It’s hard for the average person to differentiate between a gopher, a mole, and a vole. All three of them live underground and can wreak havoc on your lawn, but they do have some distinct differences. Identifying which creature you have will ensure that you have a proper treatment plan and that your lawn recovers quickly. Let’s look at the differences between these three creatures.
Appearance
Although all three of these animals have similar appearances, their appearance isn’t identical. You can usually distinguish these creatures by looking for four things: eyes, fur, paws, and size.
Gophers
- Have visible eyes
- Fur usually matches the color of the local soil but has light fur on the stomach
- Has large, front white paws with claws
- Are between 6-14 inches long
Moles
- Do NOT have visible eyes
- Has brown or dark gray fur
- Have large paddle-like front paws with claws
- Between 6-8 inches long
Voles
- Have visible eyes
- Has brown of light gray fur
- Very small paws
- Between 3-7 inches long
Tunnels/Mounds
All three of these creatures build tunnels, but not the same way.
Gophers
- Create mounds that look like holes in the ground
- The dirt around the mounds fan-out
- Mounds can be 1-2 feet tall
Moles
- Create deep underground tunnels
- May create round-looking exit holes in a yard
- May occasionally see tunnels in a yard
Voles
- Always create runways on the surface of a yard
- Runways are less than 2 inches wide
- May occasionally create holes in a yard
Damage
The last way you can differentiate between these three creatures is by observing the type of destruction that is done to your yard.
Gophers
- Will eat plants in your yard
- Will cause damage to your ornamentals, landscaping, and shrubs
- May damage underground irrigation tubes and utility cables
Moles
- Tunnels will disturb plants
- Can displace the roots and bulbs of plants
- Can damage underground irrigation tubes and utility cables
Voles
- Will eat grasses and roots
- In cooler months, may gnaw at the bark of trees and plants
- Runways will destroy your lawn
Save Your Lawn with K.P. Wildlife Animal Removal
If you’re tired of either of these creatures destroying your lawn, let us handle it. We offer mole, vole, and gopher removal in Baltimore, MD. We guarantee that we’ll be able to remove these pesky creatures safely and humanely so that you can focus on getting your lawn back in order. Call or contact us today to get started.
