If you look out at your yard right now, it probably looks pretty quiet. But beneath the surface (and under the cover of winter), there is a lot of activity going on.
One of the most common questions we get when the ground finally clears in the spring is: "What on earth happened to my grass?" Usually, the culprits are two little guys with very similar names but very different styles of destruction: Moles and Voles.
Since they don't hibernate, they’ve been busy. Here is the "lowdown" on our underground neighbors and how to tell who is moving into your Michigan landscape.
Think of a vole like a tiny, vegetarian field mouse. They don't care about bugs; they want your grass.
In the winter, voles feel incredibly safe. Because they are hidden from predators like hawks and owls, they get bold. They spend their days building "runways"—essentially little highways—right through your turf. They chew the grass blades down to the dirt as they go.
The Telltale Sign: When things clear up in the spring, you’ll see "snake-like" paths of dead, matted grass. It looks like someone took a tiny weed-wacker to your lawn in the middle of the night.
Moles are a different breed. They aren't interested in your grass; they’re hunting for "meat"—specifically earthworms and grubs.
While they dig deeper during the coldest months to stay below the frost line, any time we get a mild stretch of weather, they head back toward the surface. Unlike the vole, who stays on top of the dirt, the mole is a master tunneler.
The Telltale Sign: You’ll see those classic "volcano" mounds or "squishy" ridges where the ground feels like it’s floating. If your lawn feels like a sponge when you walk on it, you’ve likely got a mole.
It’s easy to think, "I'll deal with it in May," but here’s the catch:
Voles love to gnaw on the bark of your young trees and shrubs when the grass gets scarce. This can "girdle" a tree, essentially cutting off its food supply and killing it before spring even arrives.
Moles create air pockets underground. When those roots aren't in contact with the soil, they can dry out and die, leading to those mystery brown patches you see in the summer.
The best defense is a good offense.
Keep things tidy: If you have tall decorative grass or piles of leaves near the house, you're giving voles a 5-star hotel.
Trample the tunnels: If you see mole ridges during a thaw, step on them! Closing those air pockets helps protect the roots of your grass.
Plan for Grubs: Since moles follow the food, a solid grub control program in the spring is the best way to tell them "the kitchen is closed."
When it comes down to it, you don’t have to be a biologist to have a great lawn, but knowing who you’re up against helps. Whether it’s "Vole Highways" or "Mole Volcanoes," these little guys can be a headache, but they aren't anything we can’t handle together.