Livermore residents battle vole infestation
LIVERMORE, Calif. - A Livermore community is grappling with an infestation of voles, small rodents related to hamsters and lemmings.
In July, residents in nearby Pleasanton started dealing with voles overrunning their yards.
A Tri-Valley exterminator said the infestation was overwhelming, making it difficult for him or the residents to keep up with them.
"They are getting into our property. They are getting into the neighborhood. I speak with neighbors all the time and it's a constant clean-up," said Livermore resident Randy.
"We started seeing them in our pool and then they started getting into our pool pump," said Randy’s neighbor, Frankie Emerson.
This neighborhood borders vast open space, a paradise for moles, voles, mice, and rats. However, extreme weather conditions — too hot, too dry, too cold — drive them toward homes.
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"We are fortunate that we don't have them up in our attic. They do get into our pool. We do get them on the property alive as well as already passed. There are natural predators, like owls, that are regurgitating (them), so we see remains," said Randy.
"I lived about a mile away, still in Livermore, and we did not have this issue," said Emerson.
Local laws prohibit poisoning the voles to protect predators and for humane reasons. Vole feces, urine, and bites can transmit diseases such as salmonellosis, hantavirus, and fever.
The Alameda County Health Department's vector control team said, "While voles can carry disease, the risk to humans is low as they typically avoid homes and structures."
Nevertheless, voles are growing accustomed to humans.
"They just walk around. We'll open up our garage and they just walk out and walk in at this point," said Emerson.
The health department explained that vole populations naturally fluctuate, usually spiking every three to six years, and recent housing developments have contributed to the current situation.