How To Kill Moles In Lawn

Knowing How To Identify Moles

Knowing how to kill moles in your yard begins with successfully identifying them and knowing the signs of mole tunnels. Moles and shrews dig tunnels underground with their front feet to access their food source.

The tunneling causes small volcano-shaped mounds and raised ridges of dirt in your yard, killing your grass and ruining the overall look of your grass.

It is also essential to know what a mole looks like to kill moles. Moles average seven inches long and have huge webbed toes to dig mole tunnels with.

Additionally, they have long hairless snouts and tiny eyes that are impossible to see because they are covered by fur. A mole rarely comes to the surface, so knowing what they look like is crucial to killing ground moles in the garden or your lawn.

How Do I Get Rid Of Moles Humanely

You have many options if you want to get rid of moles without killing them.

Live traps contain moles without harming or killing them and allow you to release the rodents a safe distance from your property.

Other integrated pest management techniques focus on exclusion , repellents , and habitat modification to get rid of moles humanely and effectively.

How To Trap Moles In Your Lawn

Before trapping them, you need to figure out where the active run is.

The active run is the tunnel that leads from the moles nest underground. Moles live entirely underground and only come out to mate.

How to Find the Active Mole Run

To determine the active run, flatten the mole tunnels and mark them. Check your lawn periodically throughout the day. A raised run is the active one and where youll set the trap.

Once youve found the active mole run, insert a trap into the active run. Moles become active in early spring, and its best to set the traps then, once you notice the tunnels starting to form. You can either use a humane trap to release them elsewhere, or a kill trap to get rid of them altogether.

If you decide on a humane trap, youll need to release the mole after catching it. Take it at least 5 miles from your home before setting it free. Let it out in a rural area, where the mole can thrive without causing damage.

Ive tried using a humane mole trap, but its frustrating and much more difficult than using a good kill trap like the one I mention below. Kill traps can be purchased at any hardware store, but some traps are safer than others .

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Mole Myth #: Moles Hibernate During The Winter

MYTH BUSTED: Even though you may not see their activity above ground during the winter, during normal Midwest weather conditions, they are not hibernating. Instead, when the temperature turns cold, they dig a little deeper in the soil up to three feet deep and there they also find earthworms to eat.

How Do I Kill Moles

You can kill moles with traps and as they do not live in communities, once youve captured one or two, its likely your messy garden will be messy no more. If youre unsure about getting rid of moles, always contact the professionals who can do it discreetly and effectively, so theres no need for you to get your hands dirty.

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Products You Can Use To Fix A Mole Infestation

• Granular repellents: Spread granular repellents where you see molehills and ground protrusions. These repellents contain ingredients moles dont like, including castor oil, cinnamon, and garlic.
• Humane mole traps: There are a number of lethal traps on the market including cinch, scissor and snare styles. Some of these methods do not kill the mole quickly and animal rights groups have lodged protests over their use. If you prefer a non-lethal method of trapping, there are live mole traps available that are also safe to use around your children and household pets.
• Insecticides: Look for safe and natural insecticides. Because moles eat whats lurking beneath the surface, getting rid of their food supply is an ideal remedy. Select products that eliminate pests without harming plants or animals. These products should also be safe to use around children and pets.
• Non-lethal sprays: The active ingredient in many non-lethal sprays is castor oil. These sprays treat up to 10,000 square feet. As the spray soaks into the ground, it kills off the moles food source and repels the moles themselves. These repellent sprays are safe to use around pets and children.
• Ultrasonic spikes: Install two ultrasonic spikes every 100 feet in your yard to drive moles away. These are shock-proof devices that send electronic pulses into the ground, which claims to drive away moles, though effectiveness has proven to be inconclusive.

Trying To Get Rid Of Moles For Good

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Since they move about underground and usually only come on land to find a mate, you may not ever see a mole itself. Their tunnels, however, are clear signs that this pest has invaded your property. Even though they can reach as deep as a foot, moles tend to kick up dirt overhead that causes large mounds running the length of the tunnels, crisscrossing throughout your yard.

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How To Identify Gophers

Gophers are herbivore rodents with four large incisor teeth. Theyre larger than mice, but smaller than rats. While theyre often mistaken for moles, they don’t have spade-like front paws as moles do. They form crescent-shaped mounds and plug the holes they use to enter and exit the ground. Gophers destroy everything from hydrangeas to trees by eating the plants roots. They also eat vegetables, especially carrots and potatoes. Unfortunately, they can also damage water lines and irrigation systems when digging.

