Meadow Vole

• Plants wilting and dying with no above-ground pest visible — roots have been eaten
• Shallow surface runways (about 1-2 inches wide) through grass or mulch near the garden
• Gnawed roots and root vegetables — carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes may be hollowed out
• Stem bases gnawed at or just below the soil surface
• Small golf-tee-sized entry holes at surface runs in loose soil or mulch

Voles are small mouse-like rodents that live in dense grass and ground cover. They eat roots, bulbs, and stems — mostly underground or at the soil surface. They breed rapidly throughout the year, with populations peaking in late summer and fall. Thick mulch and dense ground cover near beds provide ideal vole habitat. Vole damage often goes unnoticed until plants collapse.

1. 01Reduce mulch thickness directly around plant stems — keep a few inches of bare soil around each plant
2. 02Mow grass and clear weedy cover around the garden perimeter to eliminate runways
3. 03Hardware cloth cylinders buried 6 inches in the soil around individual high-value plants or root vegetable rows
4. 04Snap traps placed in active runways and covered with a shingle are highly effective
5. 05Avoid placing traps where children or pets might access them
6. 06Predator habitat (perches for raptors, brush piles at a distance for foxes) can help reduce populations over time

If voles are causing widespread root loss across multiple beds and trapping isn't bringing them under control, your local extension office or county wildlife agency can advise on additional legal management options in your state.

• Voles in the Garden— University of Minnesota Extension
• Vole Management— Penn State Extension