The majority of voles are herbivores, and feed on grasses, tubers, herbaceous plants, and bulbs. It has been formulated to be extremely palatable to rats due to its high fat and sugar content, but I’m not sure if it’s available in pumpkin spice flavor yet. Voles live outside in yards and stay near the ground. Changing the types of plants in your landscape is probably the best long-term approach and, once finished, the easiest one to maintain. mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/, ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/, anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-683-6491 ext. They will also feed on carrion when they come across it, as well as seeds, nuts, and berries. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. Be sure to trim back bushes and trees in your yard and regularly rake up leaves, branches and brush. Voles love to eat where they have lots of ground cover to protect them from predators. Together, they have five children. A: California is very likely to ban second-generation rodenticides due to their effect on non-target wildlife. Their edible landscape consists of an ever-changing variety of fruit trees, herbs and vegetables. Home ranges are relatively small, with the animals rarely venturing far from their burrows; averages of 103 square metres (1,110 sq ft) for males and 68 square metres (730 sq ft) for females have been reported. This drug doesn’t produce any immediate effects in rats that consume it, so they don’t become averse to eating it again. California voles may breed any time of the year, but the peak breeding period is the spring. During winter and fall months, voles are known to eat the bark and roots of trees. It will sometimes eat bird eggs or other protein-rich food it can find easily. They are extremely prolific with females maturing in 35 to 40 days. The California Native Plant Society, as well as other native plant nurseries, are excellent resources for information on native plants for your area. Voles, similar to other rodents, have a mainly vegetarian diet. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Mouse Problems. Also, owls are cool. Some plants may be irritating to some individuals, but not others. However, they spend much of their time below ground, using burrows connected by above-ground runways they use to find food. Thus, the California Vole creates habitat for other species and the Pocket Gopher improves habitat for the vole. They also consume a variety of garden plants and eat the bark from trees. We live next to a wild area, so there’s no easy way to exclude them. (Moles are beneficial in many ways. They have 5 to 10 litters a year with litter size of 3 to six young. Laura Simpson has been a master gardener since 2002, and a master food preserver since 2015. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Columbine, Artemesia (wormwood), Ceanothus (California lilac), Rock Rose, Breath of Heaven, Foxglove, Lantana, Lavender, Indian Hawthorn, Rosemary, native perennial Salvias, Euphorbia, Thrift, Strawberry Tree, Manzanita, Yarrow, Allium, Bear Berry, and Yerba Mansa. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/, mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu/. Other food sources include flowers, fruits, fungi, insects, snails, bark, roots, and bulbs. A: If you had a fenced property, I would recommend acquiring a few terrier-type dogs. Voles are not dormant. What should I plant that is drought-tolerant and won’t be eaten? 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GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. Moles have a mainly carnivorous diet. One can identify the existence of the vole by specific teeth signs on roots or trunks. Grasses and flowering plants make up a large portion of their diet. What do you know about the new product that is supposed to be birth control for rats? The California vole inhabits the chaparral woodland shrubland of California. 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