Moles and voles are both small mammals that burrow underground and can cause damage to lawns and gardens. However, there are several key differences between the two animals:

Moles

• Are carnivores and eat insects, grubs, and earthworms.
• Have paddle-shaped feet and prominent digging claws.
• Have an elongated head and snout, small eyes, and no external ears.
• Have short black-to-brownish-gray fur with no grain, which allows them to move easily forward and backward in tunnels.
• Form big volcano-looking molehill mounds.

Voles

• Are herbivores and eat the roots and stems of plants.
• Look like field mice with short tails, compact heavy bodies, small eyes, and partially hidden ears.
• Have prominent orange teeth for gnawing plant roots and stems.
• Dig characteristic golf ball-sized exit holes in previously established mole tunnels.
• Dont make mounds, but they make underground burrows in the form of a small hole, usually at the base of a tree.

To control moles, traps are the preferred method, while habitat modification is the most effective way to control voles since they require cover and do not like to feed in the open.