A ‘vole’ lot of trouble: How to protect your lawn from rodent damage

They might look like ordinary patches of grass, but what’s lurking just beneath the surface is causing costly damage for Calgary homeowners.

Some Calgary lawns are showing signs of unwelcome visitors this spring, as voles have made their presence known in yards across the city.

The small rodents, often mistaken for mice, are causing concern for both residents and pest control experts.

“We found that they had been eating the roots of the plants; we lost roses and a number of other plants as well,” said Allan Legge, a Calgary homeowner.

“They would make these pathways underneath our lawn when the snow melted and you could see the little paths through the grass getting into the flower beds.”

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Ken Fry, an instructor at the School of Life Science and Business at Olds College, explained that voles remain active year-round, but most particularly through the winter months.

“An undisturbed, heavy snow cover is great for them because it’s a nice insulating blanket, and they’ll be active all winter long,” Fry said.

“With regard to cycling, there is some evidence that they will cycle in anywhere from three- to six-year periods.”

According to Fry, voles cause damage distinct from other rodents.

“You’ll see like chew marks or gnaw marks right at the base of a tree, like fruit trees, some ornamental shrubs, things like that,” he said.

“It’s really unfortunate because their preferred habitat is really what is a nice yard. The voles want nice, tall, ornamental grasses, a lot of vegetation, a lot of trees and shrubs, it’s what they thrive on. So, you really have to take a preventative approach.”

Fry adds that homeowners should keep their lawns as short as possible but also try to avoid fertilizing grass past the first week or so of July.

“We tend to pamper grass, it’s native to the Prairies and these voles are no dummies. They know that when it gets hot in July and August, there’s not a lot of water, so they dig into ground,” he said.

“Fertilizing in July and August might be good to serve aesthetic or recreation needs but it plays into what the vole needs too, which is a good nitrogen-rich food source. Once that gets covered with snow, there is still vibrant growth and a lot of food value for them into the winter.”

That’s why homeowners are encouraged to get ahead of the problem by contacting a pest control expert.

The Pest Control Guy, a Calgary-based company, says it’s already seeing a larger than normal spike this year in vole calls.

“This year, yeah, we’re having a lot of vole calls—more than usual,” said Kevin, a contractor with the company.

“Customers will ask, ‘Kevin, why am I having voles? I’ve lived here 10 years.’ Well, you have a new neighbour, and they have a bird feeder, or there’s a new food source around.”

Voles leave behind telltale signs of their presence, including burrowed holes the size of a golf ball or a toonie, which can be spotted coming from underneath the roots of trees or near the side of homes.

Kevin explained that a good control strategy can range from landscaping changes to commercial bait programs.

“We’re not looking to catch a few of these mice or these voles; we’re looking to basically feed them,” Kevin said.

“It’s like a mini takeout restaurant for voles or mice only.”

His bait stations use a slow-acting, dehydrating agent.

“They go back underground where they live, they share it with all the other rodents and after that, they’re going to keel over. The good news is, you’re not going to see hundreds and hundreds of dead rodents on your property.”

Fry also recommends homeowners take simple, preventative steps.

“Clean up debris and coarse mulches; they don’t like the sharp edges,” he said.

“The last cut of your lawn, make sure it’s really short so there’s very little food resource going into the winter. Get a dog and have lots of children—lots of activity in your backyard if you can because it helps collapse their tunnels.”

For more robust protection, Fry also suggests “a mesh fence around your entire property sunk into the ground 10 to 12 inches,” and “a collar around the base of the tree, far enough away that you’re not severing the roots.”