The Key To Keeping Voles Away From Collegeville Yard And Garden

A very misunderstood critter that invades Collegeville properties is the vole. If you’re wondering, "What on earth are voles?" you're in luck. We're going to tell you everything you need to know about these pesky little critters, including how vole control in Collegeville works to deal with them. We'll start by discussing the difference between voles, mice, and other rodents. We'll look at the problems voles cause in your yard and discuss how understanding these problems can help you keep voles away. We'll end by talking about pest control methods professionals use to address vole problems. In this article, you will find the facts you need to identify a problem, deter these pests, and make a decision on when you should contact a professional. If you're long past wondering if you need professional assistance, remember that Terra Pest Management Specialists provides advanced pest control solutions for residents and business owners in Collegeville. Contact us at any time for advice or service.

If you've never seen a vole in Collegeville, it isn't surprising. These pests live in ground holes and typically avoid detection. While they are active during the day or night, nocturnal activity allows them a greater level of safety. You're most likely to catch them at dawn or dusk when light is available but it is dim enough to provide some safety from predators. During the day, you'll likely only see evidence of an infestation. We'll get to that in a moment. First, let's quickly look at the physical characteristics of a vole, just in case you do see one.

• Voles are stocky rodents that look like mice, but they aren't mice.
• If you see a fluffy mouse, it is likely a vole.
• If you see a mouse with small ears, it is a vole.
• If you see a mouse with a stubby tail, it is most likely a vole. 
• If you see a brown mouse, it probably isn't a mouse, unless the color is more of a tawny coloration, like a deer. Voles are typically brown.
• Voles have prominent orange teeth, smaller eyes, and a much fatter body than a mouse.

You can get out in the early morning or check you're property just before dark to catch voles, or you can examine your property in the bright afternoon light to tell if you have a vole infestation. We recommend the latter. The warning signs of a vole infestation provide insights into why you're having problems with these little rodents. 

• Voles make golf ball-sized holes in the ground. If you find these holes in your landscaping, you may have voles attacking critical food sources, such as stems, roots, bulbs, and leaves.
• Voles make pathways just below thick grass cover or runways through turfgrass. You may also see a dirt trench. These paths run between the holes. If voles are attacking your grass, you may have a grass that voles prefer, such as bluegrass. Or you may have lawn weeds that are attracting voles into your yard.
• Voles eat tree bark. If you find a tree that is missing bark at the base, that food source is what the voles are after.
• Voles eat fruits and vegetables. If you find evidence of voles in your garden, you know exactly why those pests are on your property.

There are a variety of animals that can make holes in your yard. Gophers, moles, skunks, insects, and more. Use the tips provided above to determine that voles are the pests you're dealing with on your property. Once you determine that you do in fact, have a vole issue, it is time to evaluate the problem.

The Problems Voles On Your Property Can Create

You can already guess why it is bad to have voles. They make holes and runways, and they damage grass, garden vegetables, fruits, trees, and more. They also reproduce on your property and create a bigger problem the longer you wait to properly deal with them. At the first sign of a vole problem, we recommend getting professional service for vole control in lawns, landscaping, gardens, and other vegetation. It is incredibly difficult to control these pests. One problem that is often overlooked with these pests is that vole control itself is a problem. These pests can drive you crazy.

While we don't recommend DIY vole control, we commonly guide residents toward vole prevention strategies. You don't have to have pest control training to deter voles from selecting your property as a hunting ground for food. Let's look at how natural vole control and prevention works.

How To Identify And Remove Factors That Attract Voles

Long before you're scratching your head and wondering about the nightmare of controlling voles in the garden, you have options. Let's start with tips that will help you keep voles from damaging your garden plants.

Fencing material can keep voles out of your garden. The reason a fence works is that voles aren't great climbers. They are burrowing pests. When you install a fence around your garden, make sure to insert the material at least a foot below the surface. Doing so will help to prevent voles from tunneling underneath. Fencing material can also guard other critical areas where food sources are available in your yard. Consider every point of interest.

Applying shielding around the base of trees can prevent voles from nibbling on the bark. Proactive protection can deter an infestation, but guarding your trees after voles have started nibbling will not likely arrest your infestation. Keep this in mind to avoid frustration.

Before voles attack the roots of your landscape plants, you may trim the base of your plants to remove food options near the ground. You can also apply pea gravel around the base of your plants. Voles don't prefer to dig in pea gravel or feed while in pea gravel, so it acts as a natural deterrent.

Removing desirable grasses, like roughstalk bluegrass, can deter voles. If you're not familiar with this weed-like grass, roughstalk bluegrass is a cool-season perennial grass that is hard to control if you don't catch it early. It sits on top of your grass, which voles love. They feed on it and use the grass layer covering for protection. Catch this grass early and pull it up from the roots.

Since voles like to hide under vegetation and organic debris, it is essential to consider other places they might hide, such as underneath mulch, leaves, and plant scraps. Replace mulch with another material and stay on top of yard work to keep your yard free of attractive vole habitats.

Keep your grass trimmed low. Along with hiding underneath vegetation, voles also like to shield themselves in tall grass. That is one of the reasons they create trenches and runways from hole to hole. The last thing a vole wants is to expose itself to predators.

These are the best ways to deter voles naturally in your yard. The internet is filled with other suggestions regarding voles. We don't recommend DIY home remedies as they often make vole problems worse. The key issue with DIY tips provided by bloggers and video makers is that they aren't backed by science. Much of the information they use is circumstantial. It is much better to contact a professional for vole prevention if you can't do it yourself.

The Key To Total Vole Control For Your Yard And Garden

When you detect voles in your yard, is it time to go looking for Collegeville pest control for vole pest control? Only you can decide when it is the right time to get professional assistance. Here are a few facts to consider:

• Voles are difficult to control on your own. They are very good at hiding and they can quickly reproduce. Even if you are able to kill a few voles, there will likely be more that you miss.
• Voles can cause a lot of damage to your plants and crops. They eat roots, stems, and leaves, and they can also damage bulbs and flowers. If you have a vole problem, it is important to take steps to control them before they cause too much damage.
• A professional will have the experience and tools necessary to get rid of voles. They will know how to find voles and they will have the tools necessary to kill them. They will also be able to advise you on how to prevent voles from returning to your yard.

If you're in Collegeville, contact Terra Pest Management Specialists for help with your vole control problem. We'll inspect your property, look for warning signs of activity, and track down the zones these pests are targeting. We can apply tamper-resistant bait stations and monitor them to catch the voles in your yard. We may also strategically apply snap traps, according to field-tested methods, to capture and remove voles that are avoiding the bait stations. There is no better way to get control of voles on your property. Contact us today for advice, to schedule service, or to learn more about how vole control works. We are here to assist you in addressing all your pest concerns!

Our certified pest experts will work with you to find the best solution for your needs. Simply fill out this form for a free, no-obligation estimate.