How to trap voles quickly: The best humane and effective options

Voles are tiny rodents that are capable of causing a great deal of destruction to lawns and gardens. They munch on the roots of plants, chomp on tree bark and make tunnels that ruin the look of landscaping. Their burrowing can also destabilize the soil, which may damage grass and plants.

It’s essential to address the vole problem in a manner that is humane and effective. While traditional traps or poisons might deliver quick results, they can be dangerous to other animals and aren’t necessarily the best long-term solution. This article will focus on the best vole traps for the garden and how to catch voles humanely.

What Are Voles?

Voles are rodent about the size and shape of a mouse or mole. They are round-bellied with short tails and large, dark eyes. Voles range between 4 to 9 inches in length from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail. Their fur is typically brown or gray and they have small, sharp teeth for gnawing on plants.

The Meadow Vole and Pine Vole are the two major species in gardens and lawns. Meadow voles are normally found in grassy habitat, whereas pine voles typically occur in wooded habitat, gardens with abundant vegetative cover.

Vole Behavior and Habits

Voles are active and opportunistic creatures, adapting their behavior to their environment.

• Activity Patterns (Day/Night): Voles are generally nocturnal (active at night). But they can also be out during the day, particularly in cooler temperatures or low human impact areas.
• Feeding Habits and Preferred Habitats: Voles are herbivores that primarily eat plants, grass, roots, and tree bark. They are commonly found in gardens, fields, yards and other places with dense foliage where they can readily obtain food and shelter.
• Reproduction and Life Cycle: Voles reproduce quickly, which can make even more challenging to keep their population in check. One female vole can have multiple litters of 3 to 6 young in a year, and the young are already capable of reproduction within a few months of birth. This rapid reproductive cycle helps to increase the size of vole populations in gardens and lawns.

Voles vs Mole

Signs of Vole Infestation

Gardeners and homeowners typically become aware of a vole problem based on the damage caused. The first sign of voles in the yard is the appearance of shallow, winding tunnels on the ground, most likely in a thicker matted grass or plant area. Voles travel through these underground runways in search of food and to move from one area to another, mapping out a pathway that covers the yard.

Plant damage is a second indication of a vole infestation. Voles eat shrub, flower and tree stems, roots and bark. Untreated, voles can do serious damage to garden beds and lawns, and they can even kill plants by eating away the roots or stripping the bark. Gardeners might also observe patches where the ground appears torn up or grass along the edges of tunnels is mowed down.

Types of Vole Traps

Selecting a right trap is the key to vole control challenges. There are various kinds of vole traps which work differently on catching or killing the rodents.

1. Live Traps

Live rodent traps for voles are made to eliminate voles without poisoning them. They are usually made with some kind of cage and a door to catch the vole when it enters. After the vole is caught, it can be released somewhere else.

• Pros: Humane, reusable, good choice for those who do not want to hurt animals.
• Cons: It might need regular monitoring, and voles may come back if relocation is not far enough.

2. Snap Traps

Snap traps is a fast way to kill voles. When the trigger is sprung by the vole under the bag, a spring-loaded system clamps shut, killing the animal in an instant.

• Snap traps make quick work of the problem, so they are a good choice if people have a lot of mice. They’re cheap and can bag several voles in a hurry.
• Snap traps work, but they need to be placed where pets or children can avoid them. Lay bait by using peanut butter or seeds. Make sure to control them often so no animal gets stuck and not dying fast.

3. Tunnel Traps

Tunnel traps are designed to be set within the voles own tunnels. Voles are caught in these traps as they run through their tunnels which sets the trap off. Most are constructed of metal or of plastic, and have little or no decoration.

• It works by luring the voles into entering the trap, exploiting their natural behavior to be effective. It’s likely that the voles will make their way into the trap without fear, because they’re currently passing through their burrows and tunnels.
• To install a tunnel trap, place it in an active vole tunnel. Be careful to set the trap firmly so it won’t move when it’s in use. Inspect it once a day and reset it accordingly. It is advisable to clean it once in a while so that the trap doesn’t stop working.

4. Self-Resetting Traps

Self-resetting traps are those that do not have to be reset once a vole has been caught as they can catch more than one vole without any manual resetting. They are available for active infestations, and give long lasting results

These are best in heavy vole traffic areas where users need to trap often. They’re perfect for individuals who are looking to trap multiple voles without having to constantly monitor and reset the traps.

Top Vole Trap Picks

Several natural vole control methods are offered at Growcycle to help homeowners and gardeners manage this problem without relying on poisons and to keep their plants safe. Here are the best vole repellents available today that are known to be very effective.

1. Epic 6# Vole Scram Bag

The EPIC Vole Scram Granular Repellent is an organic product designed to prevent voles by changing their environment. This biodegradable repellent disrupts the vole’s senses, turning the area in and around garden into a very unpleasant environment; the voles will leave the area in search of more favorable settling. It is nontoxic to pets and people when used as directed.

What sets EPIC Vole Scram apart is that it disrupts the digestion of voles by altering the taste of their food. This causes them to move away, and they do not do well in the treated area. The repellent treats up to 3,600 square feet, so it's a great option for medium or large yards. It is an ideal choice for gardeners looking to avoid toxic chemicals while safeguarding their plants and landscaping.

