Home Yard rodents
Yards and gardens · Oxford, Mississippi
Voles, chipmunks and rat burrows in Oxford yards
Runways in the lawn, a neat hole by the patio, girdled shrubs, a burrow beside the foundation. Some yard diggers are harmless; one of them is a sign rats are living next to your house. Here is how to tell them apart and what to do.
- Vole, mole or chipmunk?
- Rat burrows by the foundation
- Protect plants
- When they move inside
Burrow next to the house? Read about rat burrows.
Start here
How do you tell voles, moles, chipmunks and rats apart in the yard?
By the signs they leave. Voles, also called meadow mice, are small rodents with tiny ears and short tails that make surface runways through grass and mulch and girdle the bark of shrubs, according to Mississippi State University Extension. Moles are not rodents; they are related to shrews, eat grubs and earthworms, and push up raised tunnels across the lawn. Chipmunks are 9 to 10 inches long and dig neat burrow openings 2 to 3 inches wide with no dirt pile, often by patios and foundations, according to University of Missouri Extension. Norway rats dig burrows along foundations, under slabs and beside woodpiles, usually with fresh dirt and worn paths. A rat burrow next to your house is the one to act on fast.
Who is digging?
Vole, mole, chipmunk or rat? Telling them apart
Vole and chipmunk facts from Mississippi State and University of Missouri Extension; mole facts from Alabama Cooperative Extension.
| Animal | What you see | What it eats | How serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vole | Surface runways in grass and mulch, girdled bark, plants eaten to the ground | Roots, bark, bulbs, hosta and turf | Plant damage |
| Mole (not a rodent) | Raised tunnels across the lawn | Grubs, earthworms and insect larvae | Lawn looks, rarely plants |
| Chipmunk | Neat holes 2 to 3 inches wide, no dirt pile, near patios and walls | Seeds, bulbs, nuts, pet food | Minor; burrows under slabs and foundations |
| Norway rat | Burrows by foundations, slabs, woodpiles, often with fresh dirt and paths | Almost anything: grain, pet food, garbage | Serious; a step from the house |
| Mouse | Small holes in mulch near the house, droppings in the garage | Seeds, pet food, birdseed | Often heading indoors in fall |
Not sure? Our identification guide covers rodents and look-alikes in more detail.
Rat burrows
Rat burrows along the foundation
The one yard digger you do not wait on.
Norway rats burrow along building foundations, beneath rubbish and woodpiles, and around gardens, according to University of California IPM. They forage 100 to 500 feet from the nest at night.
A burrow against the foundation, under a slab, a stoop or an AC pad means rats are living a few feet from your crawl space or wall. That is when a yard problem becomes a house problem.
Check the crawl space next. Our crawl space guide covers how they get under the house. Seeing rat snakes too? Read what they say about rodents.
- Smooth-edged holes against the foundation or slab
- Fresh dirt pushed out, worn paths between holes
- Burrows under woodpiles, sheds or debris
- Droppings about 3/4 inch with blunt ends
- Activity near bird feeders, compost or chicken feed
- Gnawing on the crawl space door or vents
Voles and plants
Protecting plants and trees from voles
Vole guidance from Mississippi State University Extension.
Watch fall and winter
Look for runways in turf and mulch and feeding on shrubs from early fall through winter.
Mow and thin cover
Keep turf mowed and keep vegetation-free space around young trees and shrubs.
Cage young trees
Hardware cloth set 2 to 3 inches into the ground and about 18 inches high prevents girdling.
Trap in runways
Mousetraps baited with peanut butter, oatmeal, pecans or apple slices, set in runways or beds.
The clay pot trick
An unbaited trap at a hole, covered with a clay pot. The vole trips it trying to get out.
Careful with bait
Zinc phosphide pellets are dangerous to kids, pets and wildlife; MSU says use only in lockable bait stations.
Mulch kept back from tree bases helps too. More on safe options in our pet-safe rodent control page.
Chipmunks
Chipmunks under patios and foundations
Rarely dangerous, sometimes destructive, easy to discourage.
Chipmunks are mostly a nuisance. Their main tunnels can run 20 to 30 feet with storage chambers, and burrows under patios, steps and foundations are the main concern, along with dug-up bulbs and seeds.
They have litters of 2 to 5 young, mating in spring and again in summer or early fall, according to University of Missouri Extension. No toxic baits are labeled specifically for chipmunks.
- Close openings in the foundation with hardware cloth or caulk
- Protect bulb beds with 1/4 inch hardware cloth under the soil
- Keep birdseed off the ground and pet food indoors
- Move woodpiles and rock piles away from the house
- Rat-size snap traps, pre-baited, where allowed
- Seal gaps in sheds and outbuildings
Yard to house
Burrows next to the house?
Call or send the form. We check the foundation, crawl space and yard, seal what can be sealed with metal and trap what is there. The price is in writing before any work starts.
Yard habits
Yard habits that invite rodents
Less food and cover outside means fewer rodents trying to get inside.
Bird feeders
Spilled seed feeds rats, mice, chipmunks and squirrels. Use trays, keep feeders away from the house, and clean up under them.
Woodpiles and brush
Stack firewood off the ground and away from the house. Brush and junk piles are rodent housing.
Compost and gardens
Keep compost in closed bins, away from the house. Pick up fallen fruit and nuts, especially pecans.
Chickens and coops
Feed in metal bins, eggs collected daily, coop closed at night, hardware cloth on openings.
Dense ground cover
Ivy and thick shrubs against the foundation give rodents cover right at the wall. Trim back a strip.
Pet food outside
Bowls left out overnight feed every rodent on the block. Feed pets indoors or pick up bowls.
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Straight answers
Yard rodent questions
Do voles come into houses?
Rarely. Voles live in lawns and gardens and tunnel under mulch and grass. If you are finding droppings indoors, it is almost always a mouse or rat.
Are moles rodents?
No. Moles are related to shrews and eat grubs, earthworms and insect larvae. They push up raised tunnels in lawns but rarely eat plants.
How do I tell a chipmunk hole from a rat hole?
Chipmunk holes are neat, 2 to 3 inches wide, with no dirt pile at the entrance. Rat burrows usually have fresh dirt pushed out, worn paths between holes, and are often against foundations or under debris.
Are rat burrows in the yard dangerous?
They mean rats are living close to your house. Burrows against the foundation or under slabs are often a step away from the crawl space or walls, so they are worth acting on quickly.
How do I keep voles from killing my shrubs?
Mississippi State University Extension suggests keeping vegetation-free areas around young trees and shrubs, caging young trees with hardware cloth set 2 to 3 inches into the ground and about 18 inches high, and trapping in runways.
Do bird feeders attract rats?
Yes. Spilled seed feeds rats, mice, chipmunks and squirrels. Use trays, keep feeders away from the house and clean up under them.
Do you handle yard rodents?
Rats and mice are our core work, including rat burrows around the house. For voles, moles and chipmunks, we will tell you on the phone what we can help with.
Keep reading
Related rodent help for Oxford homes
From the blog: questions people ask
Sources
Last reviewed October 2026 by the Rodent Control Oxford team. Biology and control standards follow Mississippi State University Extension and the CDC. Price ranges are labeled benchmarks; your price comes in writing after we inspect.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Controlling Voles in the Landscape
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Moles and Voles (ANR-2412)
- University of Missouri Extension, Controlling Chipmunk Damage (G9527)
- UC IPM, Rats Pest Notes
- Mississippi State University Extension, Controlling Rodents on the Poultry Farm
Oxford & Lafayette County
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