Call (804) 729-0046 or toll-free (888) 824-7383
We provide vole removal, trapping, and control in Virginia. Our Wildlife Control Technicians provide professional vole control for homeowners, property managers, and commercial sites across Virginia. If voles are damaging your lawn, landscape beds, or trees, call to speak to one of our wildlife experts.
Voles (often called meadow mice) can cause expensive damage fast, including:
- Surface runways that ruin lawns and turf
- Girdling around young trees and shrubs (often fatal)
- Damage to ground cover, landscape beds, and mulch zones
- Seasonal pressure that gets worse in fall/winter and early spring
If you’re seeing surface runways or shallow tunnels, you may be dealing with voles rather than moles. We can identify the culprit and recommend the quickest solution.
Signs You May Have a Vole Problem
Voles are small, but their activity is easy to spot. Common signs include:
- 1–2 inch wide surface runways in grass or ground cover
- Small burrow openings connected to runways
- Chewed bark near the base of trees (often in irregular patches)
- Plants that suddenly wilt or die due to root and bark damage
- Increased damage near mulch, tall grass, brushy edges, or thick ground cover
Important: Voles do not usually create big mounds like moles. If you have mounds, you may have a mole problem.
Vole Identification
Voles are compact rodents with stocky bodies, short legs, and short tails. Their eyes are small and their ears are partly hidden. Coloring is often brown or gray, with variations.
In Virginia, the most common vole concerns are generally tied to meadow voles and pine/woodland voles, depending on habitat and ground cover.
Why Voles Damage Lawns and Trees
Voles feed on a wide range of vegetation. In warm seasons, they often eat grasses and plants. In colder months, they may turn to bark and roots, which is why tree girdling can spike in fall and winter—especially when snow, mulch, or thick cover protects them from predators.
Voles are active day and night and year-round (they do not hibernate). Their populations can rise quickly, and damage can spread across a property fast.
Our Vole Control Process (What Works)
1) Inspection and species identification
We look for runway patterns, burrow openings, and damage to trees, shrubs, and ground cover. We also check for conditions that support vole activity, like thick vegetation and protected edges.
2) Population reduction (trapping and/or baiting when appropriate)
Vole control often requires direct population reduction. Depending on the site and risk factors (kids, pets, non-targets), we may use:
- Targeted trapping in high-activity zones
- Rodenticide in tamper-resistant bait stations where appropriate and lawful, as part of an integrated plan
- A clear service plan for monitoring and follow-up
3) Habitat modification (the step most people skip)
We help reduce future vole pressure by addressing the conditions that protect voles:
- Reduce tall grass and heavy ground cover
- Clean up brush and debris piles
- Create clearance around tree trunks (especially in winter)
4) Tree protection and prevention
For properties with valuable landscaping or orchards, we may recommend:
- Hardware cloth trunk guards (proper height + buried edge)
- Mulch management and trunk clearance
- Ongoing monitoring during peak seasons
Voles vs. Moles (Why It Matters)
Voles are often confused with moles, but the solutions are different.
- Voles: surface runways, small burrow openings, plant and bark damage
- Moles: soil mounds and raised tunnels caused by digging for insects
If you want, we can confirm whether you’re dealing with voles, moles, or both and build the right plan. If mole damage is the main issue, see our mole removal page.
Vole Damage to Trees (Girdling)
Vole girdling often looks like irregular gnaw marks around the base of a tree. When the bark is removed around the trunk, the tree can’t move nutrients properly and may decline or die.
If you’re noticing bark damage at the base of young trees, especially in winter, vole control should be addressed quickly.
Vole Removal FAQ
Voles don’t commonly interact with people, but they can carry disease organisms. Avoid handling rodents and use caution around droppings and nesting areas.
Sometimes vole pressure drops, but damage often continues until the population is reduced and the habitat becomes less vole-friendly.
Fast results usually come from population reduction paired with habitat changes so new voles do not replace the ones removed.
Most repellents provide short-term or inconsistent results. Permanent control usually requires a real plan: reduction + prevention.
Yes. We can recommend and install protection strategies (like trunk guards) and prevention steps to reduce repeat damage.
Service Area: Statewide Virginia
We provide vole removal and trapping services across the Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Tidewater / Hampton Roads, and the Shenandoah Valley / Southwest Virginia regions.
For the full list of the cities, counties and towns where we provide service, visit:
If you don’t see your city listed, contact us—we often serve nearby areas and can confirm availability quickly.
Request Vole Removal Service
We provide vole removal, trapping, and exclusion statewide in Virginia for residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
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Call for Vole Control in Virginia
Call (804) 729-0046 or toll-free (888) 824-7383