Anyone who lovingly cares for onion flowers, fruit trees, carrots and other vegetables in the garden knows the problem: voles eat the plants underground and thus destroy the hoped-for harvest. However, there are various ways to deter the animals.
- Voles live underground and create branching tunnel systems.
- The animals particularly like to eat fleshy plant roots, tubers and root vegetables as well as flower bulbs.
- They are difficult to fight, it is best to catch them alive or dead with baited traps.
- The often recommended home remedies for expulsion usually do not work.
Identifying voles
First of all: “The” vole does not exist! Instead, the name represents an entire group of rodents that are biologically considered a separate zoological subfamily and are therefore closely related to one another. Around 150 different species belong to the Arvicolinae, as voles are scientifically called. Particularly well-known – and annoyingly active in the garden – are field voles and water voles.
The animals have their name for a reason, as they create underground tunnel systems and practically “burrow” through the ground. You can often tell that a vole is wreaking havoc in your garden by the flat, elongated piles of earth filled with grass and roots, which are typical for the small rodents. Voles are found almost everywhere in Europe, North America and Asia, and they prefer light to medium-heavy soils - these are the easiest to dig in. Your garden is particularly at risk if you live in a region with loess soil. These are particularly popular with pests.
What do voles look like? Appearance and lifestyle
The large vole is the most common in our country
A species often found in the garden is the large vole (Arvicola terrestris), which is also known as the eastern water vole or ground rat or vole. The animals belong to the zoological genus of water voles (Latin: Arvicola), which in turn is assigned to the subfamily of voles (Latin: Arvicolinae). Like all voles, this species is solitary, but reproduces very diligently between March and October. Due to their heavy feeding activity, they are one of the most unpleasant pests in the home and hobby garden.
This is what voles look like:
- between 12 and 22 centimeters long
- Weight between 60 and 120 grams
- very different fur colors
- Fur can be light sandy to dark brown
- Stomach side often lighter in color than the rest of the body
- small, blunt head
- Ears are in the fur, almost invisible
- Tail about half as long as the body
- Tail is slightly curled and has short hair
Water voles prefer moist meadows and soils, which is why they like to settle near water. They dig branched, highly oval tunnels underground with a diameter of between six and eight centimeters and create several nest and storage chambers.
malicious image
Voles leave damage to tubers
“What do you do about voles? – We complain.” (Karl Förster)
A vole infestation is often manifested by vegetable plants, fruit trees or ornamental plants such as roses wilting for no apparent reason. Because the roots have been eaten away, the plants often no longer have any support in the ground and simply fall over or are easily pulled out. A sudden crooked position of nibbled plants is also typical. Depending on the degree of damage, it is usually not possible to save the plants.
Flat, usually elongated piles of earth also indicate the activities of a vole. These are often confused with molehills, which is why some gardeners take late action against the vole infestation. A little further down in the text we will show you which features you can use to reliably distinguish between voles and molehills.
What do voles eat?
Voles eat a purely vegetarian diet of roots and underground tubers such as potatoes, root vegetables and flower bulbs. They also like to eat herbs, aquatic plants and grains. Fruit and vegetable gardens as well as gardens with many trees are particularly at risk. The same applies to forestry and tree nurseries, where rodents can also cause major damage.
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These plants are particularly endangered
The little rodents find root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, beetroot, salsify, celery and Jerusalem artichokes particularly tasty. But flower bulbs - especially lilies, tulips and snowdrops - as well as various perennials with thick roots are also at risk. This applies to popular garden plants such as peonies, steppe candles, glories, daylilies and heuchera.
When it comes to ornamental trees, hungry gourmets primarily nibble on the delicate root bark of roses, clematis and wisteria, but also of many other smaller ornamental trees. When it comes to fruit trees, it is primarily apple varieties such as the tasty 'Renette' or 'Cox Orange' and their weak-growing rootstocks (especially M9) that are threatened by vole browsing.
How deep do voles dig?
