Question: What are the loose clumps of dead grass in my lawn after winter, I can easily pickup handfuls of the stuff and it leaves behind a zigzag pattern?

Short Answer: Voles or Field Mice.

Long Answer: Voles are a very common rodent found in lawns. You do not often see them, but you do find evidence that they were living beneath the snow when Spring arrives.

Vole feeding patterns during the winter leave runways just above the soil. They chew off the grass stems and leave a space between the roots and severed grass blade tips.

	Vole Damage Before Cleanup
Vole Damage After Cleanup
	New Grass Growing From Roots

Cleaup of the damaged area can easily be done with a rake. If a large area is damaged, power-raking may be the most efficient way to cleanup and dispose of the dead grass.

Usually the roots are still present and will regrow as the temperatures warm up. If the damage has affected the roots, a seed and topsoil mix should be used to repair the area.

For more information on Voles, visit the U of M Extension web-site "Voles in the Landscape".