Do voles harm people or property?
Most of the damage inflicted by voles occurs when the rodents attack garden plants and tree trunks. Voles gnaw at the bark of trees near the ground, causing trunk and root girdling, which disrupts the flow of nutrients and water to the tree. Vole damage to trees occurs so low to the ground that it may go unnoticed until the effects are irreversible.
The tunneling nature of the pest rodents also causes damage to turf and landscaping in addition to interfering with irrigation lines. Voles carry fleas and ticks, which facilitates the transmission of various harmful diseases such as tularemia and plague, as well.