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Rodents

Voles

Microtus spp.

Danger Level: 2/5Updated September 2026 · Boise, ID

IdentificationHow to Identify Voles

Quick Answer

Voles (meadow mice) are small, stocky rodents with short tails, small ears, and blunt snouts. They're often confused with mice but have smaller eyes, shorter tails (about 1/3 body length), and stockier bodies.

Full identification notes

In Idaho, the montane vole and meadow vole are most common.

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Voles Behavior & Habits

Understanding how voles behave helps prevent infestations

Voles dig shallow tunnel systems just below the soil surface or under snow cover.

More about their habits

They're active day and night, year-round. One pair can produce 100+ offspring per year. They eat grass, roots, bulbs, and bark, and they do serious damage to fruit trees and ornamentals in winter.

Voles Risks & Dangers

What voles can do to your health and property

Health Risks

Voles rarely come inside, so direct health risks are low.

Property Damage

Voles cause significant landscape damage.

Full health and property details

Health Risks

They can carry ticks and fleas that pass on disease, so don't handle them without gloves.

Property Damage

They girdle trees and shrubs (eating bark around the base), destroy bulbs and root vegetables, kill lawns with their runway systems, and can damage irrigation lines.

Signs of Voles Infestation

Look for these indicators in your home

Signs You Have Voles

What homeowners spot first

  1. Surface runways (1-2 inch wide paths) through grass
  2. Small round holes (1.5 inches) at ground level
  3. Gnaw marks on tree bark near ground level
More signs to look for
  1. Dead patches in lawn following runway patterns
  2. Missing or damaged bulbs and root vegetables
  3. Droppings (small, greenish) in runways

Voles in Boise & the Treasure Valley

Voles are everywhere across the Treasure Valley, especially in older Boise neighborhoods like the North End and Eagle subdivisions where mature landscaping gives them cover.

More on what we see locally

We see the worst tree damage in late February and early March, when the last snow melts back and homeowners find girdled trunks on their fruit trees. Meridian and Eagle properties that back up to greenbelts, canals, or open fields get hit hardest year after year.

Our Solution

How We Handle Voles

What our approach looks like

Voles and other rodents living outside are usually a separate service with separate pricing from our general pest plan, so we look at the runway activity and quote the job first.

Our full approach

Habitat changes make a big difference on your end: trim back dense groundcover, pull mulch away from tree trunks, and wrap fruit trees and young shrubs with hardware-cloth guards. Call (208) 297-7947 for a vole quote.

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How to Prevent Voles

Steps you can take to reduce the risk of infestation

  1. Keep lawns mowed short (removes cover)
  2. Remove leaf litter and ground debris
  3. Pull mulch 3+ inches away from tree trunks
More prevention steps
  1. Use hardware cloth cylinders around young trees
  2. Reduce dense groundcover near valuable plants
  3. Remove fallen fruit and seeds

Voles Questions Answered

Common questions about identification, prevention, and treatment

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What's the difference between voles and moles?

Quick answerVoles are small rodents that eat plants and create surface runways.

Moles are insectivores with large digging claws that create raised tunnel ridges. Voles damage plants; moles damage lawns but actually eat grubs and insects.

Why are voles killing my trees?

Quick answerVoles gnaw bark off trees at the base (girdling), especially under snow cover in winter.

Once bark is removed around the entire trunk, the tree dies. Protect young trees with hardware cloth guards extending 18 inches high.

Do cats control voles?

Quick answerCats, owls, and hawks all help knock down vole numbers, but they rarely wipe out a population.

Voles breed too fast (5-10 litters a year) for predators to keep up on their own. If voles are tearing up your yard, give us a call at (208) 297-7947.

Think You Have Voles?

Call and we'll talk through your options. We usually get out within 24 to 48 hours.

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