Voles usually dig their tunnels very close to the surface of the earth, but can also easily go to depths of up to one meter. In principle, you can find the passages wherever the animals can easily get their preferred food. Moles, on the other hand, usually dig at a depth of between 20 and 30 centimeters below the surface of the earth.
Vole or mole?
Vole hills are flatter than molehills
Both voles and moles typically raise piles of dirt, although they differ from one another based on their shape. The characteristic distinguishing features in our table will show you how to recognize which animal lives in your garden.
| Vole | Mole | |
|---|---|---|
| Mound Shape | elongated, often elongated, irregularly distributed | rather rounded, often evenly distributed |
| Mound Height | flat | higher than vole piles |
| Mound admixtures | often roots and plant remains in the soil | no admixtures |
| Mound Entrance | on the side of the mound | centered at the top of the mound |
| Underground passages | high oval, usually six to eight centimeters wide | smaller than vole burrows, broadly oval to round shaped |
If you are unsure, you can use the so-called rooting test to determine which rooter it is:
- Exposure the passage from the dirt pile in several places.
- The length of the exposed area should be approximately 30 centimeters.
Voles close the open passage within a few hours, in contrast to moles, which then simply continue to dig beneath the opened area. You can be even more safe if you put a piece of carrot or another treat in the aisle: voles usually nibble on these, but moles won't touch the vegetables.
Why is this distinction so important?
Before you start fighting the garden resident that throws up piles of dirt, you should first check whether it is actually a vole or a mole. This distinction is important simply because moles - in contrast to voles - are subject to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance and therefore cannot be caught or even killed. Violations can result in severe pen alties!
Apart from its protective status, there is another reason why you should not drive the mole out of the garden: it leaves your plants alone, but prefers to feed on grubs instead (which in turn can be quite dangerous to your plants) and other creatures that live underground. Ergo, the mole acts as a beneficial insect, and you can also use the raised soil to produce humus-containing potting soil.
Successfully preventing vole infestations
Of course you don't have to wait until the vole shows up in your garden and plunders the vegetable patch or gnaws the freshly planted apple tree. Instead, you can play it safe and protect endangered plants from the outset. These methods are suitable for this:
- Wire baskets: When planting, you place bare-rooted plants in the ground along with a wire basket, which is intended to keep rodents away from the roots. Make sure to use plant baskets with a mesh size of between 13 and a maximum of 16 millimeters, and the basket should not be too tight around the roots. You can make such a basket yourself (e.g. from yard goods) or buy it ready-made. Special vole baskets for ornamental shrubs, fruit trees or flower bulbs are available commercially. When planting, the basket should protrude about ten centimeters from the ground so that the vole cannot overcome it above ground.
- Fencing: If not just individual plants but an entire garden area - such as a vegetable patch - are to be protected, fencing makes sense. In principle, this works exactly the same as the plant basket, but is only used on a larger area. To do this, dig a sturdy wire mesh with a mesh size between 13 and 16 millimeters into the ground at least half a meter deep and around the area to be protected. Here too, the wire should protrude at least ten centimeters high from the ground and the upper edge should also be bent outwards.
Galvanized or not galvanized?
Many hobby gardeners argue bitterly about whether the wire used for vole baskets has to be galvanized or not. Basically, a galvanized wire is naturally protected against corrosion and therefore lasts longer. On the other hand, zinc inhibits the growth of plant roots and thus has a direct impact on plant he alth. On this point, there is no single opinion that will make you happy; instead, you have to decide for yourself what is more important to you.
These plants keep voles away
Garlic deters voles
Also for prevention, you can plant certain scented plants around vulnerable areas. Some plants are quite unpopular with the small rodents and are therefore quite reliable at keeping them away - but be careful: Don't rely on them alone, as many a vole has known nothing about their dislike and has plundered the garden despite having specially planted imperial crowns etc. You can try it with these plants:
- Imperial Crown
- garlic
- Onions
- sweet clover
- Daffodils
- elderberry
- Basil
Alternatively, you can also incorporate walnut leaves, camphor or spruce or elderberry branches into the soil and root area of plants threatened by voles. This is also intended to keep the little rodents away and is definitely worth a try.
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Do voles have natural enemies?
Of course, the vole has numerous natural enemies that eagerly pursue the voracious rodent. If you have a problem with voles in the garden, get a cat: This will catch the animals and thus reduce the population. But be careful: not all cats are hunters. Many an exquisite breed has proven to be extremely lazy, so it's probably better to use tried-and-tested farm cats for this purpose. They are often used to hunting from an early age.
Furthermore, foxes, martens, polecats and birds of prey such as buzzards and owls (especially barn owls) prey on the small rodents. Now, many of these wild animals are not as common in highly urban areas, but you can still ensure a wildlife-friendly garden. To do this, for example, pile up piles of stones suitable for shelter for weasels or leave entry holes for owls in a barn or stable.
Fighting voles effectively
Voles are difficult to get rid of
Once you have voles in your garden, you won't be able to get rid of them so quickly. The animals are not easy to catch or drive away, which is why you have to try many tricks. We have taken a closer look at the most common tips and recommendations for combating voles. This section tells you which methods actually work and which you can safely stay away from.
The optimal combat time
Of course you can fight the vole plague all year round. However, the chances of success are greater if you take care of it between October and April. Since voles do not hibernate, they are also active during the cold season. This in turn gives you an advantage when hunting mice, because the animals are more susceptible to bait being laid out due to the lack of food in winter - they would simply leave these lying around during the summer months, when there is an abundance of food.
Tip
Also make sure to apply control measures not only to individual beds and plots, but also to larger areas. Since voles reproduce very quickly and reach sexual maturity just as quickly, the young animals colonize neighboring properties in no time. Therefore, the neighbors in a residential area or an allotment should also know about a possible plague and take countermeasures.
Home remedies for voles
Voles are extremely sensitive to smells, which is why strong-smelling products are often recommended. These should be poured or placed directly into the aisles at regular, short intervals and thereby drive away the animals. Especially
- (fermented) buttermilk
- high-proof alcohol (e.g. denatured alcohol)
- garlic
- Thuja or walnut tree branches
are supposed to help against rodents. Unfortunately, these home remedies only work for a very short time, if at all, and do not drive away the voles permanently. Even human, cat or dog hair laid out does not stop the annoying animals from settling in your garden.
Do sounds help against voles?
Many guides and internet forums recommend scaring away voles with loud noises. The animals have fine and sensitive hearing and would therefore flee from specially placed ultrasound devices, from glass bottles or rattlemills stuck in the ground. Unfortunately, it's not that simple and such methods have all proven to be ineffective. In fact, you can only get rid of the little animals with more brutal methods.
Traps against voles
As a rule, you can't avoid catching and/or killing the animals, although these methods are also problematic for various reasons. If you catch the voles alive, you then have to get rid of them somehow - and that can sometimes prove difficult. The best thing in this case is to drive the captured animals out of the residential area and release them into nature.
Meadows and open forests are particularly suitable for this, as there is plenty of food here. Put as many kilometers as possible between the inhabited area and the release destination so that the mice or their offspring do not wander back to you. Also make sure not to release the small rodents near cultivated fields: the farmer is just as unhappy about voles as you are and also carries an economic risk.
Effective baits
If you want to catch voles, you need good bait. Although you can generally set up vole traps without a treat, the success rate is higher with bait. Particularly suitable for this are pieces of vegetables such as carrots, celery or Jerusalem artichokes (one of the little rodents' absolute favorite food plants!), which are best used fresh and peeled. Bait the trap, prepare it according to the manufacturer's instructions, and place it directly into the exposed passage. To make the vole feel safe, close the openings again, for example with a wooden board or a black plastic bucket. It is important that no light enters the corridor.
