Best Vole Traps

What Are Voles?

When people think of rodents, creatures such as mice and chipmunks are the first thing that come to mind. However, voles are just as troublesome. Many find that these mouse-like creatures are difficult to identify, and even more challenging to control. Voles typically stretch anywhere from four to nine inches long and weigh about two ounces. They are known to wreak havoc on:

• Trees
• Plants
• Gardens
• Grass
• Bulbs

Voles usually have a stout body and fur that is either grey or brown. The rodents also tend to have a short tail and short legs, in addition to ears covered in hair. When in the wild, the creatures tend to live up to six months. Voles tend to make home within a quarter acre of property and rely on dense ground cover to keep them safe. They also love to burrow underground, destroying your yard.

Vole Diet and Activity

Voles burrow because they enjoy feeding on the vegetation that sits beneath the surface. The creature will devour grass and its roots. They’ll also consume things such as stems, leaves, and seeds. Voles do not hibernate and are active year-round, even during the winter. Furthermore, they build their extensive tunnel system both during the day and at night.

How Quickly Can Vole Populations Grow?

Experts recognize voles as some of the quickest breeders in the rodent family. A female vole can produce anywhere from five to ten litters in a year. Each litter produces three to six voles. This means that a single female can produce anywhere from 15 to 60 offspring in one year. Spring and summer tend to be when reproduction is at its highest.

How Do You Know If You Have Vole Damage?

Unlike other rodents, which you could see scurrying around visibly, rodents are challenging to identify because they exist underground. Many homeowners don’t discover that they are dealing with an infestation of voles until the creatures cause extensive damage. One of the tell-tale signs of voles is surface runways in your yard. These irregular paths span one to two inches wide.

Homeowners will likely find holes in their lawn. The holes often coincide with surface runways. This is because the holes serve as the entry and exit points for voles into their tunnels. The holes are tiny, usually no more significant than one to two inches in diameter. Furthermore, trees on the property may begin to show girdled bark with irregular gnaw marks at the base.

Lastly, some of the other most common signs of voles include plants that are yellow and wilted. Additionally, if you notice that plants bulbs are missing, it could be a sign of a vole infestation. Sometimes missing bulbs are more obvious initially than surface runways or holes in the lawn. If you plant flowers in the spring, be diligent when checking to see if the bulbs have gone missing.

Where to Place a Trap?

If you choose to purchase one of the best vole traps that we’ve provided, it’s critical that you use it correctly to improve your chances of success. We recommend placing the traps next to the surface runways that appear in your yard. Also, keep in mind that voles go in and out of holes, so putting a trap near these areas should increase the likelihood of catching the creature.

Additionally, homeowners will need to use bait when setting the traps. We recommend using a lure that is sticky, such as peanut butter. If you use other types of bait, it’s possible for another rodent to steal it. By using a spreadable substance like peanut butter, you’ll ensure that the lure remains in place. Spread the peanut butter onto the trigger plate. When a vole steps on the plate, it will activate the trap.

Summary

If voles have overrun your home or yard, you should take swift action to eliminate the problem. We recommend using multiple traps at once, especially if you have a massive infestation. When used in conjunction with one another, these humane vole traps are incredibly useful and will eliminate your infestation quickly and effectively.