Bank vole (lat. Myodes glareolus)

Have you ever seen a field mouse? This small rodent, despite its size, can cause great harm. Which? Let's find out...

This small mammal from the order of rodents belongs to the genus of forest and field mice. The mouse family is one of the most numerous on our planet, it includes a huge number of species, but the field mouse is one of the most popular.

And it is also known because it has a very wide habitat. These rodents live in Europe, Siberia, China, Primorye, Mongolia, Korea and other places.

The appearance of a field mouse

How can you find out that you have a field mouse in front of you? Take a look at its back: if a dark narrow stripe runs along it, then this is exactly the same animal.

The body of the animal grows to approximately 12 centimeters in length. The tail of this species of mice is not very long.

Coat color is dark: ocher-gray, brownish. But the belly of a field mouse is light.

On the back of the mouse, a dark stripe is its hallmark.

Field mouse lifestyle and diet

It should be noted right away that these mammals lead, for the most part, a nocturnal and twilight lifestyle. In the daytime, they have a more important task - to hide from predators, so as not to become someone's dinner. And to feast on the field mouse of hunters - more than enough!

And where is this little girl to hide from the watchful eyes of carnivorous hunters? Yes, anywhere: in a pile of foliage, a stack of hay, or you can climb into the roots of a bush and a tree. In the end, for this case, field mice even build underground passages resembling a labyrinth.

Field mice are very prolific animals.

And these little animals are able to very carefully trample down their “way back” on the ground, which is difficult to see with the naked eye. They do this in order to return to their shelter as soon as possible in case of danger.

The diet of the field mouse includes both plant products and some animals. Rodents eat greens from plants, a variety of berries and fruits, seeds, including cereal crops and also insects.

To feed yourself in winter time, field mice try to "settle" closer to human habitation. Sometimes they spend the winter in the barn, in the attic, or they can look into the kitchen.

The main food for a field mouse is vegetable.

Despite the periodic lack of food, field mice do not lose fertility. Their ability to breed can be the envy of any animal.

About breeding field mice

The offspring of these rodents appears about 5 times a year. And each time one female is able to give birth to about 6 - 7 mice. That's the fertility!

Mouse cubs are born blind, but thanks to the enhanced nutrition of mother's milk, they quickly gain weight and grow up. Two weeks after birth, the mice become sighted, and after a couple of weeks - independent.

The benefits and harms of a field mouse

Many will say - well, what is the use of them? They just gnaw and spoil everything! But in an ecosystem, this is not the case. These animals - important element power circuits. Without the existence of this little tailed naughty, many birds and animals would be left without basic food, for example.

A small rodent can reach 9-10 cm long, with more than half occupied by the tail.

The trunk does not exceed 60 mm. The weight of this pest ranges from 20 to 45 g.

The whole body is covered short fur painted in different colors.

On the back and head it is brownish-red, on the sides it gradually turns into dark gray and steel. The color of the abdomen is light, silvery and whitish hairs are mixed here.

The ears and paws are smoky in color, as are the sparse hairs on the underside of the tail. The top side is much darker. By winter, the fur on the body brightens, acquiring a more intense rusty color.

The head is round, the nose is elongated and mobile, the ears are small and rounded. The body is dense, oval in shape.

The genus is very small, it includes only 12-14 varieties. The most common on the territory of the post-Soviet republics are 2 of them - red and bank voles.

We can also meet the red-gray, and in other places the California, Shikotan, Tien Shan and Gapper vole live.

Video

A small video with a bank vole, made in the Moscow Botanical Garden:

Large "squads" of rodents often cause damage to field-protective plantings, gardens, groves and forests.

It is possible and simply necessary to fight with forest voles!

The amazing fertility and resistance of these rodents to adverse conditions can lead to real disaster in any private sector.

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How to determine the presence of a vole mouse in a summer cottage, effective methods rodent control? These questions are of interest to many gardeners. But which of them show the best results, how to prevent a new invasion of rodents? Everything you need to know about voles can be found in the following material.

Features and description of the rodent

The vole mouse differs from its relatives in its small size. An adult is able to reach no more than 13 centimeters in length, and most(up to 70%) occupies the tail. The mouse has a pointed muzzle, small brown eyes. The ears of the animal are tilted slightly forward, but pressed to the head. Looks like a cute rodent causing irreparable damage agriculture, despite their small size.

