Voles Vs. Moles

Voles

Voles look a lot like mice, only with shorter tails.  A mouse has a tail that is closer to 3-4 the length of its body.  A vole has a tail that is about half the length of what you would see on a mouse.  Voles are herbivores, meaning that they eat plant material.  They can do extensive damage to your garden and fruit trees.  If you have plants that die and you notice that their roots are missing, you likely have voles.  Make sure to take measures to control vole populations at early signs of voles.  They reproduce quickly and it can be hard to stop the damage they cause when larger population sizes develop on your land.

Moles

Moles have wide front feet to help them dig into the earth to prey on worms, grubs, and other bugs.  They are carnivores and do not directly damage your plants or trees.  However, they may tunnel into your lawn or indirectly damage plants or trees due to their tunneling behavior.