Voles are destructive animals that burrow under the ground and create extensive tunnel systems underneath lawns. The small rodents feed not only on grubs in the soil but also consume many of the plants in a garden. There are a variety of lethal and nonlethal methods to stopping voles. Be careful when dealing with voles, because there is a small chance that they might have rabies.

Decide whether you want to use vole poison. Vole poison can potentially hurt other animals in your yard, including your pets. However, low-toxicity vole poison will not harm pets that are the size of a full-grown cat or larger.

  • Voles are destructive animals that burrow under the ground and create extensive tunnel systems underneath lawns.
  • However, low-toxicity vole poison will not harm pets that are the size of a full-grown cat or larger.

Locate the hole where the vole tunnels start. Place a garden hose in the hole and fill the vole tunnel with water. This will work only if the vole tunnels are simple enough that the tunnels will fill completely with water. Also, the voles are likely to return to the area where the flooding occurred.

  • Locate the hole where the vole tunnels start.
  • This will work only if the vole tunnels are simple enough that the tunnels will fill completely with water.

Place a humane vole trap in one of the tunnels. The trap is a tube that has two latches that close when the vole travels through it. The caught vole can be taken to a faraway location and released.

Get a mouse trap and place peanut butter where the bait is. Place this mouse trap near one of the entrances to the vole tunnel system.

Water your lawn less frequently. Dry soil drives away grubs, which will also cause voles to leave since grubs are the food supply of voles.

Mow your lawn frequently. Voles prefer areas where there is a lot of vegetation, and mowing often will decrease the chances that a vole will decide to inhabit your lawn.

TIP

Check traps every day. If you're able to, check the trap hourly in order to decrease the chances that the vole escapes

WARNING

Avoid using ultrasound and vibrations to stop voles. These animals will not be deterred by any of this. Voles have sharp teeth and might try to bite you. While voles can have rabies, small mammals like voles are less likely to have rabies than other mammals. Wear protective gloves. Use gloves that are thick enough that the vole's teeth cannot penetrate them. If you are bitten, contact animal control and head to the hospital in order to be tested and vaccinated for rabies. Most people who have been vaccinated within two days do not suffer any rabies symptoms. However, only one person in the world has survived rabies without vaccination within 2 days of the infection. Check to see if it is legal to trap voles in your state.