Spray The Areas Where Moles Are Active

Spray the mixture around the perimeter of your ground, paying particular attention to any areas that seem to be frequented by moles.

Be sure to saturate the ground completely. The scent of the soap will repel the moles and keep them away.

You can repeat this process every few days or as needed until the moles are gone. You may also need to reapply after heavy rainfalls.

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Killing Moles In Your Yard By Eliminating The Food Supply

One mole control technique is to eliminate the critters food supply. A moles diet mainly consists of earthworms, larvae, and other small bugs that live in the dirt.

Killing the grub worms in yard is a straightforward way to prevent an extreme mole infestation from overtaking your lawn. There are two ground mole repellent options, depending on how fast you would like to get moles out.

Use milky spore and nematodes for an effective mole repellent. Milky spore is a powdered substance commonly found online and at organic stores. The powder is eaten by the grubs in your lawn and kills within a few weeks.

Milky spore may take a few seasons to be successful. A more rapid approach is to use insecticides that immediately kill the grub and their larvae in your dirt.

Without an adequate food source, moles find a different location to feed. Insecticides are not sufficient for killing moles in your yard however, it gets rid of them and will keep moles away at least for a while.

Get Professional Mole Reduction Services From Ryan Lawn & Tree

Not up for finding tunnels and setting traps to get ground moles out of your yard? Thats when you need to pick up the phone and call 855.216.2293. The Pros at Ryan Lawn & Tree spend most of their time making your yard look the best on the block with our lawn fertilization, tree removal, landscaping, irrigation and other lawn care services. So, we are here for you when we need to protect that lawn from ground moles. Well be as anxious as you are to get rid of the critters destroying your lawn.

Reach out to one of our six Midwest locations in Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, Wichita, Springfield or Tulsa area offices and well be happy to answer any questions you may have about mole reduction or any of our lawn and tree care services. You can also always use our Ask a Pro feature to ask any questions you may have. We look forward to serving you soon!

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Signs Of Moles In The Yard

Moles live underground, and the majority of their subterranean excavation typically goes unseen. But, as moles dig tunnels in their hunt for food, the soil they remove from the channels gets pushed out into mounds of dirt on the surface of the yard. Signs of a mole infestation in the yard can also include slightly raised, underground ridges or trenches going from soil pile to soil pile. They may even cause raised ridges in your mulch.

Mole lawn damage is typically most evident in the spring and early summer, and then again in the fall. This is when the animals are closest to the surface. During the summer months, their excavation is often at a deeper level.

Finding An Active Mole Tunnel

Moles dig deep tunnels where they bear their young and retreat during very dry or cold weather. Conical piles of excavated soil often cap these deep tunnels.

• Ignore the molehills and concentrate on the network of surface tunnels.
• The deep tunnels connect to a constantly expanding and changing network of feeding tunnels located just below the surface of the soil or turf.
• Moles use and renew some of the surface tunnels repeatedly. Others may be used only once.
• Traps must be set in active tunnels.
• Determine whether a tunnel is active by stepping on it to compress the soil.
• If it is active, the mole will raise the soil or turf again within 24 hours.

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How To Kill Moles In Your Lawn With A Trap

Traps are a handy tool for mole control in lawns, and there are two types, the trap-and-release model and the kind that traps and kills them. Here is how to set up a trap in your lawn to control moles.

• Spring-loaded trap

To use a spring-loaded mole trap as the way to get rid of a mole in your yard, flatten a spot in the tunnel that is slightly larger than the trap base. Place the mole trap over the area, set up the mole bait, and follow the manufacturers directions to arm the trap.

Cover it with a five-gallon bucket, and make sure to keep pets and children away until the trap catches the mole.

To use a live trap, dig a hole in an active tunnel that is big enough to fit a three or five-gallon bucket below the tunnel.

Put the bucket in place and pack dirt around the bucket edge. Cover the tunnel with a piece of plywood, wait for the mole to fall into the bucket, and then transport it to another location.

Using Poisonous Bait To Get Rid Of Moles In Your Yard

There are many different kinds of bait to get rid of moles and other burrowing critters that have invaded and ruined your grass.

Depending on your preferences, poisonous baits kill the creatures, or some are non-lethal if you prefer that option. Most lethal options simulate moles preferred food sources and quickly kill the animal within a day.

Pour the solution into the tunnels located in your yard to kill the creatures. Granules are the non-lethal alternative to get rid of the moles in your garden or backyard.

The active ingredient in a granular compound is Castor oil, which disrupts a burrowing critters stomach and drives them away from continuing to search for food in your lawn.

