You are not alone if you have noticed your turfgrass destroyed by voles. Many people find that snow melt uncovers vole damage. These rodents go into overdrive with snow on the ground and wreak havoc on ornamentals and turfgrass. Voles are also known as meadow mice and look very similar to mice. The biggest difference is that a vole is fatter and has a much shorter tail. These rodents will live in burrows and they will groom trails through turfgrass as they feed on the grass.
Typical damage from voles includes the girdling of woody plants like juniper. Girdling is when they strip the bark off the plant, thus killing that portion of the plant. They also love to mow down runways in the turfgrass and all your hard work on your lawn can be destroyed in just a few days. The good news is that your turfgrass will come back as in most cases the voles do not eat the roots. It generally looks far worse than it really is and within a month of the growing season, you won’t even know that the voles were there. So, if you have discovered your lawn has been destroyed, call the best local pest and wildlife control company, Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control.
What Are Voles
Voles are typically found in neighborhoods that back up to natural areas. Voles thrive in their natural setting of riparian and short grass prairies but will take advantage of ornamental and turfgrass areas as they are like oases in Colorado’s semi-arid climate. Treatment for voles includes a multitude of different baits. We select for their safety based upon location and whether its residential, commercial, ornamental, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. A vole service includes an initial service with a 30-day follow-up. The follow-up makes sure that we took care of the problem. We offer preventative services for customers who live adjacent to open spaces and have a history of vole problems. The worst areas are north facing where the snow typically doesn’t melt very quickly. Rest assured, the technicians at Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control will educate you about the treatment process and walk you through any precautions if necessary.
What to Do When Snow Melt Uncovers Vole Damage
During the wintertime when plants are not growing, it is easy to identify a vole problem. Spring and summer, when plants are growing, is more difficult because some plants can keep up with the appetite of the voles. In severe cases, we have observed entire bushes of juniper fall victim to the girdling of voles. It’s also important to understand that not all junipers that die off are from voles. Sometimes it’s from a lack of water, insect scales, rabbits, salt, etc. Your local pros at Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control can help you determine whether the damage was caused by voles.
Don’t lose your lawn after all your hard work to these rodents. Call the experts at Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control and let us protect your plants from these pesky rodents. Call today at 970-330-3929.
