Spring’s Unwelcome Guests: Voles and Pocket Gophers in Colorado’s Mountain Yards

As the thick blanket of snow finally melts away and our mountain communities begin to emerge into the long-awaited spring, many homeowners across Colorado are stepping outside to assess the state of their yards. What should be a fresh, green start to the season often reveals something else entirely—networks of tunnels, winding paths carved through the grass, and fresh mounds of soil dotting the landscape.

If your yard looks more like a roadmap or excavation site than a lawn, you’re likely dealing with one (or both) of Colorado’s most elusive underground nuisances: voles and pocket gophers.

At Quality Pest Solutions, we understand the confusion and frustration these pests can cause. That’s why we’ve put together this detailed guide to help you understand the difference between voles and pocket gophers, how to identify which pest is at work in your yard, and what you can do to take back your property.

Meet the Culprits: Voles and Pocket Gophers

Though they often get lumped together because of their shared underground lifestyles and similar damage, voles and pocket gophers are two very different creatures with distinct behaviors and characteristics. Let’s break it down.

What Are Voles?

Voles, sometimes referred to as meadow mice, are small, stocky rodents about 4–6 inches long. They have short legs, small eyes, and furry tails. Voles are herbivores and prefer to stay close to the surface, feeding on grasses, roots, bulbs, and the bark of young trees.

What really sets voles apart is their ability to reproduce rapidly. A single pair of voles can have several litters per year, with multiple young in each litter. This rapid population growth can quickly turn a small problem into a full-blown infestation.

What Are Pocket Gophers?

Pocket gophers, named for the fur-lined cheek pouches they use to carry food, are larger than voles—typically 6–10 inches in length. They have powerful front claws for digging, and their bodies are built for life underground. Unlike voles, pocket gophers spend almost all their time below the surface, constructing extensive tunnel systems.

Gophers are also herbivores and can cause serious damage to plants, lawns, trees, and even irrigation systems by feeding on roots and pulling entire plants down into their tunnels.

How Are They Similar?

At first glance, the damage caused by voles and gophers can seem nearly identical. Both are subterranean rodents that disturb the soil, destroy vegetation, and leave homeowners scratching their heads. Here are some of their similarities:

• Underground Tunnels: Both animals dig tunnels beneath your lawn and garden.

• Herbivorous Diets: They feed on roots, bulbs, grasses, and other vegetation.

• Yard Damage: They destroy landscaping by killing grass from below or pushing soil to the surface.

• Attract Predators: Their presence can draw snakes, owls, and other predators to your property.

But despite these similarities, there are clear ways to distinguish between them—and knowing the difference is key to proper control.

How Are They Different?

Here’s how to tell which pest you're dealing with in your Colorado yard.

1. The Tunnels

• Vole Tunnels: Voles create shallow surface runways that form maze-like patterns in the grass. These paths are usually about 1–2 inches wide and may have small holes that lead underground. The damage is very visible on the surface, especially just after the snow melts.

• Gopher Tunnels: Gopher tunnels are deeper and usually not visible at the surface. What you do see is a series of fresh soil mounds. These are fan- or crescent-shaped and lack an obvious exit hole.

2. The Mounds

• Vole Activity: Voles rarely leave mounds. Instead, you’ll see trails or "runways" in the lawn and signs of gnawing on plants or trees.

• Gopher Mounds: Gophers push dirt to the surface as they excavate tunnels, resulting in those telltale mounds. Each mound is plugged with soil to protect the tunnel below from predators and weather.

3. Signs of Feeding

• Voles: They leave behind gnawed bark at the base of shrubs and trees, often in a characteristic "girdling" pattern that can kill young plants.

• Gophers: You may find entire plants missing from your garden, having been pulled down into the tunnels from below.

  
  

Can They Live Together?

Interestingly, voles and gophers often share the same habitats—and sometimes even the same tunnel systems. Voles are opportunistic and will readily move into abandoned gopher tunnels or dig into active ones to use them as protected highways.

This shared space doesn’t necessarily mean the two species are friendly, but it does mean that controlling one pest might not be enough. If you only address gophers, for instance, voles could still be thriving in the same system.

Why Are They More Active in Spring?

Colorado’s long winters mean that much of the voles' and gophers’ activity goes unnoticed under the snow. But as temperatures rise and the snowpack disappears, all of that hidden damage comes to light.

In spring, both pests become more active:

• Voles begin foraging above ground and expanding their surface trails.

• Gophers ramp up their tunneling and mound-building as the ground thaws.

This makes spring the ideal time to inspect your yard and take action before populations explode.

What Can You Do?

Here are a few tips for identifying and addressing vole and gopher problems on your property:

1. Inspect Your Yard

Walk your lawn and garden area closely. Look for:

• Maze-like surface trails = likely voles

• Fan-shaped soil mounds = likely gophers

• Both = you’ve got double trouble

2. Protect Your Plants

Wrap tree trunks with mesh guards to prevent vole gnawing. Consider underground wire barriers for high-value garden beds to deter gophers.

3. Don’t Water Too Much

Both voles and gophers prefer moist soil. Over-irrigating your lawn or garden can make it more attractive to these pests.

4. Call the Professionals

The truth is, controlling burrowing rodents can be difficult without the right tools or experience. Trapping and baiting must be done with precision, and repellents are often temporary at best.

At Quality Pest Solutions, we’ve helped countless homeowners in Colorado’s mountain communities tackle persistent vole and gopher problems. Our trained technicians can identify the extent of your infestation, distinguish between species, and implement safe, effective treatment options that fit your specific situation.

The Quality Pest Solutions Advantage

We don’t just remove pests—we work with you to understand the root cause and prevent future infestations. When it comes to voles and gophers, that might mean improving lawn drainage, adjusting landscaping strategies, or installing physical barriers.

Our local knowledge of Colorado’s unique mountain environment gives us an edge. We know how these pests behave at elevation, how the seasons affect their activity, and how to tailor pest control programs for lasting success.

Ready to Reclaim Your Yard?

If your spring landscape is looking more like a rodent highway than a place to relax and garden, it’s time to take action. Don’t let voles and gophers ruin your hard-earned property.

Contact Quality Pest Solutions today, and let us help you bring peace (and green grass) back to your yard. 

Thank you for joining us on this informative journey through the world of vole and gopher pest mitigation in Colorado's mountainous terrain. For more information or to schedule a pest treatment, contact Quality Pest Solutions at 970-485-4843 or visit our website

www.qualitypestsolutionsco.com/ Let us help keep your home and business pest-free, no matter the season.

Quality Pest Solutions - Your Trusted Partner in Pest Management in Mountainous Colorado.