How To Control Moles In Your Lawn

How To Identify Moles

Moles are solitary, insect-eating animals that live underground and rarely come to the surface, usually only to find a mate. They burrow a foot deep into the soil, using their front paws to dig a network of underground tunnels.;

How can you identify a mole? They are around seven inches long with pointed muzzles, tiny eyes and hairless snouts. Their eyes and ear canals are concealed by fur, and they don’t have external ears. Their forefeet are very large and broad with webbed toes, but their hind feet are narrow with slender claws.;

In their natural environment or in large, open rural areas, moles do not cause significant damage. Its only when they make their way into your lawn and garden that they become a problem. Moles naturally aerate soil and eat the larvae of destructive insects. However, in your yard, they’ll also destroy plant roots, bulbs and grass. The tell-tale sign that you have a mole infestation is not seeing the mole itself, but the presence of small, volcano-shaped mounds and raised ridges of dirt in your yard.;

Create A Vertical Barrier To Prevent Moles:

If you have a mole and a vegetable garden, you run the risk of;voles using the mole tunnels as a quick route to eat your crops. So create a barrier by digging a trench two to three feet deep around the perimeter. Next, fill it with rocks, or use;a wire mesh. Be;sure that any wire barrier extends;two feet into the dirt;and 6 to 12 inches;above ground.

Keep in mind that this method works well,;but it is certainly not an easy;job for anything but the smallest of gardens. You can also protect individual bulbs in the ground by building small wire cages around them.;Again, an arduous task, but if these plants;are particularly important to you,;the effort might be worth it.

How To Get Rid Of Moles In Your Yard And Garden

Moles: while some people think they look cute, they can cause severe damage to your lawn and landscaping.;

Moles construct intricate networks of tunnels and mounds in the ground and quickly kill or damage the plants, grass, and trees in your outdoor space. If you want to reclaim your yard, the only solution is to learn how to get rid of moles.;

Dont worry – it is possible to figure out how to get rid of moles humanely. Here at Smiths Pest Management, our team has helped thousands of customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area reduce mole populations and enjoy their landscaping once more.;

In this post, well share our top tips. Lets dive in.;

Don’t Miss: How Often To Fertilize New Lawn

Mole Myth #: Trapping Moles Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of Moles In Your Yard

MYTH BUSTED: While there are a variety of mole traps on the market that function to either kill the mole or actually trap it to be released off your property, trapping is only about 13 percent effective for reducing your mole population. If you do try to set a trap, you have to first find the main tunnel. Then, be sure you dont try to place your bait in mole mounds. The mound will be too deep to effectively trap the mole.

Once the trap has been sprung, dont just pull the trap out of the ground. The dead mole will not come out of the ground like a shish kabob, it will be stuck in the tunnel. This is fine if you dont want to have to dispose of the critter, but without inspection of the tunnel, you wont know if you killed the mole or if the trap had a misfire. Many homeowners have trapped a mole and not even realized it. One yard can have enough worms and insects to support several moles. Trapping moles can be effective, but if your yard is adjacent to a forested or wild area, complete mole control may be difficult.;

Do Coffee Grounds Repel Moles

Coffee grounds, as we know it, arent that pleasant to sniff .

Because of the strong odor they give off, moles will avoid it because they despise the smell. You can buy a can of coffee grounds and literally just sprinkle them around the yard.

Toss them in key areas such as:

• On soft soil
• Directly into mole tunnels
• Around the perimeter of your garden

Some plants may react to coffee grounds, so youll want to be careful to make sure youre not harming your plants.

Use the grounds on just a few plants first. You can use used coffee grounds from your morning brew.

Just throw them directly where you suspect ground moles to be present. They act as a natural repellent thats safe for most plants and your family.

Read Also: How To Treat Rust Fungus On Lawn

Why Are There Moles In Your Yard

You discover moles burrowing through areas of your yard and want to know how to get rid of them. First, to perform mole control in lawns, its good to understand what they are and why they are there.

What are Moles?

Moles are odd yet strangely cute critters that dwell beneath the ground, using their front feet to dig underground tunnels while pushing the dirt up to make mole hills.

They have small, squinty eyes and ears, broad forefeet with webbed toes, and smaller back feet with slender claws.

Their diet consists of earthworms, grubs, and insects, and often a yard with a bug problem draws the attention of these furry ground dwellers.

