Voles
Did you know? Voles typically live about 3-6 months.
Vole Facts for Kids
Voles are small rodents and are frequently referred to as meadow mice or field mice. They typically live about 3-6 months and there are about 70 species of voles. They have blunt noses, small furry ears, dense brown fur and a tail with no fur. Keep reading for more vole information for kids.
- Size: 3" to 7" long
- Color: Brown
- Legs: 4
- Wings: No
- Antenna: No
- Common Name: Vole
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Cricetidae
Diet:
The vole's diet consists of seeds, tubers, tree needles, bark, various green vegetation such as grass and clover, and insects. Voles prefer not to feed in the open.
Habitat:
Voles require dense grass cover and prefer to live outside in fields. They are very poor climbers and have difficulty reaching upper floors of buildings.
Impact:
Voles are very destructive to gardens and will gnaw the bark of fruit trees. They can also cause damage to tree roots, which may eventually kill the trees.
Prevention:
- In addition to traps and fencing, gravel buffers can help protect gardens against vole infestation.
- Remove weeds, heavy mulch, and dense vegetative cover around your home. These environments provide voles food and protection from predators.
- Mowing, spraying with herbicides or tilling grassy areas adjacent to gardens will help prevent an infestation.
You can find more kid-friendly facts and information on voles at the official NPMA website.
