Voles and true rats belong to two distinct families of rodents. Voles, often mistakenly called field mice or meadow mice due to their size, exhibit significant differences from rats in both physical form and behavior. Understanding the specific identity of the animal is the first step toward effective mitigation, as the damage they cause and the control methods required are fundamentally different for homeowners looking to protect their property and health.
Understanding Voles and Rats
Voles have a distinctly stocky body shape, giving them a more robust appearance than rats. Their tails are notably short, typically measuring less than half the length of their head and body combined, and are often covered in hair. Voles possess a blunt, rounded muzzle and very small ears that are often obscured within their dense fur.
In contrast, rats, such as the Norway or roof rat, have a sleek, elongated body profile. Their tails are a prominent feature, being long, mostly hairless, and scaly, often exceeding the combined length of the head and body. Rats also have a pointed muzzle and large, highly visible external ears.
Habitat and Behavioral Differences
These two rodents occupy separate ecological niches, which dictates where people are likely to encounter them. Voles are primarily herbivores, consuming a diet of grasses, roots, bulbs, and plant stems, and rarely venture far from their outdoor environment. They are ground-dwellers that construct extensive systems of shallow burrows and visible surface “runways” through lawn thatch and dense vegetation.
Rats are highly adaptable omnivores and scavengers, thriving on a wide range of food sources, including human waste and stored provisions. They frequently seek shelter in or near human structures, nesting in attics, wall voids, subfloors, and complex deep burrows in earth or sewer systems. Rats also require more consistent access to water than voles, making them common near plumbing or standing water sources.
Property Damage and Associated Risks
Vole damage is largely confined to gardens and landscaping, where they can cause significant harm by consuming plant roots and tubers. A characteristic sign of vole activity is the girdling of young trees and shrubs, which involves gnawing away the bark in a ring around the base, often resulting in the plant’s death. Their surface runways can also disfigure lawns and turf areas.
Rat infestations pose a more severe threat to structural integrity and public health. Their continuous gnawing is necessary for managing their ever-growing incisor teeth, leading to damage to wood, plastic pipes, and electrical wiring, creating potential fire hazards. Rats are also vectors for serious diseases, including Leptospirosis, which is spread through contact with contaminated urine. Voles, while less frequently associated with human disease, are known carriers of Hantavirus, transmitted by inhaling aerosolized virus particles from dried rodent droppings or urine.
Effective Control and Prevention Methods
For voles, prevention involves habitat modification, such as regularly mowing grass and removing dense ground cover, mulch, and weeds to eliminate their protective shelter. Exclusion is achieved by placing a physical barrier of 1/4-inch hardware cloth or wire mesh around vulnerable plants. Ensure the mesh extends at least six inches below the soil line to deter burrowing. For small infestations, snap traps can be effective when placed unbaited and perpendicular to the active surface runways.
Controlling rats is centered on sanitation and structural exclusion, given their reliance on human environments. All potential food sources must be secured, including storing pet food indoors and ensuring outdoor garbage cans have tight-fitting lids. To prevent entry into buildings, homeowners should seal any external holes larger than a half-inch using durable materials like metal flashing, cement, or steel wool. Trimming tree branches and vines away from the roofline also removes common pathways rats use to access upper levels of structures.