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 Vole Species 2 - The vole species 2 page gives you access to information about the snow vole, prairie vole, woodland vole, heather vole, sagebrush vole, tundra vole and pine vole.
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Pine voles are sometimes known as "woodland voles" because they actually live in deciduous woods rather than coniferous forests. Many gardeners employ pine vole control as they are well known for damaging the roots of plants.
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Pine Vole
Despite their name, these voles are seldom found in coniferous forests, preferring instead to inhabit meadows, deciduous woods, dry fields, and apple orchards --hence their alternate and more descriptive name of "Woodland Vole." Pine voles are found all over the Eastern United States as far as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Their main predators are hawks, owls, foxes and snakes but they have a relatively high survival rate due to their subterranean lifestyle.
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Pine voles actually prefer deciduous woodland
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The total length (head and body) of these voles is from 3 to 4 inches. They have a relatively short tail, less than 1 inch in length, and it is less than or equal to the length of the hind foot. The adults' fur is smooth, soft reddish-brown on the upperparts and greyish brown on its under parts. Their eyes are small, and ears are inconspicuous, they weigh about 29g.
Pine voles spend most of their lives under the ground in burrow systems, they tend to stay in an area as small as 1,000 square feet for their entire lives. At night, they come above the ground and feed on fruit and tender green vegetation. Soils with substantial clay content are more likely to support pine vole populations than sandy soils. Clay soils permit the development of a relatively permanent burrow system and nest chamber.
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The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 Vole Control
- This page has lots of useful information about how to look for pine vole activity. www.volecontrol.com
Integrated Pest Management
- This page has information about the distinguishing characteristics of pine voles and meadow voles and what methods can be deployed to manage their population numbers. www.nysipm.cornell.edu
Orchardists detest Pine Voles because they tunnel right up to the main roots and trunks of fruit-bearing trees and gnaw on bark at the soil interface, sometimes girdling and killing the tree. Gardeners also have problems with Pine Voles because the little rodents may develop a liking for bulbs and the roots of ornamental plants and shrubs.
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Pine voles feeding
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Females have a gestation period of about 24 days, have an average litter size of 2.8, and produce four to six litters per year in a nest lined with vegetation in an underground burrow or under a log. They reach sexual maturity at 37 to 38 days and have a reproduction life span of 15 to 18 months. Vole numbers fluctuate from year to year and under favorable conditions their populations can increase rapidly.
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