Identification - The meadow mouse or (vole) is small when compared to a chipmunk. However, it is the largest mouse living in Michigan, weighing about 1 ¼ ounces when full grown. The upper parts of the vole are slate gray to dark brown in color. The sides are covered with lighter color fur. The hairs on the under parts are silver-tipped. The ears are usually concealed by dense fur. The tail is twice the length of its hind foot.
Habitat - Meadow voles are found state wide and make shallow tunnels in the ground and surface runways in the grass. They also girdle tree trunks in fall and winter. Pine voles prefer scattered tree roots. Prairie voles are found in southwestern Michigan and the evidence of their presence resembles both meadow and pine voles. Voles can also be found in the following places: hay bales, under boards, in crates, and brush piles.
Diet - Voles eat a wide variety of plants, most frequently grasses and forbes. In late summer and fall, they store seeds, tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes. They eat bark, primarily in fall and winter, and will eat crops, especially when their populations are high. Occasional food items include snails, insects, and animal remains.
Reproduction - Voles may breed throughout the year, but most commonly in spring and summer. In the field they have 1 to 5 litters per year. Litter sizes range from 1 to 11, but usually average 3 to 6. The gestation period is about 21 days. Life spans are short, ranging from 2 to 16 months.
Voles cause damage by feeding off the bark of trees and shrubs. Vole damage to trees and shrubs generally occurs in the winter under snow cover. However, in many instances the damage is not noted until spring after the snow has melted. Their runways (travel lanes) can be identified as narrow, shallow lanes in the sod. They are generally covered with grass. An abundance of small mouse holes, runways, mouse droppings, grass clippings and girdling on trees and shrubs indicate the presence and relative abundance of voles.
Exclusion - Wire
netting "mouse guards" have been popular and effective in reducing
the damage in orchards, tree nurseries and residential areas. Set the netting
(1/4- inch mesh hardware cloth) around the base of fruit or ornamental trees
3-4 inches in the ground and 3-4 inches from ground level (to prevent rabbit
damage). Wire mouse guards have several important advantages: They provide
protection for several years after initial labor and material cost, there
is little maintenance expense involved, and a minimum number of inspections
are needed.
Habitat Modification - Eliminate weeds, ground cover, and litter
in and around crops, lawns, and cultivated areas to reduce vole populations.
Lawn and turf should be mowed regularly. Mulch should be cleared 3 feet
or more from the bases of trees. Soil tillage is effective in reducing vole
damage as it removes cover, destroys existing runway-burrow systems and
kills some voles outright.
Repellents - Voles can be repelled from trees and shrubs for up to
90 days by applying a solution of 10-20% thiram and sticker (an adhesive)
to all bark surfaces vulnerable to gnawing.
Toxicants - Vole populations can be reduced in fruit orchards and
tree plantations by evenly applying or broadcasting toxic baits containing
zinc phosphide, diphacinone and chlorophacinone. However, these are restricted
use pesticides. They should be applied to grassy areas in and around vulnerable
trees. Do not place baits in piles or on bare soil. Research has
shown that bait in piles and/or on bare soil is least effective in killing
voles and most hazardous to non-target wildlife and pets. PVC pipe bait
station - 1 to 1-3/4 inch PVC pipe constructed in an L-shape or upside down
T-shape. The horizontal pipe should be at least 12 inches long so that the
bait does not spill out the end. The vertical pipe can be of any convenient
height and can be attached to a tree or a stake. Place bait in pipe in October
or November and again in December, January or February if necessary. Zinc
phosphide baits should not be reapplied within 90 days of previous application
because voles become bait-shy due to its fast action. Do not fill vertical
pipe with bait. Do not use zinc phosphide between April 1 and October 1.
Remove un-eaten bait from stations after the snow cover is gone. Dispose
of bait properly. This is not an acceptable practice in urban areas.
Michigan State University Extension
programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national
origin, sex, disability, age or religion. Michigan State University, U.S.
Department of Agriculture and counties cooperating. MSU is an affirmative-action
equal opportunity institution.
