Voles are an important part of the diet of many predators. Predators of the vole include hawks, herons and other large birds, especially barn owls, fox, weasels, opossum, skunks, shrews and even bears and bass. Owls including barn, short-eared and northern harrier owls as so dependent upon voles in their diet that their success is intricately tied to the vole populations around them.

Unfortunately, voles can cause considerable economic damage to tree farms and considerable headaches for the home gardener. This is further discussed in the vole diet section.

Voles are creatures that spend most of their time hidden from view. Whether they are in their underground burrows or traveling through their above ground runways, you will be hard pressed to get a good visual in your yard, garden or landscaping of the vole.