Biology

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Biology Control of Pine Meadow Voles
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Biology of Voles

• 2 species in SC
• Pine vole (underground) - root damage
• nests underground
• Meadow vole (above ground) - trunk damage
• nests above ground
• Also called meadow mice
• Short tails, small eyes,
  small ears
  
• Both eat seeds, fruit, grass
• Can breed throughout year (1-5 litters/year,
  1-11/litter)

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The Differences
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Molecrickets
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Mole
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Eastern Mole
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Pine Vole
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Meadow Vole
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Meadow Vole
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Vole Hole Identification Voles vs. Moles

• Since voles are not the only animal
  pests responsible for
  runways in lawn and garden areas, they are often
  confused with
• these other pests you'd like to
  get rid of namely, moles.
  
• Because both moles and voles
  are rarely seen, it makes more
  
• sense to base identification on
  the signs they leave behind,
  
• Moles produce two types of runways in your yard.
  One runway
  
• runs just beneath the surface.
  These are feeding tunnels and
  
• appear as raised ridges running
  across your lawn. The second
  
• type of runway runs deeper and
  enables the moles to unite the
  
• feeding tunnels in a network.
  It is the soil excavated from
  
• the deep tunnels that
  homeowners find on their lawns, piled up
  
• in mounds that resemble little
  volcanoes. These mounds are a
  
• dead giveaway that your problem
  is not voles, but moles. Voles
  
• leave no mounds at all behind.

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Mole Tunnels and Hills
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Vole Tunnel
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Damage Damage Identification

• Can cause extensive damage
• orchards, ornamentals, tree plantings, field
  crops, gardens, flower beds, lawns, golf courses

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Damage Damage Identification

• Signs
• girdling and gnaw markings
• (1/8 inch wide, 3/8 inch long)
• extensive runways
• vegetation clipped near runways
• spongy ground

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Vole Damage
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Damage to Roots
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Damage at Ground Level
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Pine Vole Damage at Roots
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Damage to Root Tubers
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Damage to Junipers
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Damage Prevention Control

• Exclusion
• Hardware cloth cylinders
• 1/4 inch mesh
• bury wire 6 inches
• not cost effective on large scale

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Damage Prevention Control

• Habitat Modification
• Reduces but not eliminate damage
• Remove weeds, ground cover, and litter
• Lawn turf regularly mowed
• Mulch cleared 3 feet or more from base of trees
• Soil tillage destroys pine vole tunnels
• Research indicates some species of grass
  (orchard) not preferred by meadow voles
  

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Damage Prevention Control

• Frightening Devices
• Sonic and other devices do not work!
• Dont waste money.

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Damage Prevention Control

• Repellents
• Taste
• Thiram or capsaicin (hot ingredient in chilis)
  for meadow voles
  
• Short-term protection at best

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Damage Prevention Control

• Toxicants
• Zinc phosphide baits most commonly used
• Single-dose toxicant
• Anti-coagulants
• Multiply-dose toxicants
• Placed in runways burrow entrance (MV)
• Placement important for PV
• Tunnel entrances
• Cover with shingles or wood plank

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Damage Prevention Control

• Trapping
• Snap traps in runways tunnel systems
• Procedure for PV very important
• PV bait with sliced apple, MV peanut
  butter/oatmeal mix
  
• Fall and winter are best times to trap

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Damage Prevention Control

• Other Methods
• Predators
• least shrew, owls, coyotes, foxes
• cats
• some dogs