Moles in my new yard?

11 years ago

I closed on a house in January and the yard was once nice but has been very neglected for several years. We have had quite a bit of rain recently and while walking through what is left of my St. Augustine grass, the ground fell about 5 inches under my foot. After inspection I realize that I have pretty substantial (what I believe are) mole tunnels throughout my first yard including under sidewalks.

I have never had moles and know nothing about them. I see lots of "get rid of mole" ideas, but I need something that works. I would even make peace with them being there if I could just push them away from the main part of the lawn towards the edges. It is a large yard, we could get along if they would stay in their part.

Thoughts?

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Comments (4)

Kimmsr
11 years ago
You will find all kinds of ideas about controlling moles and few, if any, really work. Understand that most likely you have one mole at work because a mole needs a fairly large territory to meet its needs and it will defend that territory to the death if need be. A lot of mole activity might be considered a good sign because that means there is a lot of their primary food source, earthworms, available.
Trapping is the most effective method of control. Poisoned baits have not been shown to be effective against moles and are known to be harmful to other forms of wildlife. "Grub" poisons are very popular but those poisons most likely also kill the earthworms although the manufacturers and sellers of those products will assure you they do not. There are specific target controls, Bacillus popilleae for example, but any broad spectrum poison will kill off many life forms, including us if not used with due care.
Perhaps the linked article form Ohio State University will be of some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mole Control
glitter_and_guns
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you very much for the info & the link. You kind of drove home what I already feared - trapping them (and it looks like "trapping" in this case is code for killing) them seems to be the answer. I just hate the idea of it and I am not even sure that any of the top surface runs are being used right now - I caved in several and see no re-building at all. Maybe I will be REALLY lucky and they will all be very old tunnels in an old uncared for lawn. Or maybe the useless Schnauzers that I took outside and made a big show over pointing out to them the mole tunnels (only to be met with lazy house Schnauzers laying down in the lawn and taking a mid afternoon nap) scared away the moles?!? - And how is it that 2 dogs will knock over furniture to chase a mayfly in the house, and yet the little critters that they were bred to chase in the lawn evoke absolutely no reaction - at any rate, I am going to get top soil today and try to fill the dips in the lawn and hopefully I will realize that the moles have truly moved on to greener pastures - or in this case, lawns.