Once they realize that your yard has a bug buffet to offer them, these insectivores make themselves at home beneath your yard.

Removing Gophers And Moles

You May Like: How To Do Overseed Your Lawn

Dealing With Moles In The San Francisco Bay Area Were Here To Help

Smiths Pest Management helps residential and commercial properties in Northern California reduce, control, or eliminate their mole problems. Smiths Pest Management also works with parks and large facilities to eradicate moles in an eco-conscious way.;

Learn more about our services or book your mole control service by requesting your free consultation today.

How To Get Rid Of Ground Moles

Mounds of dirt and tunneling are a sure indication of ground moles. When trying to get rid of them, the consensus among many gardeners is that trapping works best. This is because they are too inaccessible and less drastic measures are likely to fail.

However, before choosing your trap, it is important to consider:

• If the trap is efficient enough to catch moles.
• If the trap is safe to use. Many traps on the market today pose danger with their sharp spears, and some also are designed as strong chokers. When some of these traps are raised above ground, they could potentially harm pets and children.
• Can you afford your choice of trap especially if you need several of them?
• Will the trap be used on another occasion?

On the market, you are likely to come across three major types of traps including:

• Victor Out OSight Mole Trap: worth 11.34 dollars, this is one of the most powerful and largely available traps. However, it can be tricky to set.
• Spear-shaped Mole Trap : worth 16.50 dollars, as its name, it has spears and may not be the best choice for a home with pets and children. It is very common and can be found in almost every hardware.
• NoMol Mole Trap: worth 20.95 dollars, of the three types of traps, this one is the safest but is hardly available. It sits below the surface of the ground and gets directly into the tunnel of the moles making it highly effective.

Read Also: How To Get More Clients For Lawn Care

B Second: Follow Up With Your Choice Of Mole Control Methods

• 1. Baiting: Using Mole Bait

  Talparid mole bait’s size, shape and feel let moles consume the bait in the same manner as its primary food source, the earthworm. Talpirid mole bait mimics the mole’s natural food source and has the same size, shape and feel as earthworms.

• One worm contains a lethal dose of bromethalin, an active ingredient that capitalizes on the mole’s high energy demands.
• Special enhancers ensure immediate attraction and excellent product acceptance.
• Talpirid mole bait works quickly and can kill in 24 hours.

To get complete instructions, please view the video below.

Liquid Repellents:

You Can Also Ask For A Rat Yourself As Long As You Remember The Animal Welfare Act

If you want to catch rodents yourself, the best way is a traditional killing trap with cheese, rye bread, cereals or even chocolate as bait. Ilmola reminds home-grown rat trappers of the Animal Welfare Act: the animal to be caught must be killed quickly and painlessly.

The animal must not be subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering.

Ultimately, a pest control can be ordered on site with robust means to eradicate rodents. The sale of rat poisons to ordinary consumers has been banned since 2018.

Read Also: How To Make Your Lawn Healthy And Green

Keep Up With Your Garden Maintenance

Another easy way to naturally repel moles is to simply keep your lawn and garden super clean.

This means doing basic maintenance to make it less inhabitable for moles to dig their tunnels. If your lawn has been invaded by moles, you probably have the conditions that theyre seeking out.

So youll want to avoid that.

Here are some garden tips to keep your yard safe from moles:

• Limit watering
• Clean up any leaf litter
• Get rid of any trash or debris
• Secure your woodpiles
• Secure access to your livestocks food
• Use mole-proof soil
• Prune your plants and keep them tidy
• Exterminate as many bugs as you can from your entire yard

Doing these will help clean up your yard to prevent moles and get rid of your current ones.

How To Get Rid Of Moles And Voles

Find out the difference between moles and voles and learn how to get rid of moles and voles so these burrowing varmints don’t turn your lawn or garden into their playpen.

Mounds of soil, raised tunnels and soft spots in your yard are common signs of moles. In general, only two or three of these solitary animals will inhabit an acre of land.

Shutterstock/Ondrej Prosicky

Mounds of soil, raised tunnels and soft spots in your yard are common signs of moles. In general, only two or three of these solitary animals will inhabit an acre of land.

You’re strolling across your beautiful lawn when you notice something isn’t right. Strange, raised trails zigzag across the grass, and with your next step, your foot sinks into the ground. You may have moles, little animals that live underground and feast on grubs, earthworms and insects. Unless you learn how to get rid of them, they can destroy your well-maintained lawn.

