Voles are rarely seen. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish a vole from a rat or mole. However, the behavior of the animals is quite different. Here we explain how you can recognize voles by their appearance and behavior.
Voles are relatively small and yellow-brown to greyish in color
vole species
A vole is not just a vole. There are over 150 species of vole. Most commonly seen here are the muskrat, field vole, water vole and bank vole. Depending on the species, the size of the vole also varies between 7 and 23 cm. If you have a vole in your garden, it is probably the field vole, a dreaded garden pest.
Vole - recognize by appearance
The field mouse (Microtus arvalis) has a head-body length of 9 to 12 cm and a tail length of 2.5 to 3.8 cm. This makes it significantly smaller compared to a rat, for example. Unlike rats, voles almost always act as loners, which makes them much easier to control.
The fur color of the vole varies from yellowish-brown to gray-brown, with the underside being slightly lighter. The ears are round and relatively large at up to 1.2 cm, the nose is pointed and fine, as is typical for mice.
Voles are both diurnal and nocturnal, but are extremely shy and therefore rarely seen.
Identify voles by their behavior
Unlike moles, voles feed exclusively on roots, moles are insectivores and thus very useful - quite the opposite of the vole, which can significantly reduce your vegetable harvest. Moles also build longer burrows with significantly more mounds than voles.
Mounds of earth in voles
While moles can build over 50 molehills over their burrow system, voles rarely have more than 5. In addition, molehills are significantly larger than volehills.
tips
The vole's best identifier is the damage it does: have you eaten your carrots or other roots? Then you are definitely dealing with a vole.