You can also purchase and use special vole bait from specialist retailers - either with or without a trap. However, these baits are poisoned and kill the animals, which is allowed but not everyone likes it. If you don't have a problem with that, you can also prepare poison bait yourself, for example a piece of celery or carrot with rat poison. However, make sure that you follow all safety precautions, as these products are also extremely dangerous for other animals - such as pets - and for curious children. No matter which bait you want to use: It is best to put out feeding bait in late autumn or early spring, otherwise they will not be accepted.
Set up vole traps correctly
Live traps for rats also catch voles, but only if they are thoroughly “dehumanized” first
The best solution for combating a vole infestation in the garden are special commercially available traps. You can choose between live traps and killing traps, although with live traps you have the problem of “disposing” the caught animals. But no matter whether caught alive or dead: give preference to so-called box traps, as only voles actually get lost in them and you don't run the risk of accidentally catching a mole. And this is how you set up the trap:
- First prepare the trap carefully so that it does not smell like humans.
- The voles, which are very sensitive to smells, would then no longer accept them.
- First wash newly purchased traps with an unscented soap (e.g. curd soap) to remove any production residue.
- These could also warn the vole with their unusual smell.
- Also, only handle the trap with gardening gloves and never with your bare hands.
- Then rub them thoroughly with soil.
- Leave them outside for 24 hours.
- Now you can use them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Use not just one vole trap, but multiple vole traps. For a garden with an area of around 500 square meters, plan around 20 traps that you can place strategically and at regular intervals in the aisles. You should especially place them in the corners of the garden. Please note that box traps only ever have one entrance and you should therefore always use two with the entrances pointing in different directions.
Check the traps several times a day. The measure has probably been successful only when there are no more voles in it for several days.
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Are voles protected?
In contrast to the mole, voles are not subject to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (BartSchV) and are therefore not protected. This means you will not face any fines for fighting, catching or killing the animals. Furthermore, voles are not among the threatened species, quite the opposite. In some regions the animals are a real nuisance.
Chemical antidotes and poison gas
There is also the possibility of getting rid of the rodents using special poison gases or non-toxic fumigation. You can use so-called repellents to drive away the voles, as they do not like the smell of the gas mixture resulting from contact with the moist soil. Fumigation with phosphine or carbon monoxide, on the other hand, is poisonous and kills the animals. However, depending on the means used, these methods are quite complex and are therefore mostly used in agriculture.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly do voles reproduce?
The annoying rodents are extremely fond of breeding: between April and September (depending on the weather, even from March and into October), the females give birth three to five times. After a gestation period of just 22 days, between four to six young, sometimes even up to ten, are born per litter. The young voles reach sexual maturity within 60 days. In summary, a single female vole gives birth to around 25 young per year, which, depending on the date of birth, can father or give birth to further young in the same year.
Where can I find the nests of voles?
The vole - the animals are solitary animals - creates an underground tunnel system, which usually also includes one or two nests. These are much deeper than the tunnels through which the animals get their food. The same applies to the pantries and a special escape tube through which the animal can escape in case of danger.
How many voles live in a burrow?
Voles are usually solitary creatures and do not live together in pairs or groups. The females only live with their young during the mating season between April and September, but they quickly grow up and then leave the home nest. The young animals then look for their own territory, which means that a vole infestation can spread very quickly. The probability that not only your neighbor's garden but also your own is infected is extremely high.
What do voles do in winter?
Voles do not hibernate, but live a rhythm of two to three hours of activity and a subsequent rest period of three to four hours all year round. This means that, strictly speaking, the animals are neither day nor nocturnal. Particularly in winter snowfall and a dense snow cover, an unnoticed vole infestation can occur if the pests attack plants or their roots that have overwintered in the garden under the protection of the white blanket. The resulting damage is often only visible after the snow melts in spring.
Tip
Some gardeners prefer to have peace and quiet and therefore make peace with the voles. So that they don't plunder the garden, these gardeners create special beds with plants that are popular with the animals (e.g. Jerusalem artichoke). This way the mouse finds food and the gardener finds peace of mind.