control the moles
Mole Control and Prevention
Have you even woken up in the morning and ventured out into your garden only to see the tell-tale sign that you have an unwanted visitor? A mound of pushed up dirt right in the middle of the lawn. Moles! Coming from seemingly nowhere it can be a daunting prospect to try and get rid of the pests that have put up home just below your grass and soil. Moles produce two types of tunnels; subsurface, and deep. The deep tunnels tend to operate anywhere between 3 – 12 inches underground while the subsurface tunnels are used for feeding and are the ones that you can see running through the lawn area with the soil mounds on top.
The first and most important step on removing moles is to identify the presence of moles and to find the main tunnels used. Main tunnels tend to be identifiable by the mounds of soil above ground as they create them. There are also these things to look out for:-
- The main tunnels follow more or less a straight course for some distance
- They appear to connect 2 or more ‘mounds’ or tunnel systems
- Follow fence rows, concrete paths, other man made borders and also even a woody perimeter of a field or yard.
The second step is to choose which type of action you’d like to take, there are 5 tried and trusted methods to remove moles from your gardens.
- Baiting – Mole baits size and shape allows the moles to consume it in very much the same way that it would eat it’s primary food, the earthworm. One worm will contain a lethal dose of toxins to the mole that capitalize on their high energy demands. Baiting is extremely quick, working in up to 24 hours.
- Trapping – As with all mole control treatment methods, (particularly with trapping), patience and persistence are the key words. Trapping moles with mole traps is usually easiest during the spring and autumn months whilst mole activity is at a peak. Trapping in the spring can also eliminate the pregnant females, reducing population.
- Gassing – Although the poisonous gases are generally less effective, unless you can gas the major nests and/or repeated applications are made, some people have gotten good results. With this type of product it’s not the most efficient way to remove moles.
- Repelling – Using mole repellents can work very effectively if used in the correct way. Much the same way you’d use a repellant spray to discourage cats or dogs from coming into your garden you can do the same with moles. There are two types of repellent available on the market, these are granulated and liquid forms. The granulated repellants are just sprinkled over the areas you know the moles to be frequenting. It emits an odour that moles don’t like and leaves a bad taste in their mouth. The liquid repellent works in much the same way, it coats the food source, worms and bugs etc which in turn will give the moles a bad stomach discouraging them from feeding in that area in future. Whilst effective, both sorts of repellents can take up to 3 weeks to show results.
- Insecticides – Using insecticides to treat moles may seem like an odd way to deal with a problem, but it can actually prove quite effective as the insecticides will eliminate all food sources for the mole. Eliminating their food source does have one drawback. The moles will tunnel more aggressively in search of food, causing more temporary surface damage for up to 4 weeks