Serving: Stateline, NV, Lakevillage, NV, Round Hill, NV, Elk Point, NV, Marla Bay, NV, Zephyr Cove, NV, Zephyr Knoll, NV, Zephyr Heights, NV, Skyland, NV, Hidden Woods, NV, Lakeridge, NV, Cave Rock, NV, Cedar Brook, NV, Uppaway Estates, NV, Glenbrook, NV, Incline Village, NV, Crystal Bay, CA, Kings Beach, CA, Carnelian Bay, CA, Ridgewood, CA, Cedar Flat, CA, Tahoe Vista, CA, Tahoe City, CA, Squaw Valley, CA, Homewood, CA, Skyland, CA, Sunnyside, CA, Twin Peak Estates, CA, Tahoe Woods, CA, Tahoma, CA, Meeks Bay, CA, Fallen Leaf Lake, CA, Cascade Lake, CA, Camp Richardson, CA, South Lake Tahoe, CA, Meyers, CA, Tahoe Paradise, CA, Christmas Valley, CA, Strawberry, CA, Twin Bridges, CA, Camp Sacramento, CA, Sayles Flat, CA, Mile Tract, CA, Fir Tract, CA, Kirkwood, CA, Silver Lake, CA, Woodfords, CA, Markleeville, CA.
Vole Treatment and Removal
~ The following is a brief overview of Vole habits and common problems, and
our usual Terms of Service with respect to them ~
A Few Vole Facts…
Voles are small, weighing only 1 to 2 ounces as adults. There are
several different species and they will differ in color, general size
and relative length of tail, but it usually isn’t necessary to
distinguish between the species to control the damage they cause.
The breeding season for all voles encompasses most of the year with
peaks occurring in the spring and fall (one captive meadow vole had 17
litters during one year, totaling 83 young. A female from that first
litter had 13 litters, totaling 78 young before turning 1 year old!)
Many vole populations are cyclic and can increase from only a dozen per
acre to several hundred voles per acre. In North America, vole
populations peak about every four years. These cycles are not regular
however and they often result in severe crop damage and of course
significant damage to lawns, shrubs, perennials and landscaped areas.
Voles are active day and night, year-round. They do not hibernate. Home
range is usually 1/4 acre or less and varies with season, population
density, habitat, food supply, etc.
Voles are semifossorial and construct many tunnels and surface runways with numerous burrow entrances.
A single burrow system may contain several adults and young!
Voles can thrive under forest litter and in fields surrounding timber stands.
Vole damage is costliest during the winter when a shortage of
preferable foods forces them to eat the inner green bark layer of trees
and shrubs. The gnawing required to reach this layer can severely
damage or kill many young trees, shrubs, and landscape plantings
The vole damage manifests itself several ways. Sometimes it looks like
wavy paths of dead grass about 2 inches wide. More often, the paths
become little ditches of bare inch deep. The devastation can be
extensive.
And there’s more bad news. When the snow melts, the voles don’t go
away. They’re still on the property, living under mulch, in weedy
areas, or somewhere undercover hiding from their predators — cats,
hawks, and owls.
Voles are vegetarians and they can munch their way through a lot of
additional plants after damaging your lawn. So if you did suffer vole
damage on your lawn, keep an eye on your perennials this spring, if
they don’t come back, they were probably lunch for some voles. Tulips
planted last fall that don’t show up this spring were probably snacks.
Voles also love to dig down and eat the tender roots of newly planted
trees, shrubs, and flowers, so keep an eye on new transplants. The good
news is voles don’t eat daffodils
Warning signs seem to crop up overnight. Mulched areas around your yard
are riddled with intricate runways--as if someone traced a path with a
stick from shrub to shrub. Or maybe your ornamental plants are dying,
or there's damaged or missing bark around the base of trees.
Your first thought might be that you've got moles or gophers, but chances are much higher your problem is the common vole.
Check bark damage carefully. If the bark was chewed under the snow, it
was probably mice or voles. If the damage occurred above the snow line,
it was probably rabbits. Mice and voles may chew at the snow line by
walking on the snow, but never above the snow. They will not chew off a
branch of a young tree as a rabbit does.
Now that you are armed with information, you need to decide how you would like to proceed?
We recognize that a control program may not appear to be justified in
comparison to the damage being incurred. However, the “ounce of
prevention” rule certainly applies in Vole control… Preventive control
measures that at first appear too costly will in fact prove to be a
bargain.
For customers who desire to be proactive and take measures against voles, our service plan is as follows:
Service is monthly, usually beginning in April/May and extending through Oct/Nov.
The fee for a once-per-month visit starts at $45.00 (based on an
average home/yard) per visit. We do find that this is sufficient for
the majority of our customers unless there are extenuating
circumstances… Such as…
Neighboring homes, property or vacant land that have a strong vole presence.
If the landscaping around your home is full of delicious items that
provide a draw for these rodents… In other words, we may killing dozens
of them, but the buffet you are providing them with your landscpaing is
hard to resist…
(Note: we understand the desire for the presence of extravagant
colorful and out of the ordinary plants in your landscaping, however
you may want to consider more native plants that do not present such a
delicious buffet for the Voles…)
If you “must have” an out of the ordinary yard, we CAN IN FACT HELP,
however it may in fact take a more frequent service interval (e.g.
weekly or every-other week service), the service fees for these follow
up visits will be based on the amount of material applied to the
runways, burrows, etc.
In conclusion, each home is different and we are happy to discuss prices further with you.
However we do not have a crystal ball and we have no way of knowing in
advance how “infested” your landscaping is (or that of your immediate
neighbors) as such we can make no warranty with respect to the outcome
of your individual case. However, please also know that we do
share the same goal as you. We are striving to create a vole-free
yard so that you can enjoy it without the frustration associated with
voles. (Note: references are available).
If you would like to take action to protect your lawn, shrubs and garden from these predators,
Please call Bug Busters:
1-800-528-4373