Vole Control in Indianapolis Lawns and Gardens

A meadow vole poking its head out of a runway tunnel in the snow — A meadow vole coming up out of its snow tunnel. Those tunnels are the trails you see in March.

Every March somebody in Indianapolis looks out at a lawn that's just come out from under the snow and sees a maze of little trails. That's voles. They're small, stocky rodents with short tails and small ears, and they spend the winter tunneling through the grass under the snow.

Purdue's turf scientists say vole runways are about two inches wide and can run many feet, and that they're mostly cosmetic. The grass fills them in once spring growth starts. The bigger worry is trees and shrubs, because voles chew bark at the base of a trunk and can girdle and kill it.

Voles, Moles or Mice?

People mix these up all the time. Moles push up raised ridges and volcano-shaped mounds, and they eat grubs and worms, not plants. Voles leave surface trails and small, clean holes, and they eat grass, roots and bark. Voles rarely come into houses. If you have droppings in the kitchen, that's mice.

Where They Do the Most Damage

Yards that back onto fields, retention ponds or tall grass see the most voles. That's common in the newer subdivisions out in Noblesville, Brownsburg and Plainfield. Damage shows up:

As winding trails in the lawn after snow melt
As chewed bark at the base of young trees, fruit trees and shrubs
In flower beds with thick bark mulch, where they tunnel unseen
Under spilled bird seed beneath feeders

Got droppings, chewing or noises in the wall?

One call connects you with a licensed rodent company that works your side of town.

(317) 996-1254

What Helps

Purdue suggests mowing tall grass before winter, keeping shrubs trimmed up off the ground, using rock mulch instead of bark near the trunk, and moving bird feeders so seed doesn't pile up. Hardware cloth guards around young trees keep them from being girdled. For bigger problems, a provider can trap in the runways. Any bait has to follow the label and state rules, and a licensed tech knows what's allowed. Our vole guide has more.

Rodent Q&A

Will my lawn come back?

Usually, yes. Rake out the loose grass in the runways and the lawn fills in as it greens up.

Do voles get in the house?

Rarely. They stay in the yard. A rodent in the house is almost always a mouse.

Covering Broad Ripple, Irvington, Fountain Square, Lawrence, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, Avon, Brownsburg, Plainfield, Greenwood.