Mouse fur is very coarse and hard. In most cases, the color of the rodent is beige, gray or brown. The belly of the mouse is colored White color, on the back there is a clear black line. The exact color of the rodent depends on its age, young individuals have dark color, slightly older mice are lighter, old rodents are almost beige, there are gray hairs.

Mice live in natural shelters or in self-dug holes. Remarkably, small animals are able to dig a hole up to four meters in length. One exit necessarily goes to the reservoir, the burrow also includes a nesting room and several storages for food supplies. The latter are usually located at a depth of more than one meter. Favorite places pest habitats - swamps.

Vole mice differ from their relatives in some features by which it is easy to recognize a rodent:

• voles are the only representatives of the rodent class to have a black stripe on the back;
• in size, field mice are slightly larger than their relatives;
• voles are very similar to Daurian hamsters, the only distinguishing feature- the presence of a long tail;
• unlike other species, the vole has a long period of puberty - about 100 days;
• mice like to settle in feeding areas, destroying the harvested crop;
• Also, voles have one feature that is not characteristic of other species - they are able to settle near swamps.

Interesting to know! Rodents are active in the evening, at night. In autumn and winter, they are awake even during the day. It is noteworthy that mice do not hibernate during the winter season.

Reasons for the appearance

Why do voles start up in summer cottages? Rodents need food, constant availability of water and heat. All these qualities are possessed by warehouses, basements, which are available in the country. Also, rodents are able to feast on human supplies located in secluded corners of the kitchen. The ways of passage of pests are: ventilation ducts, open windows and doors, cracks in the floor, walls.

It is very easy to notice a pest in a summer cottage. The main signs of the life of the animal are the presence of minks, feces throughout the house, in secluded places. Also, pests leave their marks everywhere. This is due to the fact that the teeth of rodents grow throughout their lives, they need to be sharpened. What does a vole eat? It is typical for mice to gnaw on the bark of trees, the lower parts of shrubs in the winter season.

Harm to a person

When entering the cellar, the rodent completely destroys all supplies for the winter. In spring, pests feed on young shoots, bark, causing significant damage to the crop that has not yet appeared. Given the harm caused by mice, immediately deal with the destruction of rodents, otherwise the loss of food, plantings in the garden cannot be avoided.

How to get rid of a mouse - voles

Mankind has come up with many methods of dealing with voles, all of them can be divided into several main categories:

• that have stood the test of time;
• physical methods that involve the use of mechanical devices: traps, traps, mousetraps. This category includes the natural enemy of mice - a cat,;
• chemicals: various aerosols, poisons, poisoned baits. show excellent results, but is often dangerous for humans or animals living in the country house.

When choosing the right method against vole, consider the features of the room in which there are pests, the presence of animals.

Folk remedies and recipes

Folk recipes against voles:

Many prefer to use proven mechanical methods, but note that you will have to regularly remove the carcasses of dead individuals. If the number of rodents is very large, then the bait may not work (the mouse can gobble up the bait, dodge the mousetrap). Many people prefer to get a cat, but "fluffies" live in the country with their owners only until winter. Not every cat is able to instill fear in mice, most pets themselves are afraid of rodents or simply do not want to hunt them.

Excellent results show homemade traps:

Chemicals

Effective drugs:

• wax tablets "Storm". Spread the product in boxes, burrows, drainage pipes. The tablets have a deterrent effect, if the pest tastes the remedy, it will die within two weeks;
• universal "Granules". They are made from natural wheat grains. The tool has a cumulative effect (an infected mouse carries poison on its paws, fur, affecting its relatives);
• glue "Muskidan". Effectively copes with voles not only in the summer cottage, but also indoors. It is recommended to apply it on cardboard, place the bait in the middle. When it hits the glue, the mouse sticks tightly and quickly dies.

You can get rid of voles by settling suburban area natural enemies: owls (one individual eats up to two thousand mice a year), martens, foxes feed exclusively on voles. Weasel is able to penetrate the holes of a rodent, destroy offspring.

Harvest mouse - dangerous rodent, capable of destroying a lot of crops. If a pest is found, immediately start fighting it, use the useful recommendations of specialists.

