Rodent identification - Ask Extension
Hello, I recently submitted a question about heaving lumpy soil and heard back that it was likely due to vole damage. Since then I set some traps and ...
Knowledgebase
Rodent identification #787462
Asked April 20, 2022, 8:20 PM EDT
Hello, I recently submitted a question about heaving lumpy soil and heard back that it was likely due to vole damage. Since then I set some traps and trapped a few rodents. However, these looks like mice to me, not voles. Could you help confirm? Thanks!
Kent County Michigan
Expert Response
Those look like mice to me. What kind of traps did you use? What kind of bait?
It is likely you have both voles and mice. The voles may have done the damage, but you happened to catch the mice.
I don't know about the first question, but heaving lumpy soil, makes me think of moles. Voles are more likely to leave "runways" through your lawn. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/winter_damage_to_lawns_molds_moles_and_voles
It is likely you have both voles and mice. The voles may have done the damage, but you happened to catch the mice.
I don't know about the first question, but heaving lumpy soil, makes me think of moles. Voles are more likely to leave "runways" through your lawn. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/winter_damage_to_lawns_molds_moles_and_voles
Thank you, I’m leaving mouse traps with peanut butter covered by a bucket over some small holes I found around the foundation of my house.
The heaving doesn’t compress when stepped on and there are also divits everywhere making the soil very hard to walk on barefoot. I think the divits (runs) are why they thought voles
I also have heavy clay soil so I suspect that is to blame as well. I’ve been aerating and top dressing with compost but it doesn’t seam to be helping much. The problems are worse this year than in the past. Here’s a picture:
-DL
On Apr 20, 2022, at 8:52 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
This is likely the work of moles as evidenced by the tunnels. Shrews and field mice are happy to utilize a vole or mole tunnel to move quickly throughout a space while they forage for insects and earth worms etc. I have never been able to catch a vole with peanut butter but mice and shrews are happy to come to that bait. The small holes around your home are likely created and used by voles. There are pellet baits that work quite nicely that you can drop down into the holes and if the run is still active (neat and tidy) they will harvest the bait and stash it away for later consumption. Moles, (both Eastern and star-nosed) are best eliminated with traps.
