Minnesota Snowpack Is Melting, But Pesky, Damaging Yard Voles Are Proliferating

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The snow is melting and that means it's time to start thinking about spring yard work, but there's a pesky rodent that may wreak havoc on your yard this spring.

WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer noticed a new design in his front lawn last week.

"As the snow was melting I was super excited ... and then I see the damage," he said, and he wasn't alone. "This year just driving around the area, a lot of yards are damaged."

Shaffer reported lines and lines of tunnels and trenches in the grass. The culprit was voles.

Voles damage tends to be found in late winter to early spring, when snow starts to melt. They tend to go through population growth spurts every three to five years.

Minnesota mole owner Jim Reeves says vole prevention requires eliminating any of their hiding places, like cutting down perennials, getting rid of wood piles, and keeping your grass shorter.

"They make little tunnels, like a kid would with a fort," he said.

Grass damage is mostly cosmetic but voles can kill trees.

"Within 21 days of being born, the females can have their own litter, so the population can explode quickly," Reeves said.

Reeves uses a combination of trappings and poison base stations. For the yard, he recommends using a leaf blower instead of a rake to get rid of the dead grass, and save the healthy grass.

Reeves says you can hire a professional or you can take care of things on your own. Using traps and poison can run you around $300 for an average yard.