Most granules require you to mix the substance with water before pouring the mixture down the tunnels.

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How Do You Get Moles

When researching how to get rid of moles, your first step is to identify where they come from and what attracts them to your yard. Their main motivation? Food. Moles love to eat earthworms, grubs, and other insects that live deep within your lawn, so you may want to invest in products that can help control these insects. If you cut off the moles food supply, they will lose interest.

Moles may be small, but they cause plenty of damage as they dig through root systems. If you see small mounds of dirt in your yard that look like little volcanoes, those might be molehills. These are entry and exit ways created by moles to lead to their tunnels. Some of these tunnels make three- to 30-inch protrusions or ridges on lawns and in gardens which cause major inconveniences if youre trying to grow flowers, garden vegetables, lawns, and small trees.

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Attract Predators That Prey On Moles

One of the most natural ways to kill moles is to let Mother Nature do all the work for you. Owls are one of moles primary predators in most environments.

Try installing an owl nesting box near your garden in the early spring when birds of prey like owls begin to look for nesting sites. This way, the owls naturally control the mole and rodent population in the area.

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More Ways To Get Rid Of Moles And Gophers

If other methods fail, you may opt for the most aggressive approach. The most effective way to control moles and gophers is with traps or poisons that result in the death of the creatures. If you use poisons or chemicals, be sure to follow the product directions carefully and keep pets and children at a safe distance. Chemical repellents and poisons are hazardous to pets and children in and around the treated area.

Moles and gophers can damage your lawn and garden. Control them humanely by eliminating their food source, spraying with liquid repellents, scattering repellent granules, using barriers and/or digging trenches lined with wire mesh or hardware cloth. Other humane ways to get rid of moles and gophers include using sonic devices and traps that allow you to catch and release the animals away from your home. Used as a last resort, poisons or chemicals will kill moles and gophers, although you must follow product directions carefully and avoid using them around pets and children.

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Eliminating Their Food Source

In lawns, moles feed heavily on soil-dwelling insects, including Japanese beetle grubs. Milky Spore and/or beneficial nematodes can be used to eliminate these pests and will generally decrease tunneling or feeding activity.

However, if your soil is healthy, moles may still feed on earthworms after the grubs are gone. Use various methods to repel these insects in order to control their food source.

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Safe Homemade Mole Repellent

Moles are almost completely blind, so they depend on their strong sense of smell. Substances with strong odors like castor oil and peppermint effectively deter them.

These are the main active ingredients in many commercial rodent repellents, widely available in the granular form at garden centers and pest control stores.

Follow the recommendations listed on the products label and spread the granules anywhere you notice mole activity. Alternatively, you can make your own homemade mole repellent. This repellent works against gophers and voles, as well.

To make this simple DIY mole repellent, combine all of the ingredients in your clean bottle or jar, firmly close the lid, and shake it vigorously to blend. Soak several cotton balls in the solution for at least 15 minutes. Place the saturated cotton balls into the entrance holes of the mole tunnels.

How To Get Rid Of Moles With Bait

Another way to kill moles in lawn and yard is to use bait. The bait resembles their favorite food source, and one day after ingesting it, they die in their mole tunnels.

Mole Baiting

There are various mole baits on the market that resemble earthworms, grubs, and other food favorites of moles. The bait contains a lethal dose of an active ingredient, which kills the mole after ingesting it.

Locate active tunnels in your yard and use a stick to poke holes into the mole tunnels. Place the bait into the hole and cover it with soil. Wait about one week and check for signs of new tunnels. If there is still activity, repeat the steps once more.

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Mole Hills And Tunnels

Mole hills look like little volcanoes. Mole hills, also called mole mounds, are a symmetrical and circular mound of dirt that leads to an underground network of tunnels.

Ever see the movie Tremors? Well, mole tunnels can make it seem as if you have some of those nasty monster worms roaming your yard. Their underground tunnels cause raised ridges on your lawn and serve a dual purpose: Tunnels are how moles hide from predators and how they hunt.

There are two types of mole tunnels:

• Surface runways: Slightly raised, grassless brown streaks running across the lawn indicate tunnels just under the topsoil.
• Deep tunnels: Usually 3-feet underground, are like complex homes. These include a food storage area and bathroom areas. You can identify them by the mole tunnel entrance and exits.

Once moles decide to infest your lawn, they can cause significant damage in a very short period of time. One mole can tunnel up to 18 feet per hour in the right conditions, so its important to get rid of the moles quickly!

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