Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
October 2000
Abstract
Meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) populations were monitored in an experimental field for three years by mark and recapture in western North Carolina. The field was planted with 3 different species of grasses: Ky 31 fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), blue grass (Poa protensis L.), and creeping red fescue {Festuca rubra L.). Voles were free to range from grass to grass due to adjacent plots in the design. Vole populations were highest in Ky 31 and blue grass, and lowest in creeping red fescue. Meadow voles strongly preferred Ky 31 fescue, a grass with high moisture content and a growth pattern compatible with nest construction.