2. IMG 10# Mole & Vole Granular Bag

Bonide MoleMax is a vole repellent for lawns and gardens designed to repel not just voles but also moles, gophers, and similar burrowing animals. It scares away these creatures by making their den an undelightful place to stay overnight and have to go elsewhere.

The coverage area of this product is about 5,000 square feet, so it is suitable for big yards or gardens that are frequently attracting voles. It is safe for people and pets if applied correctly and it can be spread easily across the soil to which voles are known to burrow. The granules go deep down into the soil and can protect for up to two months.

3. Mole & Vole Stopper 25lb Pail Repellent Granules

If people have a bigger property to protect, the Animal Stoppers 25 lb. Mole and Vole Stopper Granules is a great choice. This granular repellent is easy to apply with the ready-to-use shaker container, providing hassle-free protection against moles, voles and other burrowing pests. It’s also weatherproof for 30 days, so they get maximum efficacy for a long time, even in extreme weather conditions.

The solution is non-toxic, so users can feel safe using it around pets and children. This repellent works for larger areas and is perfect for homeowners who have lots of yard space that needs to be rid of all the voles.

How to Set Up and Use Vole Traps

When installing and applying best vole traps for garden there are several important steps to take to maximize chances for success. Here’s a guide that can help folks get the drop on those pesky voles in no time.

1. Identifying Active Areas

To catch voles effectively, users first have to find their active areas. Voles typically cut distinct runways, shallow trails in the grass or other ground cover. These runways commonly lead to hole entrances which can be located by searching for holes in the ground. If there is a burrow to be found, then it’s worth looking around the burrow area for recent work, for example chewed plants or freshly-turned soil.

Effective trap deployment is key to the process. Voles commonly use runways, so putting the traps on or close them gets high chances of catching voles. It’s also important to place traps near burrow entrances, as voles often use these as entry and exit points to forage for food.

2. Baiting Techniques

The type of bait users decide to use is crucial in getting voles into the traps. Good baits are peanut butter, oatmeal, sunflower seeds and apples. Peanut butter works really well because of the smell and the sticky texture, it draws the voles into the trap. Oatmeal and sunflower seeds are also excellent choices since voles like them and they’re easy to put in traps.

To apply bait properly, it is important to put it in the middle of the trap. If users are using a live trap, put the bait in the trap so that the vole will have to enter the trap and it will close when the vole steps inside to get the bait. For snap traps, secure the bait to the trigger to avoid the food being eaten without tripping the trap.

3. Trap Placement and Maintenance

Placement of the trap is important in order to catch voles. Place live traps along active runways or near burrow entrances, snap traps can also be set at these sites. For tunnel traps, place them in the way of the voles tunnel with a proper alignment of the existing burrow.

After setting the traps, be sure to check them regularly, preferably every 12 hours. People can release live-trapped voles quickly to minimize stress and injury. Snap traps need to be thrown again after catching a vole to ensure continuous effectiveness.

To keep up with the traps, clean them occasionally to reduce the bait left over, as well as any scent that may discourage voles from entering. Check traps for damage or to make sure the trap is working correctly.

Humane Considerations and Ethical Trapping

To control voles, it’s essential to think about trapping in a human and ethical way to protect the animals and maintain a sustainable balance between their numbers and the garden.

Ethical Trapping Practices

There are no alternatives to humane trapping for those who do not wish to harm animals. With a live trap, users can capture voles in a painless, stress-free way. Safe release is a method by which people can control vole populations without harming the animals that eat them. Also, humane methods, contribute to the respect ethic of wildlife and ensure the least amount of suffering.

There might also be several rules in each area for trapping and transporting animals. Check local regulations before trapping them. Some places require permits to trap and have strict guidelines about where the captured voles can be released, sometimes to reduce disruption to local ecosystems. Be sure to keep these rules in mind to stay out of trouble in a legal sense.

Handling Captured Voles

If a vole is trapped alive, they can be handled gently and carefully to reduce the stress. Wear gloves when setting the trap to prevent contamination by human scent as well as reduce stress on the vole. Release the vole by gently tipping the trap and opening the door after capture.

When removing voles, transport them at least miles from where they were captured. Moving them to another garden or area in your yard probably will not solve the problem, as the vole will just come right back. Choose an area with trees or far into the open where voles are less apt to find cover or food.

The Bottom Line

Understanding vole behavior and utilizing proper traps allows homeowners to control infestations without killing the animals. With careful consideration of when and where to place humane vole traps that work, things can be done to keep voles away from plants, allowing a garden to flourish. Whether people are applying traditional traps or natural repellents, the secret is in staying consistent and doing your part.

For anyone seeking good vole control methods, Growcycle offers useful methods to make sure home owners and gardeners get on top of their vole problem. It offers natural solutions such as repellents and traps that will enable it to protect the garden without compromising on pets or family safety.

Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for legal, medical, financial, or any other form of professional advice.

About the Author

Victor Miller

Environmental Journalist Focused on Sustainable Agriculture

Victor Miller is an environmental journalist at Growcycle, specializing in sustainable agriculture. With a passion for storytelling, he highlights the latest trends, innovations, and practices that promote ecological balance and responsible farming.