You have probably got at least a fuzzy image in your head of what moles and voles look like. They are both small, furry little rodents that have tendencies to wreak havoc on yards. This, however, is about where their similarities end. They are different creatures with different brands of destruction. Knowing how to identify each is important so you can know what type of pest control measures are appropriate to take. Here is a brief guide on what makes a mole and what makes a vole to get you started.

Moles

It is very likely that you have never actually seen a mole in your yard because they like to both live and eat underground. If you do, however, get a chance to spot one, they range from gray to dark brown, reach lengths from 6 to 7 inches, and can be recognized most easily by their very long nose and large, webbed front feet. They use these feet to dig tunnels beneath your lawn (at a rate of about 1 foot per minute) so that they can catch their favorite food, earth worms. Though very small, moles put a lot of effort into eating almost their body weight each day. Working hard, this can amount to 100 feet of tunneling daily, which is quite a lot when contained under one lawn. If you see small mountains of dirt popping up, you probably have a mole digging a bit too high. To make up for this, they may have other parts of your lawn caving in a bit. The good news is that they usually live alone, so if you have one, chances are you only have that one.

Voles

Voles, on the other hand, look a bit like mice, but with shorter tails. They are most often dark brown, approximately 5 inches in length, and have largish eyes and ears. Unlike moles, they are extremely social animals and are known to colonize yards quickly due to the short time it takes them to reproduce. They like to feed on grass and flower roots, but will settle for seeds or bulbs, or even the bark off of small trees and shrubs if nothing else is available. Luckily, this damage is pretty simple to repair after the voles have been removed.

Calling in Pest Control

Whether you have got voles or moles, or if you are still unsure what pests are ruining your yard, contacting a professional pest control company will be able to clear things up quickly and easily. They will have your lawn pest-free and will be able to offer some advice on how you can keep annoying lawn critters from returning.