Those worn trails crisscrossing your yard are not natural — they are vole highways. These small rodents are eating your grass, killing your trees, and multiplying fast. Our lawn protection system eliminates vole populations and restores your yard.
Voles — often called meadow mice or field mice — are small rodents about 4 to 6 inches long with stocky bodies, short tails, and small ears. They look like chubby, short-tailed mice and are commonly confused with moles (which are completely different animals).
Unlike moles that tunnel underground eating insects, voles live primarily on the surface. They eat grass, roots, bark, bulbs, and garden plants. They create extensive networks of surface runways — narrow worn paths through your grass — that connect their burrow holes. Voles are prolific breeders, producing 5 to 10 litters per year, which means a small problem can become a devastating infestation in just one season.
Narrow, well-worn trails about 1 to 2 inches wide winding through your lawn — these are vole highways connecting burrows to feeding areas.
Clean, round holes about 1.5 inches in diameter at the surface of your lawn, often at the intersection of runways or at the base of trees.
Bark chewed off the base of trees and shrubs near ground level, with visible gnaw marks. If bark is removed all the way around the trunk, the tree will die.
Irregular patches of dead or dying grass where voles have eaten the roots and stems, especially visible after spring snowmelt.
Tulips, crocuses, and other bulbs that were planted but never came up — voles eat flower bulbs from below ground.
Extensive runway networks and dead grass revealed when snow melts in spring — voles are most destructive under snow cover.
Voles are active year-round in Michigan and do not hibernate. They are actually most destructive during Michigan's long winters when snow cover provides protection from predators, allowing them to feed and breed unseen for months.
Michigan's lush lawns, garden-rich neighborhoods, and abundant fruit trees and ornamentals provide everything voles need to thrive. The state's deep snow cover — especially in northern and western regions — creates an insulated layer where voles build extensive runway systems and gnaw on bark without any predator pressure.
Many Michigan homeowners discover catastrophic vole damage in March and April when snow melts to reveal networks of dead trails, girdled trees, and eaten bulbs. By then, the population has been growing all winter. Fall treatment — before the first snow — is critical for preventing this cycle.
We reduce vole populations and protect your lawn with a targeted approach that works with Michigan's seasons.
We survey your entire property to map active runways, locate burrow systems, identify damaged trees and plants, and assess population levels to determine the right treatment intensity.
We deploy targeted treatments along active runways and burrow entrances. Our methods are specifically designed for voles and are placed to minimize risk to non-target wildlife and pets.
We recommend lawn maintenance changes, tree guard installation, and landscape modifications that make your property less hospitable to voles — reducing cover and food sources that sustain populations.
Fully licensed Michigan pest control professionals with comprehensive insurance for your protection.
We understand Michigan lawns and the specific vole species that damage them. Targeted treatment, not guesswork.
Our vole treatments are deployed in tamper-resistant stations and placed strategically to protect your pets and children.
We treat in fall before snow cover to prevent the worst winter damage — and follow up in spring to catch survivors.
Voles and moles are very different animals often confused with each other. Voles are small rodents (like stubby mice) that live on the surface and eat plants, grass roots, and tree bark. Moles are insectivores with large paddle-like front paws that tunnel underground eating grubs and worms. Voles create visible surface runways through grass, while moles create raised tunnel ridges. You may have both — voles often use mole tunnels.
Voles create a network of surface runways — narrow, worn paths through your grass about 1-2 inches wide. They eat grass roots and stems, leaving dead patches and bare trails across your lawn. In winter, they tunnel under snow and the damage is revealed in spring as extensive dead grass patterns. They also gnaw bark off trees and shrubs (girdling), which can kill young trees entirely.
Voles are active year-round in Michigan — they do not hibernate. They are most destructive in fall and winter when they tunnel under snow cover, hidden from predators, and gnaw on tree bark and grass roots. Spring is when homeowners discover the worst damage after snow melts. Populations peak in fall, and a single pair can produce 5-10 litters per year with 3-6 young each.
Yes, voles cause serious damage to trees and shrubs by gnawing bark off the base of trunks — a process called girdling. When bark is removed all the way around a trunk, it cuts off the tree's nutrient flow and kills it. Young fruit trees, ornamental trees, and shrubs are especially vulnerable. Voles also eat flower bulbs, root vegetables, and garden plants.
The most obvious sign is surface runways — narrow trails of clipped grass winding through your lawn, often connecting to small round burrow holes about 1.5 inches in diameter. You may also notice gnaw marks on tree bark near the ground, eaten flower bulbs, and irregular dead patches in your lawn. In spring after snowmelt, vole damage appears as extensive networks of dead grass trails.
Do not wait until spring snowmelt reveals the damage. Call today for a free property inspection and get your vole problem under control.
Call (734) 436-3017