Spring has arrived! For AAA Lawn Care that means more calls about vole damage in Grand Rapids lawns.
Voles, often called field mice, are small rodents that resemble a mouse but a stouter and shorter. They are plant-eaters that primarily feed on grass and perennial-flower roots. Vole damage looks like little trails or surface tunnels that are lined with dead grass. Voles create these tunnel systems under the blanket of snow throughout the winter. As the snow melts, their little kingdoms become uncovered. However, damage will disappear as soil temperatures rise and your lawn starts to grow again. The voles will always be there, but you will have a harder time seeing evidence of them.
A good rule of thumb in dealing with Spring vole damage is to rake up the dead grass and, if needed, throw down some grass seed. Rarely is the damage so severe that you would have to do lawn restoration. All-in-all, just be patient and your lawn will recover! Voles will always be running around in your lawn but a lush, healthy stand of grass does a good job of hiding vole trails.
If you are not sure if voles or another critter is damaging your lawn, you may want to check out our Voles vs. Moles blog post. Please also feel free to call AAA Lawn Care at (888) 374-7336 and your lawn technician will be happy to assess your lawn.