Bank vole

Systematic position: The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus, also known as Myodes glareolus) belongs to the order Rodentia and the family Cricetidae. While naturally woodland-dwelling, it frequently encroaches on agricultural landscapes, orchards, and home gardens, becoming a significant pest in temperate climate zones.

Host plants: The bank vole is a generalist feeder that causes substantial damage to fruit trees (apple, pear, and plum), where it feeds on the bark. It also targets cereal crops, legumes, various vegetables, root crops, and ornamental shrubs, especially when food sources are scarce during colder months.

Biology and life cycle: These rodents are known for their high reproductive rate, with breeding cycles occurring from spring through late autumn. A female can produce multiple litters per year. Bank voles remain active year-round and do not hibernate; they are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, often building complex burrow systems under soil or snow cover.

Nature of damage and harmfulness: The most critical period of damage occurs during winter. Under the protection of snow, voles feed on the cambium and phloem of trees. Girdling the trunk near the root collar or base often results in severe tree decline or total plant mortality, as nutrient and water transport is completely interrupted.

Control measures: Management strategies include a combination of preventive and corrective actions:

• Keeping orchard floors clean by mowing grass and removing plant debris.
• Installing physical barriers like wire mesh sleeves around tree trunks.
• Applying rodenticides in controlled bait stations during winter months.
• Promoting natural predators, such as birds of prey, by installing nesting boxes in the area.