Moles and Voles

Activity: Mole activity is most visible in spring and fall when the soil is warm and moist and their food is plentiful. There is no particular time of day or year when moles are more active, but they limit their digging to greater depths when soils are cool. Moles are 5-8" long. In spring female produce several young, which mature in about 8 weeks. Distinguish from Voles: Mole activity is evidenced by raised ridges in lawns and gardens. Pine voles also make slightly raised tunnels but will also make use of existing mole runs. Pine voles are herbivorous; Moles are carnivorous. The distinction is important because their food sources are different and their controls are, therefore, different.

Control: The use of poisons or fumigation is illegal in North Carolina.

1. Insecticides that decrease moles' food supply are generally ineffective since ALL sources of food must be eliminated to starve them out. Further, killing all insects and worms may not be best for the health of your lawn and soil. If you elect this method of grub control (not mole control), Oftanol is a better product to use because it does not kill earthworms, as Diazinon does. Insecticides are most effective in mid- to late September when grubs are close to the surface. Spring (April) is second choice but they are harder to kill then. Apply insecticide to well watered lawn or after a rain, and water in very well. A single grain of Diazinon can kill a songbird.

   Milky Spore Disease (Bacillus popillae) is a long-term and long-lasting biological approach to control of the grubs of Japanese beetles only.

2. Traps: Spear-type traps are the best control and the only one providing proof of effectiveness. Set traps in runways, which are either surface or deep tunnels. These may be likened to main roads and secondary roads. Traps work best on main roads, the long straight tunnels. To locate an active run, tamp down the raised ridges with your foot for several days. Check to see which runs the mole has reopened. Set trap in the active run. If no mole is caught after two days, move the trap to another active run.

3. Home Remedies: Numerous home remedies have been tried but none has been proven effective. They include: castor bean plants ("mole plants"), spinning daisy-wheels, vibrators, chewing gum, mothballs, even flooding the run. Commercial mole baits don't work because moles are carnivores and don't care for the grain or peanuts that hold the bait. Some cats do a good job of mole control.

VOLES

Description: The two damage-causing species in North Carolina are 1) meadow voles and 2) pine voles. Pine voles do most of the damage in home landscapes. Commonly referred to by various names such as field mice, meadow mice, pine mice, or orchard rats, they have short tails and look like small mice. The meadow vole is larger and has a long tail. Both have small eyes and ears when compared to a mouse. A third type is the shrew, a tiny carnivore that fits in a tablespoon and is distinguished by its long pointed nose. Shrews are "the good guys," since they are voracious eaters of insects and grubs.

Damage: Voles feed on the bulbs, roots and other underground parts of field and garden crops. They damage trees and shrubs by stripping off bark and girdling tree trunks, stems and roots. Damage is commonly found underground, but the effects are not evident above ground until they are severe. In summer, gardeners notice a healthy plant wilt and die overnight after a vole has eaten the roots. Gardeners can verify vole damage by inspecting the roots or plant base for the chisel markings indicative of rodent gnawing.

Life History: Voles breed year round and do most of their damage to roots and bulbs during the winter. They prefer green vegetation and dropped fruits but will feed on bark during the winter or when populations are high.

Pine voles burrow underground and make tunnels. They will also make use of an existing mole run. If you see a hole that is about the size of a quarter, it is probably the entrance to a pine vole's runway.
	Meadow voles dwell mainly above ground, especially in grassy or weedy areas.

Control: Since voles reproduce rapidly and do so year round, control measures should begin as soon as the problem is recognized.

1. Rodenticide: A rodenticide, Rozol, is available for homeowner use. In locations about 10 feet apart throughout the area, find active runways by placing a section of apple, skin side up, into the hole. Cover and go back in 24 hours. If the apple shows gnawing marks, you have found an active tunnel. If not, try another tunnel. In active sites, place 2 Tablespoons of the rodenticide pellets and cover the baited area with a flower pot, piece of shingle, or other item to block out the light. You must provide darkness since voles avoid light. Wait 3 weeks and repeat the process in order to eliminate those voles tied to their nests with young during the first baiting. If this is done properly, the vole population will be eliminated in about 90% of cases. If not, repeat the two-step procedure. Monitor thereafter at 6-month intervals with apple sections as described. Use rodenticide only if you find evidence of reinfestation.

2. Trapping: Look for the air hole of a tunnel or locate active runways as described above. When you have found an active tunnel, use ordinary wood-based snap-type mouse traps baited with peanut butter and rolled oats, or a piece of apple. Set the traps perpendicular to vole runways at 10-foot intervals. Traps must be covered to block out light.

3. Cultural Practices: Heavy mulching is an attractant to voles. Keep mulch 8-12" away from trunks of trees or bushes in the winter, lest you provide an excellent nesting spot for voles. Close mowing, removing thatch, using herbicides, or placing rock beds or crushed limestone in the drip area around trees and shrubs will reduce the ideal vole habitat and open the area to predators. Surrounding trees and shrubs with wire cylinder guards or hardware cloth can also prevent damage. Bulb beds may be protected somewhat in the same manner.