(Microtus arvalis)
Biology:
Like the greater vole, field mice belong to the short-tailed vole family and mainly inhabit permanent grassland (open, cultivated agricultural landscape, fields, short-grass meadows and pastures). They are colony-forming herbivores and create burrow systems up to a depth of 50 cm. The entrances to their burrows are connected by a branched system of above-ground passages, some of which are several meters long.
The animals have a rather stocky build with a broad head and small ears. The body length is approx. 9 to 10 cm, the tail length approx. 4 cm. The coat color is very variable, mostly yellow-brown or yellow-grey on top and light grey towards the underside of the body. Females have 3 to 7 litters of 3 to 9 young per year. Due to their high fertility, the animals tend to reproduce en masse. Such events are referred to as “mouse years”. As a rule, the animals live outdoors, but sometimes also temporarily seek out stables, barns, sheds or residential buildings as winter quarters.
Damage:
The field vole can be a major pest in arable farming, especially in years of mass reproduction when it feeds on green parts of plants, root crops, seeds, roots, bulbs and tree bark.
