A vole burrows below the surface and can also mess up your yard.
These two small animals both resemble rodents and live underground, so it’s easy to get them confused.
Here’s how to tell the difference between voles and moles.
Illustration: © The Spruce, 2018
So, how do you know if it’s a vole or a mole?
Both are furry little creatures that burrow underground and can damage landscaping.
They are not rodents like voles.
Zdenek Macat/Getty Images
A mole will eat worms, grubs, and adult insects.
Voles eat a vegetarian diet and often attack garden plants.
So if a pest takes bites out of your plants, you’re free to rule out moles.
Paul Starosta/Getty Images
Voles do not tunnel like moles.
Vole vs. Mole: Holes and Mounds
Moles form big volcano-lookingmolehill mounds.
Voles gnaw at the base of a tree or shrub, especially in winter.
VittoriaChe/Getty Images
To prevent this jot down of vole damage, install metal guards around the base of vegetation.
A vole may also damageflower bulbsandpotatoesin the garden.
But, mainly, the vole will eat the stems and blades of lawn grass.
Most mole traps don’t need bait; they only require positioning at the entrance of an active molehill.
For moles, try plants including garlic, marigolds,alliums, shallots, and daffodils.
Voles will stay away from alliums.
Plant these around the border of your garden to deter moles and voles.Vinegarcan also be used as a deterrent.
Apply it all over your yard to keep these pests away.
A mouse has a long, skinny, hairy tail and a pointed or triangular snout.
In contrast, voles look like stockier, thicker cousins of field mice with shorter tails and rounder snouts.
Mice are omnivores, preferring to eat seeds, grains, and fruits.
They also eat insects and, under extreme circumstances, will cannibalize to survive.
Mice are most active at night.
They are attracted to corn, carrots, potatoes, and squash.
They leave behind small grassy nests, ground tunnels, and small, brown droppings.
They look like mice but have much larger teeth, and they’re much bigger.
Compared to moles and voles, gophers are burrowing and tunneling animals that cause more garden damage.
They are also called pocket gophers for their large cheek pouches that hold food and materials for creating nests.
Like moles, they leave behind unsightly, horseshoe-shaped mounds on the lawn.
They eat underground plant parts like tubers and roots and above-ground plant parts like leaves and flowers.
Shrews
There are several kinds of shrews (Soricidae).
Most average between 3 and 6 inches in length.
The northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) looks like a combination of a mole mixed with a mouse.
It is more closely related to a mole (it is also not a rodent).
Unlike a mole, you’re able to see its eyes and ears, which are very tiny.
Some shrew species rely on echolocation to navigate.
Like moles, they have long snouts and sharp, pointed teeth and eat insects, notplants.
They also construct elaborate runways and underground tunnels and will wreak havoc on a yard.
Using traps is the quickest way to get rid of moles and voles.
There are humane traps available, just double-check you release the moles far away from your property.
Coffee grounds can repel moles, who do not like the smell.
Sprinkle grounds wherever you find mole holes, and the moles should find another home.
Both voles and moles are active during the day and night all year round.
University of Maryland Extension, 2021.
