Anyone who’s ever had a vole infestation knows that the voracious little critters are extremely damaging to just about any kind of plant material they come across. Here in Manitoba, the most common type of vole is the meadow vole, though you might sometimes encounter the prairie vole in the Western part of the province.
No matter what type of vole you have, you are sure to notice the havoc they wreak on your property, particularly your small trees and your lawn.
Saplings can be seriously damaged by girdling – damage at the bottom of the trunk when the bark gets eaten away. Other rodents like rabbits and mice can cause this too, but few pests are as voracious as the vole.
Your lawn will be ruined from an aesthetic viewpoint. The voles travel under the cover of leaves, mulch, grass clippings, and snow, eating pathways in a crosshatch across your lawn. The ground underneath will be packed down by their repetitive travels along the paths.Rehabilitation of your lawn and garden are absolutely dependent on first removing the voles. They live in great density, reproduce quickly, and are remarkably resilient. You will have to poison or trap them yourself or enlist the services of a pest control company like Poulin’s.
Once the voles have been removed, you can turn to repairing your property. Your damaged trees need their wounds cleaned with soap and water to help remove any pathogens. The bark should be trimmed clean where it’s been damaged, unless it’s still there (unlikely, because the voles probably ate it) to be replaced.
Your lawn will heal, with time and care. Loosen up the packed earth in the packs with a hoe or rake and reseed the damaged areas. Fertilize as recommended and keep moist until new growth establishes itself.
Poulin’s Pest Control has seven retail stores across Western Canada and offers decades of pest control experience. We provide full service pest control solutions that use the latest products and processes, to keep your home and property vole free.