permeate the soil effectively.

Some bulb plants are considered to be good mole repellents, so you might also want to look into that idea as a natural solution for keeping moles away.

Dealing with voles

Voles love vegetation so if you have that in abundance in your yard it is going to prove attractive to them.

You don’t have to change your view just to get rid of voles but it would help to keep your garden weeded and try to avoid planting dense ground covering plants.

Traps and poisons are also suggested for getting rid of voles but if you want to try a natural solution to repel them if you can get any fox or coyote urine to spread around the affected areas, this will often persuade them to do their damage elsewhere.