The vole is a very prolific breeder and as a result one may find many of these animals eating anything they can get their little paws on. The vole has been known to cause great damage (at times complete) to crops, orchards, and small plants and trees, especially when they reach high population densities.

Like the mouse, the vole can carry disease that can be transferred to humans through food cross-contamination or direct contact.

Like the gopher, the vole can cause extensive damage in levee systems to the level of complete failure in the creation of its underground burrows and tunnels. This great amount of tunneling can also be a large problem in irrigated areas as these tunnels can channel water away from the area it was intended to reach.