Exterminators in Spring Lake, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I went on a service call for a homeowner in Spring Lake, NJ to treat for voles that were destroying their yard. Voles and moles are often confused, no double in large part because of their rhyming, similarly sounding names. However, moles and voles are entirely different animals with different behaviors. Moles are subterranean creatures. A mole tunnels underground and lifts the soil upwards, loosening up the soil. So, one sign of burrowing moles on your property is that your yard feels “squishy” when you walk on it. While voles tunnel under the snowpack in winter, they remain above ground. Once the snow melts, you will see their “highways” in the grass. Voles also eat grass and use it to build nests. In appearance, voles are small, stocky rodents that look like field mice. In fact, at first glance, it’s easy to confuse a vole with a mouse. Moles, on the other hand, are not the most attractive animals. They are all nose and mouth along with ridiculously oversized claws that make them master diggers! 

I began by inspecting the backyard to make sure that the lawn damage was, in fact, caused by voles. After closely examining the numerous tunnels throughout the backyard, I confirmed that there was indeed a vole infestation. Voles dig distinctive shallow snake-like tunnels that you’ll see all over your lawn. They are about two inches wide and stay near the surface, so they can eat their favorite food, grass stems, and blades. Vole activity is especially manic in the early springtime. 

Solution

For treatment, I decided that the best plan of action was to set up bait stations over and around the holes where the activity was taking place. These bait stations are filled with different scents and flavors of bait to attract the voles and “trick” them into taking the bait. Once the voles eat the bait, they are soon eliminated. These bait stations are also tampered resistant to keep curious children and pets safe from touching or eating the bait. I scheduled a two-week follow-up inspection to examine the bait stations and replenish the bait as necessary. I am confident that this property will soon be vole-free!