The color of the top of the bank vole is rusty-brownish, of various shades. The tail is relatively long (40-60 mm), sharply bicolored, dark above and whitish below, short hair, between which you can see the scaly surface of the skin. Skull length 21.7-26.0 mm. The length of the upper molars is usually less than 6 mm. The base of the alveolus of the upper incisor (visible when opening the bone) is at least half the length of the crown of this tooth from the anterior edge of the 1st molar. 3rd upper molar with inside with 2, or more often, with 3 reentrant angles.

Forest regions of the European part of the USSR and some regions Western Siberia; to the north to the middle part of the Kola Peninsula, the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk and the lower reaches of the Pechora, to the south to the insular forests of Ukraine, the Voronezh, Saratov, Kuibyshev regions, the environs of Uralsk; isolated locality is in the southwestern Transcaucasia. The eastern boundary of the distribution is not sufficiently clear: separate occurrences are known near Tyumen, in the vicinity of Tobolsk, in the Vasyugan region of the Tomsk region, in the Legostaevsky region of the Novosibirsk region; on the Salair Ridge, Altai and Sayans. Outside the USSR, it is distributed north to Scotland and Scandinavia, south to the Pyrenees, southern Italy, Yugoslavia and Turkey.

In the Pleistocene on the territory of the USSR, bank voles penetrated far to the south into the open landscape, apparently adhering to forested river valleys, and their remains, usually attributed to C. glareolus, together with the remains of the steppe fauna, were found outside their modern range on the lower Don and in the Crimea; in addition, they are known from the Kanev region on the Dnieper. The earliest finds are known from England in the Upper Pliocene; in the early Quaternary time, forms close to C. glareolus.

The red-backed vole lives in various types forests, from coniferous in the north to broadleaf in the south; along the forest islands penetrates far into steppe zone. In autumn and winter, it often settles in haystacks, omets and buildings. Burrows with several exits and 1-2 chambers; sometimes makes a nest on the surface of the soil. Climbs bushes and trees. It feeds on tree seeds, herbaceous plants, bark, buds, lichens and, in part, also animal food (insects, worms). Reproduction 3-4 times a year, in each litter 2-8 cubs. Harmful in forests, nurseries, gardens and field-protective afforestations. In some places it causes some damage in winter in barns, vegetable warehouses and in residential buildings.

Vole subspecies: 1) Clethrionomys glareolus glareolus Schreber (1780) - the coloration is relatively bright with a significant admixture of reddish-rufous tones on the back; from Belarus and the Smolensk region to the Tatar ASSR.

2) C. g. suecicus Miller (1909) - the coloration is darker than that of the previous form, the dimensions are somewhat larger than those of other subspecies; from the Baltic along the northern regions of the USSR (Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Leningrad, Vologda) to the Ural Range and the flat part of Western Siberia, inclusive.

3) C. g. islericus Miller (1909) - rusty-yellow upperparts, lighter than previous forms; Moldova, Ukraine, Kursk, Voronezh, Saratov, Kuibyshev regions, Southern Urals and etc.

4) C. g. devius Stroganov (1948) - the color of the summer fur on the back is smoky gray with a fawn-rusty tint; found in the lower reaches of the river. Pechory.

5) C. g. saianicus Thomas (1911) - upperparts are relatively dark, similar to C. g. suecicus Mill.; slightly smaller than the latter subspecies; Sayans, Altai, Salair Ridge.

6) C. g. ponticus Thomas (1906) - the color of the bank vole is intense, gray-brown, with a brownish-rusty tinge; found in the Guria-Adzhar Range south of the city of Kutaisi of the Georgian SSR; was previously known from several points in Turkey (Trapezund, etc.).

The field mouse is a small animal that has a brown or grey colour back and light gray belly. The red-backed vole has rather large ears, and a dark stripe is located along its back. The family of voles is characterized small size body (up to 15 centimeters), and the tail can be longer than the body. Field mice live large families containing up to 10 sockets each. For a month, the pest processes and throws up to 60 kilograms of soil to the surface.

Despite their miniature size, forest voles, like rats, cause a lot of trouble to their owners. The common vole is the enemy of bumblebees. She destroys their dwellings, eats insect larvae and honey made by him. This brings significant losses to beekeepers and can completely drive insects away from the site.

