Many people struggle to control moles in their lawns and gardens. Moles are not rodents. They are carnivorous animals whose main food source is earthworms and soil borne insects. They also feed on grubs, which is the basis for one of the most often quoted errors for mole control. Eliminating grubs from your lawn will not assure that you will eliminate moles as well. Well intended garden center and nursery staff members have told consumers for years that grub control equals mole control. Based on the diet of common and star nosed moles, this is not the case.
Moles are territorial animals. They occupy two different types of tunnels in your lawn. The most visible are their feeding tunnels which are shallow and which criss-cross lawns creating unsightly mounds which conflict with lawn mowing and enjoyment of your lawn. These feeding tunnels are where moles encounter their food sources includng grubs and earthworms. A secondary tunnel system, indicated by small volcano-like mounds is the actual living tunnel for the mole. This deeper tunnel connects to the feeding tunnels so that moles can range widely to feed.
Mole control or more accurately, "mole management" can employ repellents, traps and poisons to eliminate this pesky critter from your lawn. Traps are effective if placed in active feeding tunnels. To determine if a feeding tunnel is active you can stamp down the mounds in your lawn and then re-inspect them the next day to determine which ones are active. Place traps in the active areas, and hope for the best. Spring traps and spear traps work well, and if you get one you'll know it. Poisons also work reasonably well if applied in active feeding tunnels. Mole poisons are most often compounds containing arsenic or zinc phosphide which are highly toxic materials formulated in a bait which moles like. Look for brand names like Moletox. Usually control is quick. Be sure to place poison baits in areas where pets and children absolutely can not access them.
Repellents also work well for mole control. Repellents simply cause the mole to relocate, leaving your lawn area alone. Bonide's MoleMax repellent is a castor oil granule which repels the mole through smell, taste and irritation. One trick to effective mole control using a repellent is to leave an exit for the mole. This is accomplished by treating only a portion of the lawn at a time leaving an escape route for the mole to use to leave your lawn. If you apply the repellent to the entire area, you are likely to "surround" the mole making his or her departure doubtful.
Some plants also act to repel moles. Castor bean plants, from which the castor bean meal in repellents is derived are effective, as is the "mole plant". However, both plants are toxic to children and animals and should be well understood before planting.
If your are successful in removing moles from your yard, be sure to apply a repellent product around the edges of your property on a regular basis. This will close the door on moles revisiting your lawn and keep them away for good.
SG
I have large patches of turf uprooted and overturned at night.Is this mole damage followed by predators of the moles?
Posted by: lon benford | October 16, 2008 at 09:48 AM