How to Get Voles Out of Houses
Voles are mouse-like rodents that frequently experience population explosions. Sudden population increases can cause numbers to soar up to several thousand animals per acre. Vole feed on a large variety of garden plants and damage turf with their burrows. By gnawing around the trunk or roots of garden trees, voles cause even established trees to die. Voles leave dropping indoors and carry unwanted parasites such as fleas and lice into the house. To prevent a vole infestation, the population must be kept low, which may mean ongoing trapping and removing of these animals.
Locate vole runways by finding oily fur marks along walls or other surfaces in the home. Look for vole droppings as well.
- Voles are mouse-like rodents that frequently experience population explosions.
- By gnawing around the trunk or roots of garden trees, voles cause even established trees to die.
Look both indoors and in the garden, because although the voles will come into the home in search of food, they live in burrows outdoors. Look for burrows in garden mulch and flowerbeds.
Bait 10 spring mouse traps with peanut butter and set the traps. Work carefully, to prevent setting the traps off accidentally and thereby injuring your fingers.
Place these traps along the runways. Position the traps at right angles to the runways. Ensure that the trigger end of the trap is in the runway. Ensure that your dogs and cats do not have access to the area you are trapping.
- Look both indoors and in the garden, because although the voles will come into the home in search of food, they live in burrows outdoors.
- Place these traps along the runways.
Monitor the traps daily. Reset traps as required and always remove the carcasses. Always wear gloves when handling the carcasses of voles.
Bury the vole carcasses, or place them into plastic bags that you can seal. Do not leave carcasses in areas where domestic animals can find and eat them.
Destroy the outdoor burrows by digging around and over them. In order to keep voles out of the house is important to control them in your garden as well, otherwise they will continue to breed and new animals will continually enter the house.
- Reset traps as required and always remove the carcasses.
Continue to set traps in each location, until you remove all voles.
Tip
Look for evidence of new voles on a regular basis by checking for droppings and dirty marks along walls, particularly in the kitchen and other food storage areas.
Renew efforts to trap as soon as you notice signs of vole activities again, as it is always easier to eradicate these pests when their population numbers are low.
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Virtually growing up in a computer repair shop, Naomi Bolton has held a passion for as long as she can remember. After earning a diploma through a four year course in graphic design from Cibap College, Bolton launched her own photography business. Her work has been featured on Blinklist, Gameramble and many others.
