[SeanT17]

Wondering if anyone can give me an idea of what is causing this. We recently had the first significant snowfall of the year in Pittsburgh, and with the snow melted today this is what I saw. My initial reaction was that maybe the ground shifted and settled with this first freeze thaw cycle, as the house is still under a year old. But upon a closer look, I'm thinking that an animal may have burrowed under the snow creating these tracks. Anyone here have experience with that and if so had any success eradicating these destructive Critters?

 

[g-man]

I've seen those made by field mice.

 

[wardconnor]

Voles

 

[social port]

Wow, that is a lot of damage. From the pictures, it is difficult for me to tell how much the soil is raised.

Anyway, I had a rodent of some kind back in the fall. I used poison 'peanuts' and solar powered noise transmitters--both purchased at a local TSC. Within a week the damage stopped. I'm not saying that either one of the interventions worked, but the problem was eliminated. And if I see damage in the future, I will do the same thing.

 

[pennstater2005]

That looks a lot like vole damage. Google some images of that. I had that around my burning bushes. They eventually just went away.

 

[pennstater2005]

This makes a good vole trap

 

[SeanT17]

Wow, that is a lot of damage. From the pictures, it is difficult for me to tell how much the soil is raised.

Anyway, I had a rodent of some kind back in the fall. I used poison 'peanuts' and solar powered noise transmitters--both purchased at a local TSC. Within a week the damage stopped. I'm not saying that either one of the interventions worked, but the problem was eliminated. And if I see damage in the future, I will do the same thing.

The soil isn't raised, it's actually flattened down and dug into, between 1/2"-1" deep. Here's a closer pic and upon closer investigation there are droppings all through the trenches

 

[SeanT17]

This makes a good vole trap

That's a good idea, gonna need to set some traps up like that. It's a ton of damage I'm going to have to repair come spring.

 

[SeanT17]

That looks a lot like vole damage. Google some images of that. I had that around my burning bushes. They eventually just went away.

And I think you're absolutely right about it being voles. Had to Google it, honestly hadn't heard of them before, but looking at pictures of the damage they do it's damn near exactly what I have

 

[pennstater2005]

That looks a lot like vole damage. Google some images of that. I had that around my burning bushes. They eventually just went away.

And I think you're absolutely right about it being voles. Had to Google it, honestly hadn't heard of them before, but looking at pictures of the damage they do it's damn near exactly what I have

I live about an hour north of you. I had these in my front yard too. I could see them running around every once in awhile. I set up these traps and caught one. After that the damage stopped. I couldn't believe it was just one doing all that damage. Good luck!

 

[g-man]

I would suggest placing some traps inside your garage by the garage doors.

Voles (field mice) use the snow as an insulator and allows them to create the tunnels faster. But these winter tunnels are just matted down grass. When spring comes back and the snow melts, they go away to the fields. The damage to the grass is fairly minimal and it recovers with some nitrogen.

 

[pennstater2005]

When spring comes back and the snow melts, they go away to the fields.

Not always. I had voles in my front yard all summer a few years ago until I finally caught one. Then it went away

 

[Miller_Low_Life]

Mine show up in the fall and leave it the spring. I tried to smoke them out last year but this year I fed them. So I'm sure I'm creating more of a problem in the future.

 

[mmacejko]

Definitely vole tracks. I get them in my backyard and flower beds yearly since my yard backs up to a wooded area. Mouse traps baited with peanut butter and any kind of seed will catch them. Place traps perpendicular to the run and around any golf ball size hole you find. It's a never ending battle every year but it does feel good when ya catch a few!

 

[mmacejko]

And as stated earlier- most damage is just cosmetic and will repair itself come spring. You might want to take up any dead grass once weather cooperates