Vole control · Southeast Michigan
Vole Control in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan
Vole damage shows up the week the snow melts. Narrow paths cut through the grass. Bark stripped off young shrubs. All of it happened under the snow while you could not see it. A vole is not a mole, and an exterminator treats them differently.
Quick answers
Vole control in Southeast Michigan: the quick facts
Vole damage shows up the week the snow melts: narrow runways cut through the turf and bark stripped off the base of young shrubs. The work happened all winter under the snow, out of sight. It is an outdoor lawn and planting problem, and it is not the same animal as a mole.
- Most common here
- Meadow vole
- Not a mole. Voles eat plants and leave surface runways in the grass, not tunnels underfoot.
- Worst months
- Mar to Apr, Nov
- A pattern from published guidance, not a count of sightings.
- How it gets in
- Cover: long grass, mulch and snow
- They need something to run under. Pulling mulch back from stems removes most of the cover.
- Included in
- Rodent Shield
- One flat price for mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks and voles, and nothing else.
Voles in Michigan.
Voles cut narrow runways across the lawn under the snow and chew bark off young trees and shrubs. Most people find the damage in spring.
We confirm it is voles, not moles, then guard young trees and use a method the rules allow. Voles are covered by Rodent Shield.
Seasonal pattern
When are voles worst in Michigan?
Warning signs
How voles announce themselves.
Narrow runways cut through the turf as the snow melts
Bark stripped off the base of young shrubs and trees
Small open holes in the lawn with no soil mound
Damage that appeared over winter rather than gradually
What to look for
What a vole problem looks like at home.
Most vole damage shows up in spring, when the snow melts off the lawn. These are six of the signs people notice, and what each one tells us.
Paths about two inches wide on top of the turf. Voles made them under the snow all winter.
Pale wood showing at the soil line. Damage that goes all the way around the stem can kill the plant.
A clean open hole with no mound is a vole. A mound of pushed-up soil points to a mole instead.
Runways lead to cover. Thick mulch and low shrubs are where voles hide, so we cut back cover there.
Fine tooth marks low on the trunk. A mesh guard set below the soil line and above the snow protects it.
Stocky and brown with small ears and a short tail. People often mistake them for mice.
How our exterminators get rid of voles.
Confirm it is voles and map the runways
The technician reviews runway shape, burrow openings, clipped vegetation, gnaw marks, droppings, plant damage, and whether mole activity or another small rodent could explain the signs. Service then focuses on current runways, burrow entrances, protected ground cover, tree and shrub bases, and other spots with recent activity, instead of treating the entire property by assumption.
Cut back cover and guard young trees
Regular mowing, cutting back weeds and ground cover, leaf and debris cleanup, and keeping heavy mulch away from tree trunks can make the property less favorable for damaging vole activity. Tree guards or small mesh cylinders can help protect young trunks when installed correctly. Guards should account for soil level and expected snow depth and should not constrict the trunk as the plant grows.
Use a method the rules allow, then watch
Trapping or another labeled and lawful method may be considered after the species, damage, property conditions, non target risk, and current Michigan rules are reviewed. Afterward, the technician explains what signs to watch for. Light runway damage in turf can often recover with normal spring growth and lawn care, but severe bark girdling, root damage, or plant decline may require an arborist, landscaper, or lawn professional.
Every vole control visit
The full Honorable TriShield™, every time.
Three layers. The house, the lawn, then the property line. Not a rushed spray along your baseboards. A cheap quote usually skips two of the three.
Foundation barrier
Three feet up the wall. Three feet out from it. All the way round the house, plus windows, doors, the garage and the roofline. That strip is the road bugs use to get in.
Measured with a tape, not eyeballed
Granular yard moat
A ring of granules across the lawn. Rain wakes it back up. So does your sprinkler. In a Michigan summer that is most weeks.
Skipped by most companies. Granular costs money.
