Meadow voles, though likely the most abundant mammal around, are not well-known. Many people have never seen one. They thrive in grassy places where they maintain runways and reproduce prodigiously. Also called meadow mice, meadow voles can be a bit larger than true mice. They have smaller eyes and ears and shorter tails. They are the mainstay of many predators. They will not move into your house, but they will happily move into your garden. In winter they sometimes girdle young fruit trees by eating the bark.
Vole populations go through boom and bust cycles. A big vole problem one year will not mean every year will be bad.
This chapter from the Humane Society of the United States publication, Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife by John Hadidion has information on protecting your plants from voles:
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