Rodent widespread in Central Europe with a body length of 12 and 24 cm (also known as the shearer mouse, moll mouse, dry rat, ground rat). The family also includes the field vole, which does not play a role in viticulture. The vole lives underground in burrows up to 1 metre deep in meadows, gardens and farmland. They also gnaw on the roots and rootstocks of vines, which leads to poor budding, sudden wilting of the leaves and even death. On grassland or lawns, the burrowing activity can destroy the sward. The damaged areas quickly become overgrown with weeds.

The population density is very high, so the damage can be considerable. The pest is controlled with traps or by creating colonisation sites for natural enemies such as weasels.
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Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg