If you notice 3-5 inch elevated ridges running over the surface of your grass, accompanied by small volcanoes of soil here and there, you have a mole.
These little creatures can do significant damage since their digging destroys any vegetation in their path. As they dig through the dirt, they kill roots, causing the distinctive ridges of their tunnels to turn brown.
On the plus side, moles aerate the soil while eating harmful insects. Learn how to get rid of and keep moles out of your yard before they cause major damage.
What are Moles?
Moles are insectivores that burrow underground. Except for the breeding season in early spring, moles prefer to live alone, therefore the multi-tunneled pattern in your yard is most likely home to just one mole.
Moles regularly create new feeding tunnels and may not use the same one repeatedly.
The mole may push up entry and exit mounds, which are usually circular and symmetrical and shaped like volcanoes. The hole normally contains soil but remains visible. The mounds are connected to the main runways. The runways are 12-18 inches underneath and rarely visible.
Moles feed on insects and insect larvae, but they particularly enjoy white grubs, a frequent lawn nuisance. Moles prefer damp, sandy loam soils over dry, heavy clay soils. They are most active during the warm, rainy months, but they dwell underground year-round.
How To Identify Moles
Moles have black or gray fur and a distinctive, hairless nose. Their eyes are so little and wrapped in fur that they are practically invisible. Their front claws are big and hairless, suitable for digging. Their ears aren’t visible.
What is the difference between moles, voles, and pocket gophers?
Homeowners frequently confuse mole tunnels with those dug by voles or pocket gophers, small rodents that also tunnel underground.
Whereas moles create noticeable ridges above their tunnels in your lawn, topped off with characteristic volcano-shaped soil mounds, voles leave relatively minor evidence of their tunnels in the landscape, if any.
Their tunnels, however, soften the earth, making it seem soft when you walk on it, and the small, flat, circular entrance holes to their tunnels are far more inconspicuous than those of moles.
Pocket gophers do not leave visible elevated ridges as they go. Instead, they devour grass and other plant roots, dragging them into underground burrows that push soil to the side.
Their tunnels appear flatter than mole tunnels, with fan-shaped or semicircular mounds. Each mound may have a visible hole, however earth clumps can hide it.
If you observe one of these species, you may be able to identify it based on its size. A mole is 4-7 inches long, making it smaller than a pocket gopher but larger than a vole.
How to Get Rid of Moles
Moles have black or gray fur and a distinctive, hairless nose. Their eyes are so little and wrapped in fur that they are practically invisible. Their front claws are big and hairless, suitable for digging. Their ears aren’t visible.
What is the difference between moles, voles, and pocket gophers?
Homeowners frequently confuse mole tunnels with those dug by voles or pocket gophers, small rodents that also tunnel underground.
Whereas moles create noticeable ridges above their tunnels in your lawn, topped off with characteristic volcano-shaped soil mounds, voles leave relatively minor evidence of their tunnels in the landscape, if any.
Their tunnels, however, soften the earth, making it seem soft when you walk on it, and the small, flat, circular entrance holes to their tunnels are far more inconspicuous than those of moles.
Pocket gophers do not leave visible elevated ridges as they go. Instead, they devour grass and other plant roots, dragging them into underground burrows that push soil to the side.
Their tunnels appear flatter than mole tunnels, with fan-shaped or semicircular mounds. Each mound may have a visible hole, however earth clumps can hide it.
If you observe one of these species, you may be able to identify it based on its size. A mole is 4-7 inches long, making it smaller than a pocket gopher but larger than a vole.
How to get rid of moles
Spring and fall, when the ground is not frozen, are the greatest times of year to get rid of moles since they are most active. Because moles do not reside in groups, you will most likely just need to trap one or two of them to address the problem.
Humane Solutions
Remove the food source. The most humane technique to get rid of moles is to utilize helpful nematodes that eat the grubs that make up the majority of the mole diet. Without their preferred food supply, moles tend to move on. This organic pesticide is safe to use around children and pets.
Set out a live trap. You’ll need to locate an active tunnel for the trap. To detect an active tunnel, step on it and then check it the next day to see whether it is no longer flat, indicating that a mole has been through. Install the live trap. Following the product instructions. Check the trap on a daily basis, otherwise the animal may die while confined. Take it far from your yard and let it go.
Apply a repellent. A safe liquid repellant often contains castor oil, which disrupts moles’ usual eating behaviors, prompting them to leave the area. Castor oil-based granular repellents function similarly.
Lethal Solutions
Moles are difficult to get rid of since they reside underground. Poisons and fumigants are choices, but they should be avoided if you have pets or children who may be affected.
The only definite way to get rid of a mole is to utilize a mole-specific trap that kills the animal. You can find below- and above-ground traps in a variety of designs to complete the job.
Follow the package guidelines for proper placement, then reposition the tunnel traps on a daily basis while you still see movement to enhance your chances of eliminating the mole.
How to Keep Moles Away
After you’ve removed moles, try one or more of these strategies to keep them away.
Moles despise the fragrances of marigolds, daffodils, and alliums, so putting these in a garden bed inhibits moles while adding color to your yard.
Install ultrasonic mole repellant devices. These devices use ultrasound to drive moles away without using poisons. They are low-maintenance (some are solar-powered) and suitable for use around humans and pets.
Spread a deterrent: Make your yard unfriendly by spraying a granular deterrent that is safe for children and pets.
Improve yard drainage: Because moles love to reside in moist soil, improving drainage on your property may discourage them.
Use barriers: If you frequently have moles on your property and don’t mind a few tunnels, use the barrier method to protect tiny regions such as a veggie garden or a bright flower bed in your front yard. Make an underground fence by burying a 24-inch metal or hardware cloth barrier at least a foot below ground. If a mole tunnels through this barrier, it normally moves on to dig elsewhere.
