Voles are small and reclusive, so it’s not surprising if you’ve never actually seen a vole in your yard. It’s more likely you’ve seen the tell-tale signs, like a maze of shallow, 2-inch-wide tunnels snaking around the yard. Other signs include partially eaten root vegetables unearthed from your garden and dead plants that are missing their roots.

Dead patches in lawn areas are created where voles create runways and feed on grass. Look for signs including droppings, fresh trails with clipped or trampled grass, and plants that suddenly wilt or die. There may be gnaw marks on garden plants, vegetables, and around the base of trees and shrubs.

Infestations of voles in the yard tend to go unnoticed until plants begin dying, which is the result of the pests consuming their root systems and a sign that a large number of the animals are present. Property owners may also be alerted to vole presence by trails of clipped grass after snow melt and the girdling of ornamental lawn trees.

Voles leave telltale clues to their identity via they damage the have wrought, and when it is seen. Here are a few of the signs of vole presence that you will be able to see during the warm weather months: Spring/Summer/Fall Tree bark girdling Dying Sod Missing root systems of bulbs & plants