Moles aren’t the only troublesome garden pests. Voles can devour your flower bulbs, munch on the roots of your carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables, damage your trees and shrubs, eat your grass and leave well-worn paths through your yard. Learn how to get rid of of moles and voles before they ruin your landscape.

Be aware of the damage these small and large animals could do to your garden.

Recommended Reading: How Much Does It Cost To Astroturf Your Lawn

Do Mothballs Get Rid Of Moles In Your Yard

Mothballs arent very effective in controlling moles in your yard. The whole reason why mothballs work is by releasing toxic fumes.

Two main chemical scents stem from them: naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Mothballs will eventually turn toxic, so its not recommended for usage.

Theyre supposed to be used for small containers where the fumes will kill moths. Mothballs may work for other indoor pests like cockroaches or stink bugs, but not so much for moles.

However, for moles, this isnt effective. If youre outdoors, the chemicals will disperse into the air, so theyre not that effective at getting rid of moles.

Because mole tunnels are exposed to the environment, this often lets the fumes escape. Thus, they cant build up to lethal levels to kill moles or at least drive them out of your yard.

Technically, you could toss in a dozen mothballs into a mole tunnel and seal it up.

Could be lethal to moles

This may eventually kill the mole, but itll probably escape and tunnel out before this happens. Moles can also remove the mothballs from their tunnels.

Some states even prohibit the use of mothballs to kill moles . Thus, you could be committing a crime without even knowing it.

You must use the product as directed by the label. Because youre using it for mole control, this is illegal. So not only is it ineffective, but its also illegal.

Lastly, pets, kids, and your family may mistakenly eat or touch the mothballs.

Aspectek Humane Tunnel Mole Trap

Aspectek Human Mole Trap is a non-lethal option to catch moles. Here we have the old catch-and-release method for folks who want to avoid the blood. Or folks who would like a new pet mole, which we do not recommend. Either way, this trap is basically a one-way-door trick piece. Moles crawl in, moles stay a while. Specifically, they stay until you let them out. Hey, we cant complain about a solution that doesnt involve a dead mole stuck on the end of some weird knives.

The moles will undoubtedly be just utterly terrified inside their temporary capsule, especially once you pick it up and haul it off to your unloading site. Consider this revenge for messing up your lawn area. Unlike the WireTek mentioned above, this trap will require you to dig into an actual mole tunnel. If you dont mind getting your hands dirty, this is a solid option.

Some users complain that their soil is too sandy for the trap to work, or that its little doors dont properly close if the trap isnt placed level. As with all traps, this is best paired with bait, and if it doesnt catch any moles the first day, relocate and try again. One last bonus, though, is that this trap runs for a significantly lower price than lethal devices.

Related Article: 9 Best Mole Traps

Mole Baits

Recommended Reading: How Much To Water Lawn

Alternative Methods To Kill Moles In Lawn And Yard

If youd rather not kill moles in lawn and yard by using a poison such as bromethalin, and prefer a more humane way of controlling them, here are several simple ways to gently deter these pests from your yard.

• Ultrasonic mole repellents

Moles detest alliums, marigolds, and daffodils, so consider planting these around your yard and garden to keep the pests at bay. Not only is this plant barrier safe for pets and children, but they add beauty to your lawn.

The simplest way to alleviate a mole problem is by growing plants that repel moles and gophers in the first place. Experiment with daffodils, marigolds, garlic, and onions to keep yard pests away.

Spreading mothballs, cayenne pepper, or castor bean granules over the areas where you spot mole activity can also work for getting rid of lawn moles.

Rather than killing moles with poison, another method for repelling moles is ultrasound. There are a variety of ultrasonic pest control devices on the market. These units send low-frequency, ultrasonic waves into the ground to irritate and repel moles and other garden pests.

Catching Moles By Using Shovel And Stick

As the moles start becoming active, keep an eye on their activities. Try to reach them in their tunnels or mounds. As you get to them to their affected area, place a shovel directly on the mouth of the tunnel. When the mole tries to come out place another shovel behind it and trap him. This process will force the mole to leave the tunnel or run out. Though this is not an effective way to get rid of mole still it can be a temporary aid.

Don’t Miss: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn