Knowledgebase

Vole infestration #930801

Asked May 06, 2026, 12:01 PM EDT

We live on 3/4 acre which is 1/4 lawn and 1/2 acre native woodland. We have had occasional voles in the past but this year they are rampant. Please give us suggestions for reducing the numbers of voles or entirely eliminating the vole population

Frederick County Maryland

Expert Response

Trapping (usually lethal spring-loaded traps) is the only way to deal with a high population of voles causing intolerable damage to plants without risking poisoning other wildlife by using baits (we do not recommend that approach). Voles have many predators, and often the population crashes in a given area due to prey-seeking foxes, owls, snakes, hawks, coyotes, etc. If desired, you can hire a pest control professional to handle the placement and monitoring of traps (and they can help confirm whether voles are the actual culprit, since they can be confused with other small rodents and rodent-like mammals). You can find more information in our Animals Digging in Lawns and Voles web pages, though we don't have any more in-depth info about trap choices or alternative management tactics other than what those pages contain.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 06, 2026, 12:35 PM EDT

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