I have voles digging up my lawn not far from my waterline. Do voles or other rodents chew on waterlines?—Kurt Staniek, Remi Lake, Ont.
They sure do! “Definitely, mice and rats chew on plastic, pressurized waterlines, and water pipes,” says Gary Ure, the owner of Second Nature Wildlife Management in Ontario’s Kingston-Gananoque area. Because rodents chew on everything. And rats—they have a bite force that’s stronger than a great white shark’s—are especially masterful at getting through plumbing. Thanks to a rat problem, says Ure, “I had a friend who once woke up to four inches of water on the floor.”
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But no pest control or gardening expert, or biologist, we talked to thought that voles would dig up your lawn for the purpose of getting at the line, if that’s your worry. In the spring, voles will dig to eat—they like grass, leaves, roots, and flower bulbs. In the fall, they tunnel underground to stash food and to overwinter. Given typical vole behaviour, Mike Webb, a wildlife specialist on Vancouver Island, thinks one might chew through a waterline accidentally. “But I can’t see it, for example, pulling a buried line out,” he says.
Waterlines aside, if the vole holes are bothering you, there are ways to stop them. “In some situations, it may be helpful, as a pest management technique, to fill in holes in a lawn and trap the rodents underground,” says Tom Sullivan, a professor emeritus in the wildlife and ecology department at UBC. Of course, doing that might condemn these voles to death—a harsh punishment if they’re only causing cosmetic destruction.
How do I make my garden more pollinator-friendly?
Consider abandoning your lawn in favour of native plants. “A lawn is basically inviting voles to a smorgasbord,” says Lorraine Johnson, the co-author of A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators. “They can decimate a lawn.” With no more grass on offer, the voles might go away and target somebody else’s lawn. Native plants will also make your property more resilient against other wildlife or native insect assault. “Plant a diversity,” says Johnson. “The more diversity, the less chance of widespread damage.” From pretty much any threat.
But maybe you really love your lawn. And heck, no one wants to wake up to four inches of water on the floor. If you believe you’re in store for an infestation—from any rodent—consult an expert.
This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue of Cottage Life.
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