Now that the snow has melted and you can see your lawn for the first time in what feels like forever, you may have spotted divots or big circle-like shapes in your yard with what appear to be random tunnels. If you have, you likely have been visited by voles.

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Voles are often confused for field mice but there are differences between the two. Voles are small and stocky and will fit in the palm of your hand. Voles are part of the rodent family and are quite plump with small round ears and are usually brown or gray in color.

How Are Voles Different Than Mice?

While mice will find their way into homes, voles live out their entire lives outdoors and spend almost all of their time underground living in colonies where they create tunnels and burrow systems. They do not seek shelter indoors. Not usually, at least.

Why Are Voles Such a Nuisance?

These tunnels and burrow systems can cause massive headaches for homeowners because the little critters tunnel their way through yards and can cause serious turf damage.

How Many Voles Do I Have In My Yard?

There are a few things that can be done to deter voles and salvage your yard but you need to know that if you spot just one vole, you definitely have a bunch more living (and digging) underneath your lawn making babies and multiplying over and over. Female voles are able to produce at the ripe old age of three to four weeks old and they're able to give birth every month to anywhere between three and six babies.

How Do I Fix My Vole Damaged Lawn?

As soon as you spot damage on your lawn, you should rake out all around the area, fill any holes with topsoil, and then lay down grass seed and fertilizer. You should also prune and fertilize any trees or shrubs that have been gnawed on by voles.

How Can I Get Rid of Voles?

While kind of adorable, voles don't play fair when it comes to your lawn, and if you don't take care of the infestation it will only get worse. Voles have a heightened sense of smell and really don't like the smell of peppermint so planting some and letting it go wild is an option. You can use live traps but if you do, you should move the captured voles as far away as possible, or else they'll just run right back to your yard. There are also some products you can purchase if the infestation is beyond what can be controlled with live traps. If all else fails and the voles continue to eat away at your lawn, you can call in a pest control company.

Do Coffee Grinds Really Get Rid of Voles?

While we've not tried this ourselves, experts suggest that sprinkling coffee grounds around vole holes in your yard will repel them.

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