Property line
We spray the whole property line. Bugs get stopped at the edge of your yard, not at your back door.
The layer a cheaper quote quietly leaves out
How to tell a vole from a mouse or a shrew.
These are the voles and look-alikes people call us about that have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Each one is identified by independent naturalists, so the animal in the photo is the animal named.
The one that cuts runways across lawns under the snow.
Also mistaken for a vole. Pointed snout and tiny eyes; eats insects, not plants.
Often mistaken for a vole. Bigger eyes and ears, longer tail.
All of these have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations, pulled 2026-09-25. Photos: Meadow vole by Tyler Ekholm (CC BY); Northern short-tailed shrew by Glynn Morris (CC BY); White-footed mouse by Corey Farwell (CC BY).
What it costs
Voles are covered by Rodent Shield.
Rodent Shield covers mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks and voles, and nothing else. It is one flat price whatever size your house is, with eight small and two large bait stations included.
| QuarterlyBilled four times a year | MonthlyBilled every month | |
|---|---|---|
| To start | $230 | $144 |
| Then | $130 a quarter | $44 a month |
| Paid in full | $620 for the year | Not offered |
Prices are the starting figures: a home up to 1,000 square feet, or half an acre for yard work. What is covered is set out in the plan terms.
Vole control, answered straight.
How can I tell whether lawn runways are from voles or moles?
Voles leave narrow paths through flattened grass, running to small holes. Moles push soil up into ridges and mounds. If you have both kinds of damage, get it looked at rather than treating for the wrong animal.
Do voles kill trees?
They can. Voles gnaw bark off young trees and shrubs, and a ring chewed all the way round the trunk kills the plant. Partial damage varies. Get a tree professional to look at anything valuable or badly chewed.
Will vole runways permanently ruin my lawn?
Usually not. Extension guidance says the runway damage you see in spring is normally temporary. Rake it, let the grass grow, mow it and look after it, and it closes up once the vole pressure drops.
Can Honorable relocate voles?
No. Michigan DNR states that catching small rodents alive and releasing them elsewhere is not permitted outside licensed research. Whatever method we use follows the current wildlife rules and the scope agreed for your property.
Are vole treatments safe for pets and children?
It depends on the method. Traps, bait stations, pesticides and habitat work all carry different precautions. We tell you which method we picked for your property and give you the access, placement and label instructions before we start.
Is vole control included in Honorable Shield?
No. Voles are not on the current covered pest list. Ask for a vole quote and get any plan relationship in writing. Do not assume the standard rodent monitoring covers lawn voles.
Michigan wildlife rules matter for vole control
Michigan DNR treats many small rodents as animals that may be controlled when they are causing or are physically present to imminently cause damage on private property. However, not every vole species has the same legal status. The prairie vole is state endangered in Michigan and cannot be intentionally removed using lethal methods.
For that reason, Honorable does not publish a blanket promise to eliminate every vole population or use the same lethal method for every small rodent identified only from lawn damage. The technician confirms the animal and applies current Michigan wildlife and pesticide rules before selecting a control method. Michigan DNR also states that it does not authorize ordinary live capture and release of small rodents outside permitted research, so relocation is not promised.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
On Honorable Shield, see a covered pest between visits? We come back within 48 hours and treat it again. You pay nothing.
Vole control where you live.
Old streets with big trees get different bugs than new build on cleared ground. Pick your town to see what we actually find there.
That is not all of them. See all 38 towns, or ask us if we reach your street.
Other pests we treat
One plan covers every one of these. No extra charge when something different shows up.
From our blog
Every visit includes all three barrier layers. See what we treat, or ask an exterminator.
Vole control · Licensed and insured
Request a Vole Inspection
If you are seeing clipped surface runways, new burrow openings, bark gnawing, missing bulbs, or recurring plant damage, Honorable Pest Control can inspect the property, distinguish vole evidence from mole activity, and explain the lawful treatment and prevention options that fit the lawn and landscape.
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