What a winter we have had so far. We haven’t had this much snow in the North Platte Valley for quite some time.

At the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, we have been taking calls about a number of problems showing up in lawns. The first one is voles, small, mouse-like rodents that are common in Nebraska. The two common species are the prairie vole and the meadow vole.

As the snow has melted, many homeowners are seeing surface runways and tunnels created by voles to find food. Voles are herbivores and feed on plant material. They will damage trunks and stems of small trees and shrubs, bulbs, tubers and seeds. Surface runways in lawns will generally fill in the next summer, but some re-seeding may be needed.

Vole damage should not be confused with mole damage. Moles create sub-surface tunnels and feed on earthworms, grubs and insects. Generally, moles are not active during winter.

Voles can be managed several ways; one is modifying their habitat. Voles do not like open areas. Control grasses and weeds in and around trees and shrubs. Remove old growth from flower beds and gardens.  Creating a fence around flower beds, using ¼-inch or smaller woven-wire mesh 12 inches above ground with 2 to 3 inches in the ground, will help.

The same mesh or plastic cylinders can be used to protect individual trees and shrubs. Be sure to remove the cylinders in the spring so they do not interfere with the plant’s growth.

Repellents are not very effective. But trapping is an effective control method. Single mouse traps can be set perpendicular to the vole runway with the trigger in the runway. Bait is not required, but peanut butter mixed with oatmeal can be used.

Multi-catch mouse traps will also work. Place the traps near the burrows or along the runways. Use bird seed or other food source at the entrance points. If no voles are trapped in 24 to 48 hours, move the traps to a new location.

Toxic baits can be used effectively to manage voles. Use covered bait stations that cannot be moved and do not allow access to cats, dogs, other pets or wildlife. Do not use toxicants on bare soils or in piles that could be accessed by non-target animals. Be sure to select the toxicant that is labeled for the site.  Remember, when using any pesticide, read, understand and follow the label instructions carefully, including information on personal protective equipment and other safety precautions.

Using an integrated pest management approach will be more successful than using just one method of management. It is more effective to use a combination of methods such as modifying the habitat, exclusion and traps than using traps alone.

For more detailed information on voles, see Nebraska Extension NebGuide G887.

The other potential lawn problem is damage to the turf or winter kill. Lawns have had a lot of snow and some ice cover. Snow cover may still be present, especially on the north side of buildings. The damaged turf will likely occur in the low-lying, poorly drained areas.

Ice prevents air circulation in the turf canopy and soil surface, effectively smothering the turf. Turf also can be damaged in these areas if it becomes hydrated. If the crown of the grass plant takes up water, then freezes rapidly, ice crystals form in the crown and rupture the plant cells, killing the plant.  If a large area is affected, reseeding may be needed in the spring.

Two turfgrass diseases, relatively uncommon to our area, may show up in years like this: gray snow mold (Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (Fusarium / Microdochium patch).

Gray snow mold is a cold-weather disease and develops under extended snow cover. It causes a dirty white to gray mycelium to form on the infected turf. The affected areas will appear as bleached out or scaled patches up to a foot in diameter.

Pink snow mold can occur anytime during prolonged periods of cool, wet weather. Symptoms of pink snow mold are bleached out patches with a rust-brown or salmon-pink colored border up to a foot in diameter.

Both diseases are easily confused with each other. Snow mold diseases rarely kill turf. Management of these diseases is cultural. Rake out the affected areas. Reseeding may be needed, but generally the turf will recover and fill in. Fertilize in the fall after the last mowing with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer.  Reduce thatch in the turf. Prevent snow compaction and drifting if possible.

Fungicides can be used, but are not that effective and can be expensive. If a fungicide is used, it is a preventative application, before the snow falls and accumulates.