If you own a home in Calgary and have a lawn, your yard is susceptible to a vole invasion! It really is that simple.  Maybe you are reading this because you already have a vole infestation and you want them gone now.  Voles are a huge problem in Calgary and can cause a lot of damage to your lawn and landscape. They can cost you tons of time and money- not to mention the frustration of trying to get rid of them! Furthermore, you can feel invaded and helpless once these rodents move onto your property. I hope this article will help you understand voles and will help you get them under control. If you are ready to chat to a company that knows how to get rid of voles, you can call us now at 403-324-5296 or click request an estimate to have us assess your vole problem free of charge.

What are voles?

• A “vole” might not be an animal that you have heard about before. However, you will be surprised by how much they are a part of our landscape. They are often mistaken for mice, but they have a shorter tail and thrive outdoors in cold environments such as Calgary.
• Voles are vegetarians and love to eat lawns and shrubs and they are prolific in Calgary. The biggest concerns are the amount of damage they can do to your lawn and landscape and the speed at which they reproduce.

Why do voles love my lawn?

• Voles tend to have a habitat preference, especially during winter, and they love areas where they can get plenty of protection and easy access to food. These areas just happen to be under your sidewalks, driveway, and patio areas. Once they find that perfect place to build their dens, your lawn and shrubs are just steps away to keep the voles fed throughout the long Calgary winter.
• Over winter, the snow provides them with adequate cover to make a network of surface tunnels from their den areas to your lawn. During this time, they will continue to eat your lawn and use it to make nests in their dens, so that they can reproduce all winter long. Once the snow melts, you will be able to see the damage that they caused.

Why are there so many?

• Just like other rodents, voles reproduce at an overwhelming rate. Females can start to produce at a very young age and can have up to 10 litters a year. In some studies, up to 17 litters per year is possible. They typically have 4-6 young per litter and sometimes more.

How to prevent voles in Calgary:

 Voles love your lawn as much as you do, so you must take vole control measures to keep them away. There are several ways to reduce the likelihood of voles from overtaking your yard.

• The first step is prevention. Here, you want to walk around your yard and make sure you clean up anything that could provide them with cover. This could be piles of yard tools, firewood, or compost. Voles love yard debris in all forms, and they will quickly set up shop anywhere protection is available.
• Right before winter, you will want to make sure that you do a proper fall cleanup on your property and pick up all the leaves. Next, you will want to cut you lawn very short- this will help eliminate the food source that the voles are looking for right before winter. The lawn should be cut to 2 inches or less. At Cougarstone Lawn Care, we cut our lawns at 1.5 inches right before the winter.
• There are a few natural techniques that have been used to prevent voles, like stuffing steel wool, used cat litter, or castor oil into their holes. These techniques usually only give temporary and limited success.

I did all those preventative measures and still have voles. What do I do now?

Voles are called pests for a reason; they are persistent and difficult to control. Fortunately, there are ways to stop voles from damaging your yard. To get professional help with rodent eradication, you can hire a pest control service in Calgary. The advantages of hiring a professional are:

• Vole control programs from professionals are highly effective and will eliminate voles from your property.
• They will be able to assess the extent of the invasion and implement an effective strategy for your yard.
• You will get access to professional products that are not available in stores.
• Hiring a professional vole control service can save you money, time, and the stress from trying to figure it out on your own.
• A good exterminator should have a program that will monitor the bait boxes throughout the year without charging you extra or having to call the company to come out again.
• A good pest control company in Calgary should come out free of charge to check on your bait stations if something is out of the ordinary.

Does Cougarstone Lawn Care provide Vole Control Services in Calgary?

Yes, we believe we have one of the most comprehensive, effective, and value-packed vole control programs offered in Calgary. We understand having a rodent issue can be quite frustrating and that is why we developed a program that will take all the guesswork away from you. We service several hundred yards for happy clients each year. You can call us for a free estimate to eradicate your vole problem.

What does a Vole Control Service in Calgary Cost?

• For a full season vole control program that includes at 4-6 bait boxes, with monitoring and bait refills included, you should expect to pay somewhere between $350- $500 (for a standard yard). Paying less may mean that your service provider is not adequately monitoring your yard or not providing you with enough bait boxes or refills to effectively solve your problem.

You can check out our Vole Control page by clicking here. Or call us anytime at 403-324-5296 to schedule a FREE assessment.