Outbreaks of the common vole, Microtis arvalis (Pallas, 1778), have plagued temperate European farmlands throughout history, causing large-scale crop loss and forming reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens. Here, we review the role of landscape heterogenicity, in particular ecological structural elements (ESEs) such as hedgerows, flower strips and bushes in farmlands on the outbreak dynamics of the common vole. Research into the role of landscape heterogeneity on outbreak dynamics in agricultural landscapes has highlighted the potential significance of the scale and connectivity of vole habitats, as well as various ecological structural elements that indirectly shape competition and predation. Landscape openness, in the form of open grasslands, such as crops and pastures, forms optimal vole habitat and has been linked to multiannual cycling and outbreaks of common vole populations. Conversely, ESEs that provide heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes are found to exert a limiting force on population growth and the likelihood of outbreaks. A heterogenic landscape not only creates physical barriers between vole populations, but also offers habitat and hunting arenas for both generalist and specialist predators. Especially woody ESEs, such as hedgerows, forest patches and strips, as well as rural built-up structures, stand out as features relevant for generalist predators. In addition, we find that rotary shallow tilling of fields is also effective in avoiding the establishment of vole populations. We find that there is evidence to support recommendations for effective landscape structure in farmland regions at three spatial scales: patch (2), landscape (< 100 km2) and regional (>100 km2). However, to further our understanding of the interaction between voles and landscape heterogeneity, it is essential to increase long-term (>6 years) and multi-scale monitoring projects of vole dynamics across all scales. Based on our review, we provide concrete management measures to exploit ELEs to reduce outbreak hazards in farmland. We conclude that there is now potential to identify outbreak hazards within farmlands on all three scales by large-scale high-resolution mapping of the geographic configuration of ELEs, using open-access high-resolution (< 1 m2) remote sensing data (LiDAR).