UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- What do chainsaws, beavers and voles have in common? They all can damage trees, according to a wildlife biologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Homeowners and businesses can lose a lot of trees and other plantings to voles," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources. "Now that fall's approaching, questions about voles increase."

Voles are small, chunky rodents with short tails, blunt noses and bead-like eyes. In Pennsylvania, two species can damage plants -- the pine vole and the meadow vole. The pine vole lives in tunnels, San Julian explains, while the larger meadow vole builds nests and "runs" near or at the surface.

Pine and meadow voles damage trees by gnawing the bark near ground level. Pine voles also weaken trees by gnawing on their roots. While teethmarks from rabbits are larger and more uniform, a vole's marks are distinctly tiny and irregular, occurring at various angles and in random patches. In winter, voles can reach surprising heights by tunnelling through the snow.

"If you plant flower bulbs in the fall, and they don't come up the following spring, you could have a problem with pine voles," he says. "I've seen pine voles take out monkey grass bulbs so fast it seemed like a cartoon."

Voles often are confused with moles or shrews, San Julian says. Because control methods for one animal may not work for another, it's important to know which species you're dealing with.

"Shrews eat insects -- they're not a problem to anybody," he says. "Shrews are much smaller than moles or voles. One can fit inside a tablespoon.

"You can tell a mole from a vole by its paws," he adds. "While voles have small paws, moles have large spade-like front paws that they use for digging." Moles also have pointy, naked snouts and appear not to have eyes or ears.

"Some people don't like the spongy feeling mole tunnels make in their lawn," San Julian says, "but moles actually are beneficial. They eat grubs and insects, and help to condition and aerate the soil. If you really must control them, you can buy spear or choke traps at a hardware store. Also, a lawn insecticide will remove the moles' food source and discourage them from using your yard."

To control voles, San Julian suggests setting mouse traps. Place the traps near holes or runs, baited with an oatmeal-peanut butter mixture or a small piece of apple. Then cover the traps with a large flower pot or box, making sure the traps can still close.

Voles also can be live-trapped, but it is a good idea to release them at least a half-mile away in an overgrown field, or other places where they won't cause problems for other people.

"With large populations in orchards or Christmas tree farms, you may need to use toxicants," San Julian says. "These pesticides only can be used by certified pesticide applicators or their staff. To locate a wildlife pest control operator, check with your county extension office, or look through the Yellow Pages."

Two fact sheets, "Wildlife Damage Control 5: Moles" and "Wildlife Damage Control 9: Voles," list additional tips for controlling damage from voles and moles. Single copies are available free of charge by contacting your county Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach office, or by calling the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713.

Other wildlife damage control publications also are available, including fact sheets on rabies, woodpeckers, black bears, bats, woodchucks, cottontail rabbits, tree squirrels, skunks, and geese, ducks and swans.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Gary San Julian at 814-863-0401.

Contacts: Kim Dionis KDionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax