Vole and Field Mouse Control in Overland Park

Vole calls mostly come in around March. Voles are small, chunky rodents with short tails that live in lawns and garden beds. You notice them when the snow melts and the yard is crossed with winding, matted paths. Over the winter they also chew the bark at the base of young trees and shrubs, sometimes all the way around.

Field mice are cousins in habit but not in manners. Deer mice and white-footed mice live along wooded edges, in tall grass and in leaf litter, and unlike voles they do come inside. They're often the first mice in the garage when fall hits. Once they're indoors it's a job for indoor mouse trapping.

Runways in the Lawn After the Snow Melts

Voles aren't moles. Moles eat grubs and worms and leave raised tunnels and dirt mounds. Voles eat plants and leave paths on the surface, about the width of a garden hose, with small open holes and no mound. If you're seeing these, it's voles:

• Narrow, winding paths through the grass in early spring
• Small round holes with no dirt piled around them
• Chewed bark at the base of young trees and shrubs
• Damaged bulbs and roots in the garden beds
• Clipped grass and little piles of droppings along the paths

Why the Yards Along the Greenbelts Get Hit

Voles love thick cover: heavy mulch, an unmowed strip along the fence, ground cover, native plantings around a detention pond. Lots near the Blue Valley greenways and the open land south of 159th Street have more of them, which is why it's a regular call from south Overland Park. The hilly, wooded lots in Shawnee and lawns near the parks and lakes in Lenexa see the same thing, and so do the big yards in Leawood along Tomahawk Creek.

Snow cover is what makes it look so bad. Voles stay busy all winter under the snow where the hawks can't see them, so a whole season of damage shows up at once in March. Light vole damage often fades once the grass greens up, and a rake through the matted spots helps. If runways cover a big part of the lawn or young trees are getting girdled, it's worth a call.

Field Mice: The Ones That Do Come Inside

Tan on top with a white belly, big eyes and big ears: that's a field mouse, and if you're catching those in the garage, they came in from the yard. They use the same gaps house mice do, at the garage door, the foundation and the utility lines, so the tech may pair yard work with sealing the house. A shed full of cushions and seed is a halfway house for them, which is covered on the garage and shed page.

Clean up after field mice the careful way. Gloves on, droppings and nests sprayed with disinfectant until wet, then wiped up and bagged. Never sweep them dry, and if it's a shed that's been shut all winter, prop the doors open and let it air out before you start.

Fall Yard Work That Actually Helps

The plan usually mixes habitat changes with trapping. Traps go in active runways, under a cover so birds and the dog can't get at them. Outdoor bait, if any, belongs in locked, tamper-resistant stations anchored in place, never scattered in the lawn. If you find droppings in the sandbox or under the play set, pick them up with gloves and disinfectant. Before winter, do this much yourself:

• Pull mulch a few inches back from tree trunks and the foundation
• Make the last mow of the year a short one
• Wrap the base of young trees with hardware cloth
• Clean up spilled seed under the bird feeders

Related: Mouse Control, Garage and Shed Rodents, Rodent Exclusion and Sealing

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