I know I have voles, caught a couple last summer, and there's quite a few trails in the front yard grass, but the trails don't appear fresh, the one fresh one I found caught a vole right away...older trails nothing....Any idea how many of the lil darlings occupy a given area? will one, or a few make numerous trails and abandon them?, Thanks

Predators take them.

Once the grass gets growing you won’t even notice the damage. The only reason you see the damage when the snow goes away is predators don’t see them under the snow, and the grass isn’t growing.

Look in the immediate area and landscape if any for golf ball size holes or smaller. These can usually be found along or at the ends of the runs. Set your traps in and along these areas and holes entrances. You can have a few living in one den to several. You will most likely catch some shrews with your trapping as they run the same runs as the voles.

Thank you....Used to have a lot of shrews, and no voles... I guess the shrews kill them...must have died off cause now I have the voles...They really aren't a bother as they don't get in the house, but they are making a lot of runs and holes, or they were..will look for more fresh sign.

Once the chewed runs begin to grow in you will have to look more closely to find their runs and burrows. They will continue to use the runs once they fill in. They will continue to chew the grass at ground level each day to keep the runs open. If the runs appear to be growing with new grass most likely that run has been abandoned.