As the temperatures are starting to rise and the snow is melting, you may be seeing many grass laden tunnels appearing in your grass. This year’s vole population will likely be very high due to the heavy amounts of snow received in Manitoba and other certain parts of western Canada. Voles look like a house mouse but have small eyes, a shorter tail, small ears and a rounded snout whereas a house mouse has large eyes, long tail, larger ears and a pointed snout. The vole has a dark brown coat with a greyish belly and in the winter its belly usually turns white whereas the house mouse has a brownish, or grey fur coat. Positive identification of the pest is key so the proper pest management strategy can be implemented. Improper identification can lead to incorrect techniques and control options being attempted and no control occurring. Providing pictures of the damage, examples of the animal, its droppings, or any other evidence will provide the Pest Management Professional the ability to determine your pest problem and the best methodology to rectify it.
Voles feed on roots, succulent plants, and grasses through the winter and make many weaving tunnels throughout your lawn. The evidence is very apparent once the snow recedes to reveal these snaking tunnels. Calling in a Poulin’s Pest Management Professional to inspect, recommend and provide a treatment program with commercially registered rodenticides for controlling voles is always the best solution as the individuals are trained in baiting and have access to commercially labelled products that homeowners do not have access to purchase.
As the homeowner, please only use domestically registered products that have a PCP# on it. The next step is to confirm on the label under the “”Pests Controlled”” section, that the product is registered for the control of voles. If voles are not on the rodenticide label do not use it as a control product. With any registered bait, one of the best management practices to control voles is to place the bait in the small round burrows that are usually along deck and fence edges, placing bait along the tunnels of grass created by the voles is another effective option. Please note that this method assumes that no animals, people or children will have access to the baits and snap traps. Baits and snap traps must be placed vertically to the tunnels, with the snap trap feeding bowl in the tunnel. This method will also increase the overall success of controlling voles in your backyard.
For best results, contact Poulin’s Pest Control at 1-888-768-5467. Our trained experts will know the products needed for your situation and the critical locations to where traps are necessary.