Practically all year round the main food of animals is the leaves, stems and seeds of wild herbaceous plants. Also bank vole feeds on berries and grain during its growth period. Gray voles also eat insects, their larvae and some invertebrates.

Lifestyle

The way of life of rodents is subject to the principle of seasonality. Also, the biorhythms of animals are dependent on the length of daylight hours. The air temperature, and, accordingly, the time of year also has a significant impact on the way of life.

In summer and spring, forest voles are active in the afternoon: at night. How do they live in winter? In winter and autumn, gray voles and rats are active in the middle of the day. The animal does not hibernate in winter. E minks during this period are natural shelters or passages underground.

Mink gray voles, like rats, "line up" up to 4 meters high. They are usually equipped with several exits, one of which leads to water. The mouse lives in a house with a specially equipped chamber. In winter, food stocks are stored in it.

It is worth noting that the water vole, which lives near swamps, does not dig holes. She lives in a spherical house made mostly of grass. The dwelling is located at a height, on a bush.

Video "Vole in nature"

The “protagonist” of the video is a field mouse, which gradually eats a piece of bread.

Distribution and reproduction

Rats and forest voles live on the territory of the former Soviet Union, in Siberia, Kazakhstan, on Far East. In Ukraine, rodents live on the territory of the Carpathians, the region of the Azov and Black Seas, where the water vole is found. The bank vole feels uncomfortable in the dry steppes near Sivash, so it does not live there.

Forest voles prefer to live in the forests of the forest-steppe. Rodents are most often found on cultivated fields or hills, rising above sea level by almost one and a half kilometers.

The bank vole is very fond of wet areas, so you can meet it in grassy meadows and fields. With great desire red gray vole settles in vineyards, orchards, in valleys, which is very harmful to gardeners.

The underground vole places its dwellings among the roots of plants. When the cold comes, pests easily hide in stacks of straw and piles of fallen leaves. Sometimes the field mouse makes its way into human dwellings or grain stores, which does not please the farmers.

The bank vole breeds actively in spring. Rodent cubs appear in specially equipped chambers, the bottom of which is covered with dry grass. From this part of the dwelling there are several paths that go to the surface. For a year, the female, on average, gives 4 offspring of 5-8 cubs. Pregnancy lasts 22 days.

The interval between offspring is about two months. The mouse is born naked and blind. He is absolutely helpless. Further, the mouse is covered with fluff, grows and develops. After 10 days, he is no different from an adult. Three-week-old babies are looking for food on an equal footing with other mice. And after a couple of months, the field mouse is already able to breed.

Harm

Despite their miniature size and cute appearance, mammals are of little use on the farm. They exist, by and large, due to the fact that they have time to steal from gardeners, farmers or gardeners.

Mice and rats, settling in apartments, warehouses or in the country, bring irreparable harm. They eat tree bark, green parts of plants, and gardeners' supplies, including grain. The red-backed vole causes significant losses, and when the rodent population becomes huge, it is impossible to estimate the losses from spoiled crops at all. Therefore, it is in the interests of the gardeners themselves not to allow an increase in the mouse family.

To choose the right tool, you should decide what results you are trying to achieve. And also by what method: humane or more radical. It is also necessary to take into account the environment in which disinfection activities are planned. After all, when getting rid of rodents, domestic animals or livestock should not suffer.

The underground vole is afraid of "Storm" wax tablets. This preparation can reliably protect the crop that the pest feeds on. The substance is scattered in burrows, as well as other places where the bank vole loves or can be. The main thing is not to take the drug with your hands. After all, rats can smell a person and will not eat poison. After consuming the poison, the life of the animal stops after 10-14 days.

The fight against mice is also carried out with Muskidan glue. It is applied to a plywood or cardboard base, in the middle of which the bait is placed. Getting on a sticky surface, the field mouse is firmly glued to it.

The water vole is afraid and natural enemies which can drastically reduce the population. For example, an owl takes the life of 1000 or more rodents per year. And for the fox and the marten, the red-backed vole is the only food. Therefore, they actively hunt for it. A ferret, hunting for mice, is capable of destroying up to 12 representatives of the water vole species per night. And the weasel, with its long and narrow body, easily penetrates the dwellings that the red-gray vole has equipped, and takes the life from its cubs.