What Does A Vole In Streator Look Like?

Voles look similar to mice, and it can be difficult to tell them apart at first glance. In fact, voles are sometimes referred to as meadow mice, orchard mice, or field mice. So, what’s the difference between a vole and a mouse?

The body of a vole is stockier than that of a mouse, measuring 3 to 5 inches long (not including its tail.) Its ears are also smaller and partially hidden, while a mouse has larger, more prominent ears. A vole also has a blunt nose, compared to a mouse’s pointed muzzle. Mice have much longer tails than voles as well. Voles typically have long, coarse fur that is brown with black hairs intermixed. Mice can have similar coloring but are more often dusty-gray in color.

Voles are also much less likely to infest homes than mice. While mice routinely enter and nest inside human dwellings, voles prefer to live outdoors in areas with thick grass or vegetation. They frequent fields, hillsides, orchards, and areas near streams or ponds, but they will also invade residential yards and gardens.

How Do You Get Voles In Your Yard?

Voles may wander into your yard from neighboring areas. If your home is near a field, orchard, farm, or natural water source, you may be more likely to have voles move in. Voles like grassy areas with lots of ground cover so that they can evade predators. An overgrown lawn is very enticing to voles, and they may decide to burrow into it.

Your yard will also attract voles if it provides a food source. Voles are herbivores that eat roots, seeds, tree bark, flowers, leaves, stems, grasses, and fruits. If your yard has lots of trees, flowers, and other plants, it may be particularly attractive to voles. These rodents can wreak havoc on your trees, lawn, and garden. Once they’ve begun burrowing, it can be difficult to get rid of them without professional rodent control.