Single- and multiple-dose baits are available, but there may be baiting restrictions in some areas to protect endangered species. For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page. Spalax murinus, Pallas I don't let my cats roam, but one or two go outdoors with me for a time nearly every day when I hang out the laundry and work outside. The Regents of the University of California. The northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California These are restricted-use pesticides that require a permit from the county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use. The northern mole vole is a small mammal about 130 mm (5.1 in) long with a short tail, weighing up to 70 g. The females are slightly larger than the males. Voles live in areas such as irrigated pastures, fencerows, or weedy ditchbanks, where the soil is suitable for burrowing and where vegetation provides cover. The body is wedge-shaped, the head flat, the neck short and the musculature of the forelimbs strongly developed. Repellents are not effective in preventing damage. Scatter around the field to identify active areas needing baiting. [7] The gestation period lasts three weeks, with three or four litters a year, with two to four young voles in each. All rights reserved. A vegetation-free zone 30 to 40 feet wide between a field and adjacent areas helps reduce the potential for invasion by voles, but such a wide area is rarely practical; bare soil borders may be undesirable where off-site movement of contaminated soil and water must be prevented with a vegetative border to filter runoff. Subscribe (RSS) Woodland voles are one of the smallest species, usually measuring less than four inches in length. They are relatively shallow and contain food and nesting chambers. A … Poisonous bait (either multiple-dose anticoagulants* or zinc phosphide*) can control voles that reach harmful numbers. The feet are naked and pink. All field-use rodenticides for voles are restricted use materials that require the applicator to be a private or commercial certified applicator or to be under the supervision of a certified applicator. If voles take up residence inside the cover, the damage is often greater than if the covers were not used. It is adapted to life underground, digging its … However, it is occasionally used in artichokes given the deeper structure of vole burrow systems in the crop. These materials are less expensive, also provide sunburn protection, and are more convenient to use; however, they provide less protection against vole damage since the voles can chew through them and sometimes use them as a harborage. Staff-only pages Plastic, heavy cardboard, or other fiber materials, such as milk cartons, can also be used to make trunk guards. Voles seldom travel far from their burrows and runways, usually less than 10 feet (3 m) from the nest. Voles are alos heavily hunted by predators such as snakes and birds. The fencing should be buried at least 6 inches below ground and should extend 12 inches above ground. They feed mainly on the leafy parts of grasses, sedges, and herbs. Orchards or vineyards that have cover crops or those in which grass and herbaceous plants are left to grow next to trunks are most susceptible to damage. E. tanaiticus Zubko, 1940 Grasses and other dense ground cover provide food and shelter that favor the buildup of vole populations. In addition to bark, voles also feed around the root crown, and sometimes chew holes in irrigation lines. Their habitat usually has plenty of tall, tangly grass in which they feed, hide, and live their entire lives. Voles usually start chewing on bark about 2 inches below the soil line and then move upward to about 5 inches aboveground. They construct both surface runways and extensive underground burrows. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual solutions to specific pest problems. © 2017 Regents of the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Larger than house mice but smaller than rats, Coarse fur is usually dark gray or grayish brown. An effective guard can be a 24-inch-tall cylinder made of 1/4 - or 1/2 -inch mesh hardware cloth that is of sufficient diameter to allow several years' growth without crowding the tree or vine. All contents copyright © They may use pocket gopher burrows. Place snap traps in runways to detect pests. Some products also require a permit from the county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use. Voles live in colonies and are active both day and night, all year round. Voles live in areas where grass or other permanent vegetative cover remains year-round. [5], The northern mole vole is a small mammal about 130 mm (5.1 in) long with a short tail, weighing up to 70 g. The females are slightly larger than the males. Georychus rufescens, Eversmann[3]. 2017 The California vole, M. californicus, is the most widespread vole in the state, found in the Owens and Central valleys and nearly the entire length of the coastal range. This will reduce potential secondary poisoning hazards. Droppings are about 0.18 inch (4.5 mm) long and greenish when fresh, turning brown or gray with exposure to the environment. Some require a permit from the county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use. Characteristic damage is complete or partial girdling of trunks from just below the soil line to usually no more than 5 inches high. PDF: To display a PDF document, you may need to use a It is distributed over large parts of Eastern Europe and Asia. You can recognize vole activity by the narrow runways in grass or other ground cover, connecting numerous shallow burrows with openings about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The montane vole, M. montanus, inhabits … [5], http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=13000206, "Sox9 gene regulation and the loss of the XY/XX sex-determining mechanism in the mole vole, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northern_mole_vole&oldid=950894051, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 April 2020, at 11:59. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');ga('create', 'UA-46953310-1', 'auto');ga('require', 'displayfeatures');ga('send', 'pageview'); Starting in midwinter, monitor monthly in cover crops, weedy areas, and alfalfa fields looking for: If you find burrows in orchard or vine crops, remove the soil from around the base of the tree or vine and look for bark damage. [5] A study undertaken in 2001 found the vole's adaptation to the extremes of the continental climate is based on distinct seasonal variations of thermoregulation. They usually avoid sandy soils. Otherwise, you may not notice damage until it is too late to prevent significant injury. FOR ALL OTHER USES or more information, read Legal Notices. Five species of voles, genus Microtus, occur in California. When baiting for voles with anticoagulants, you should remove all aboveground carcasses by burying them underground, or by bagging and disposing them in the trash. In ditchbanks and other non-cropland sites, bait should be applied in fall or spring before the voles' reproduction peaks to slow or prevent populations from expanding into the crop. every 15 feet to provide support for the fencing. It has short, dense, brownish fur somewhat paler on the underparts. When a field is flooded, the voles must come to the surface or drown. They have food stores of seeds and other … Mus talpinus, Pallas The burrows are complex, the entrances are usually sealed by soil and the nesting chambers and fodder chambers are usually about 4 m (13 ft) beneath the surface. It is found in both wet and well-drained areas. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources E. transcaspiae Thomas, 1912[2] This animal is also known as the meadow mouse. E. murinus Pallas, 1770 Fencing is expensive, so significant damage should be expected to justify the cost of installation. Trapping is not typically practical as voles often number in the thousands over even relatively small areas. Burrows frequently have numerous openings to the surface. For larger areas and where the label permits, you can make broadcast applications using a belly grinder-type seeder or a vehicle with a tailgate seeder. meadow vole ( Microtus pennsylvanicus) long-tailed vole ( Microtus longicaudus) pine vole ( Microtus pinetorum) montane vole ( Microtus montanus) Oregon vole ( Microtus oregoni) California vole ( Microtus californicus) Average Size: 4-9" long (including the tail); 2 oz. And I was going to add to your list until I saw the last point--a cat who can patrol the garden and yard. Woodland voles are also common throughout the area, and they prefer to live in forests with copious amounts of leaf litter on the ground. UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: