I have these trenches showing up in my yard and dg made by some animal. Would you be able to tell me what they are and how to make them stop? We live in Gardnerville, NV in the valley. Last year we saw maybe one very shallow line but this year, it's horrible.
Vole, not a Mole, voles. that's what I think it is. They destroy everything and are ruining my garden, I have lost mature bushes and have trees dying because of them.
I tend to agree with Frillylily that it is Voles. They're also called Meadow mice. There is a rodent trap called The Black Hole that works fairly well on them and gophers.
Name: Nick Detroit Michigan (Zone 6a) My kids are my life
Voles have chunky bodies, small ears and short legs. Eyes are tiny. Small ears help to keep them free from entanglements since they live almost entirely under ground in tunnels. Mice have a more slender body, longer legs, larger eyes and ears. Spend most of their time above ground.
The biggest problem between the two unfortunately are common names. Most people tend to lump them all together as mice.
There is no better thrill then catching fish using flies that you tied!
The couple of voles I have found in my yard dead were much larger than a mouse, and a chocolate color, and have a heavier body and tail than a mouse. Once you see one you know what it is. That's what it was for me anyway. They live mostly underground, I have never seen a live one.
Rubi said: Cats I've been associated with do not like the taste of voles. They catch them, but just let them lay.
My cats do not eat the shrews they catch, I read that they have a scent they release that makes them stink. But they do eat the voles, my male cat eats every bit of them, and I feed my cats regularly so they are not hungry. Probably why they don't catch much. I've never seen a cat eat a mole though.
