Now that temperatures are warming, the chewing and feeding done by voles this winter is showing up with a vengeance. Especially hard hit are areas of Monument and the Broadmoor. Many spreading and mounding junipers are yellowing and browning rapidly.

Quick facts on voles:

• Often called meadow, field or pine mice.
• 8 different species in Colorado.
• Voles are small mammals that cause damage by girdling evergreens and other trees and shrubs, and by constructing “runways” in lawns.
• Voles are active day and night throughout the year and do not hibernate.
• They usually live for 12 to 16 months and have 3 to 6 young per liter and 3 to 12 litters per year, breeding year round
• Population fluctuations range from 15 to 500 voles per acre, with peaks every 3 to 5 years

Vole damage in our landscapes occurs mostly during the winter, especially in areas adjacent to or near open fields. Voles move through grass runways under the snow where they are unseen by predators. The greatest damage coincides with years of heavy snowfall and in areas where the snow is piled and slow to melt. If you have vole damage, Mountain High can provide you recommendations for control.

Call our Colorado Springs office at 719-444-8800 for a free estimate.