I really don't mind killing things that sting or bite (or that I will eat), but in general I hate killing things just for living in the same space in which I want to live.
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Grubs (in the lawn) are the icky and damaging larvae of beetles. A large population can result in serious problems with your lawn. Moles just happen to LOVE grubs! Put on your stomping shoes and keep the tunnels packed down. That way, you can keep an eye out on any new activity. Plus, you don't want your grass's roots to be left high and dry in those tunnels. I have a high tolerance for moles but many people don't. But I don't worship my lawn, either, lol. Attached is an image of a couple typical beetle grubs. If you live in a part of the country plagued by Japanese Beetles, you have 'em. Other pesty grubs would be from any of the other chafer beetles like the May or June beetle. Typically, at this time of year, grubs are overwintering several inches into the soil, but will come up to feed on grass roots in the spring. Here is a link that might be useful:
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I know a lot of people that for the last 40 years have been trapping moles every year, and they often trap 30 or 40 per year every year. To date there has not been a decrease in the population of the buggers from that trapping. As soon as you eliminate your mole from your yard another mole will move in to take advantage of that vacancy, unless something is done to make that vacancy unattractive. Research at Michigan State University found that if a sufficient amount of Castor Oil was applied to make the food source distastefull the moles would go elsewhere, for a time. They, the research people at MSU, found that 1 pint of Castor Oil applied over 2,500 square feet was what was needed to accomplish that and the affect would last for 6 to 8 weeks before needing to be applied again. So if you mix 1 pint of Castor Oil in a 1 quart hose end sprayer with enough water to fill and spray that over the 2,500 square feet that area will be mole free for a time.
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The first thing you have to do is identify the animal you are trying to control. Milky Spore will eliminate the worms and grubs which are a food source for Moles. The mole will make a small mounded tunnel that is only about an inch or two high, and 2-3 inches wide. It is very easy to see, and they will sometimes push that tunnel under your young plants, but they will not eat them. You will rarely if ever see one outside their tunnel. Voles on the other hand are vegetarians, make little holes that are entrances to their hiding place. They look like little black or dark brown rats or mice. There are poisons that will help control them both to some extent, but is not always 100% effective. Here at Lowes they have a product that comes in a cone shaped container and has toxic pellets that you put in the runs. The small end of the cone is used to open the run of moles. One such product is called "Poison Peanuts" If you have rabbits doing the damage, you may need to trap it. Or, your County Agents office may have other approved methods to offer.
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Ironically, all a good gardener's hard work, mulching, irrigating, keeping a compost pile can actually ATTRACT moles by providing plenty of worms, grubs etc. for them to eat. Their constant search for underground insects can cause serious damage to lawns and gardens, so it would seem that destroying soil insects would decrease their activity...but actually, damage may be increased as the animals burrow even more in their territory to find the scarcer food! Also long-term eradication of soil insects is impractical, if not impossible. Other means of getting rid of moles that DO NOT work: Fumigating: car exhaust, poison gas cannisters etc., are a wasteof time when dealing with moles, their tunnels are far too extensive to fill with gas. You may succeed in repelling them, or maybe killing one, but tomorrow...THEY'LL BE BAAAACK! Poison baits: moles are primarily insect eaters, poison baits are generally grain-based. Mothballs: moles maybe temporarily repelled, or more likely, just dig different tunnels. In the meantime, you have poison lying around for children or pets to find. Vibrating or ultrasonic devices: As lovely lawn decorations, windmill daisies may may bother your neighbors, but your moles won't mind a bit. Chewing gum, broken glass, human hair, etc., etc., etc. : Again, really not effective. Homeowers sometimes think they've run off a mole using one of these methods, most likely, she's just gone to deeper ground to have babies, who will be ready to dig their own tunnels in a month! Recommended methods for getting rid of moles Trapping: The 'harpoon' type trap is probably the easiest to use, but does require careful placement. You'll need to watch the mole activity to find active 'surface runs' . Often these are located along a barrier, such as a driveway, or along the edge of a woods or hedge. They tend to be fairly straight, and may appear to connect two or more mounds or the curving ridged paths where the moles hunt. Once you think you've found a main runway, make a hole in it, the mole will repair it in a day or two if it's an actively used run, which means it's a good place to trap. The trap should carry instructions on how to set it. Lightly depress an area of the run, and place the set trap over it, so that the trigger just barely touches the depressed area. The support spikes should straddle the tunnel without blocking it. Also, take care not to damage any other part of the run, the mole needs to be able to get to the trap area. A bucket placed over the trap can help keep children or pets away. Check the trap often, if not tripped within a few days, try another location. Other methods: Moles can easily be observed at work, for those with strong stomachs, a pitchfork or shovel straight into a moving burrow is quite effective. Or you could try to dig up the creature and transport it elsewhere...be warned, these little velvet-coated beasts are fearless, and can deliver a painful bite or scratch! Some dogs and cats are good mole-hunters, though it seems more of a game, as moles taste unpleasant, and few predators actually eat them. When placing a garden or lawn near a wood or field where moles are plentiful, a 'mole barrier' can keep them out. Sections of galvanized hardware cloth or aluminum sheathing, 3 feet wide, should be buried to a depth of 24". Six inches should be left exposed above the soil, and three inches can be bent forward on the bottom, towards the source of the moles, to discourage them from digging underneath it.
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joflo723
11 years ago
glitternguns, I feel the same way about yard critters. I believe in co-habiting with anything that does no harm. We have a mole problem in our yard too (we just bought this house less than a year ago) and I just set out my first veggie garden. Does trapping them necessarily mean killing them? I was hoping to find a way to trap and then bring to a far away field and release. Is that something that can be done?
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
You cannot rehome a mole nor is there such a contraption as a live trap for moles.

Moles feed on a wide variety of insects and other small animals that reside in the soil. Their favored food, when available, are beetle grubs and worms. They will also enter an area simply to forage, but won't stick around very long unless there is plenty of available food.

You may want to make occasional walks around the yard to flatten the tunnels so that damage doesn't occur to the grass. No stomping....you don't want to compact the soil.

As you become more aware of how bad (or not) the population is, you'll be better able to decide what to do. Trapping might not seem so bad if mole conventions seem to be going on in your yard.

You might contact your local extension office to see if someone on sfaff can tell you how to scout for white grubs in your lawn. I'm sure that there's ample information on line, too.

Moles in my new yard?

Comments (4)

Kimmsr

glitter_and_guns
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Moles in my new yard?

Comments (4)

Kimmsr

glitter_and_gunsOriginal Author

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joflo723

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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glitter_and_guns
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