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Keep Your Yard Safe & Looking Orderly

If you have a yard, you’ve probably noticed a little mound of dirt and grass in it. It could be a sign of several different animals, but the most common creatures behind these dirt mounds are moles, voles, and pocket gophers.

These rodents can cause a variety of problems for homeowners; however, their behavior and damage are different in many ways.

Distinguishing one from another will help you save money, keep your garden or yard looking orderly (no more holes or damage), and be able to choose efficient pest control in Chandler if necessary. Read below to learn more about their differences.

Differences In Their Appearance

Most of the time, homeowners assume they have moles destroying their yard when they have voles or gophers. Here are some great visual recommendations to help you distinguish between all three.

How To Identify A Gopher

Gophers are small animals with large front teeth, small eyes and powerful claws in their forefeet, and an even rounder body (large cheek). They are usually between 4 to 12 inches in length, so they are larger than moles and voles.

Gophers also cause more structural damage to buildings than moles or voles. They are called ‘pocket gophers’ because they have large cheek pouches to hold food and small branches for creating nests.

Their body is round, with a broad head, short neck, and circular ears. Do not forget about their large incisor teeth on the top and bottom of their mouth because it is one of their main characteristics.

Unlike moles, gophers have small tails with just a few amounts of hair. Most gopher species have fur that camouflage with the soil. But, their standard color usually ranges from yellowish-brown to black.

Most pest services in Gilbert can help you get rid of them without killing them, so that’s always a good idea if you see one of these creatures in your yard.

How To Identify A Mole

Moles are usually between 6 and 11 inches long from nose to rump, so they are slightly larger than voles. They have small eyes and ears, short legs, short tails, and small feet with partially retractable claws. Due to their small eyes, they cannot stand much sunlight, so you may not see them above ground too often.

Their eyes and ears are not easy to see either. However, what makes them so different from other creatures is their claws. Their claws are nonfunctional for digging but for hunting insects underground. They do this a lot, so they can damage the roots of your plants and cause flowers or turf to die.

Their fur is grayish-brown above, dark gray below, and they have black faces with a light gray underside.

How To Identify A Vole

Voles are commonly mistaken for mice (that’s why they are also known as ‘meadow mice’), but these hairy-tailed rodents create unsightly mounds of dirt compared to mice. You may need a pest control company in Queen Creek to get rid of them, as they are not easy to locate and drive away.

Voles are slightly larger than mice, but just like field mice, they have small eyes, brownish fur, compact bodies, and tails with no fur. Besides, voles prefer living underground to the warmer areas above ground.

Voles’ eyes are easier to see than moles’ eyes. Compared to moles, voles have shorter tails and longer fur. They also have smaller bodies because they measure between 5 to 8 inches long.

Differences In Tunnels & Mounds

At first glance, tunnels and mounds in your yard might look the same, but they are not. We’ve got a few tips for you which should help you identify the differences between these common critters’ tunnels.
Tunnels And Mounds Made By Gophers
Gopher’s mounds can be up to a foot tall and up to two feet in diameter. Gophers do not have surface tunnels because they prefer lateral tunnels plugged with soils to keep invaders out. Their tunnels can be a couple of inches to several feet under the soil.

Tunnels And Mounds Made By Moles

You may think there are no differences between molehills and gophers’ tunnels, but that’s not true. You can differentiate them without contacting a pest control company in Phoenix, although that’s always a good idea to speed up the removal process.

Moles dig tunnels underneath their soil and create oval-shaped mounds, which is the first difference from gophers’ tunnels. Moles also create surface tunnels to elevate the earth and create small ridges.

Tunnels And Mounds Made By Voles

Voles have a tunnel system as well, but not as deep as the other creatures. They create shallow surface ‘runways’ that look like trails of dead grass 1 to 2 inches wide. These runways are the result of voles eating blades and stems of grass.

Once you’ve figured out if you have moles, voles, or gophers, your next step is to figure out how to get rid of them. Make sure to contact a gopher pest control in Arizona to get rid of these creatures safely.

This article is courtesy of Gopher Guy AZ, a poison-free gopher pest control company in Arizona. We offer numerous gopher control services, including gopher removal, gopher trapping services, gopher inspections & commercial gopher control.