WINNIPEG — Voles are causing damage across Winnipeg and leaving behind a rising number of complaints.
“Well it’s pretty frustrating. We obviously have to do something about it,” Edward Tiaglei a Transcona area resident said. “You can see it’s lots of burrows and damaged grass.”
Tiaglei has lived in Transcona for four years and this is the first time voles burrowed through his yard.
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Luckily for many residents, lawn care professionals said it’s more aesthetic and shouldn’t cause long lasting damage to already established yards.
“They really don’t do long term damage to the lawn per se, it looks a lot worse right now than it really is, “David Hinton, President of Weed Man Winnipeg said. “A lot of times just a light raking and a good fertilizer application this spring, that part of the yard will recover.”
But new lawns, less than a year old, are still at-risk for long term damage.
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“If you just sodded in September, those types of situations may have some more serious damage,” Hinton said. “You should have a look at your trees and shrubs that are in the area. Many times these voles are chewing through the thatch layer of your lawn but they’re actually feeding on the roots and the bark of the shrubs and trees in your yard.”
Hinton also warned that new developments on the outskirts of Winnipeg could see more vole activity as they’re pushing in on fields where voles primarily live.
To prevent voles moving in over the winter, Hinton suggested making the last cut of your lawn lower than usual.
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