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Pest Guides Lawn Care Guides

Moles Guide

Identify

Inspect

Treat

Prevent

Mole Identification Guide

What Are Ground Moles?

Ground moles are small mammals often mistaken for mice or voles but are not rodents. These creatures spend the majority of their time underground, making them rarely seen above the surface.

Recognizing ground moles is essential for identifying them as the source of any potential lawn damage in your yard.

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Identification

Moles share several common features across species, making them easy to identify once spotted:

  • Distinctive Front Feet: Moles have oversized, paddle-like front feet with large claws that allow them to dig and move efficiently through the soil.
  • Fur: Their soft fur ranges in color from brown to dark gray.
  • Snouts: Moles have long snouts that extend about an inch from their faces.
  • Size: They are small mammals, typically 6 to 8 inches long and weighing less than a pound.
  • Diet: Moles primarily eat earthworms and white grubs but may also consume other insects, snails, spiders, small animals, and occasionally plants.
  • Feeding Habits: They have high energy needs and consume around 80% of their body weight daily.
  • Burrowing Behavior: Moles create extensive underground tunnels and burrows, which they use for traveling and living. These burrows are often the source of lawn damage.

Mole Inspection Guide

What to Look For

Moles create unsightly ridges and can cause secondary damage to plants and turf. Identifying signs of mole activity is essential when inspecting your yard for damage.

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Mole Damage Appearance

Mole activity disrupts the soil as they dig and move through their tunnels to feed. Signs of mole damage include:

  • Raised Ridges: The most common sign of mole damage is raised ridges or upheaved soil along the surface.
  • Molehills: When moles dig deeper tunnels, the displaced soil creates molehills. These can sometimes be mistaken for pocket gopher mounds, but gophers do not create raised ridges.
  • Disturbed Roots and Plants: Moles can displace or damage grass roots, plant bulbs, and other vegetation as they tunnel under the soil. While they don’t feed on plants, this is an indirect result of their burrowing activity.

Gopher Mounds vs Mole Mounds

Molehills and ridges are distinct from the fan-shaped mounds created by pocket gophers. Understanding these differences can help you accurately identify the pest in your yard.

When and Where Mole Damage Can Occur

  • Year-Round Activity: Moles are active throughout the year, so damage can occur at any time.
  • Seasonal Movement: Moles move based on food availability. They may remain in your yard for weeks, disappear, and return later in the year as food sources change.
  • Soil Preferences: Moles often prefer moist, sandy, or loamy soil, but they will adapt to less ideal conditions if your lawn provides a plentiful food source.

    How to Find Active Mole Tunnels

Identifying mole activity is key to managing damage. Look for fresh ridges or molehills and focus inspections in areas with abundant signs of disruption.

How to Get Rid of Moles

Best Methods for Eliminating Moles from Your Yard

Trapping and baiting are the two most effective methods for controlling moles. Both require precise timing and proper placement to achieve the best results. While these methods may seem challenging at first, when used correctly, they can effectively eradicate moles from your yard.

Beware of home remedies, such as placing razor blades or hair in tunnels or attempting to flood them out. These methods are ineffective and will only waste your time and energy.

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Trapping

Trapping is a highly effective method for mole removal when executed properly.

There are three commonly used mole traps:

  • Harpoon traps
  • Scissor traps
  • Cinch traps

Tips for Successful Trapping:

  1. Timing Matters
    Moles burrow deeper during the summer and winter months, making spring and fall the best times for trapping.
  2. Find Active Tunnels
    dentify active feeding tunnels by pressing down on the tunnel and monitoring it over a few days. If the tunnel is rebuilt, it’s active.

Main tunnels are usually straight and often run along man-made structures like driveways, sidewalks, or fences.

3. Careful Placement
Excavate tunnels gently to avoid disturbing them unnecessarily.

Place traps in main tunnels for better results.

4. Reevaluate if Necessary
 If the trap fails to catch a mole after a few days, check for improper placement, changed mole behavior, or a disturbed site. Relocate the trap to a new active tunnel.

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Baiting

Modern toxic mole baits are another effective option. These baits are shaped, scented, and flavored to resemble a mole’s natural food source, with worm-shaped baits being the most successful.

Tips for Effective Baiting:

  1. Locate Active Tunnels
    Find main tunnels by identifying straight runs along barriers like sidewalks or fences.
  2. Optimal Timing
    Apply baits during spring and fall when mole activity is high.
  3. Proper Placement
    Disturb the tunnel as little as possible when placing baits to avoid alerting the mole.

Follow the product label carefully for correct placement and application rates.

With patience and proper application, trapping and baiting can help you eliminate moles and restore your yard’s health.

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Mole Prevention Guide

Mole Prevention Options

While you might not be able to completely stop moles from entering and digging in your yard, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of their presence and minimize mole damage.

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Step1 Eliminate Their Food Sources

If you work to control the insects moles feed on, especially before moles are present, you can create an environment that is less desirable for them. Moles eat both beneficial insects like earthworms and destructive ones like white grubs, so it can be difficult to completely remove their food supply. However, focusing on white grub control could potentially make your yard less attractive to moles, encouraging them to move elsewhere. For more details on how to manage white grubs, see our White Grub Control Guide.

Step2 Use Repellents

Mole repellent products are available and may help keep moles out of your yard. These repellents contain ingredients like castor oil and garlic oil, which create unpleasant smells and tastes that make your yard less appealing to moles. It’s most effective to start using repellents before you notice mole activity, as it’s easier to prevent moles from settling than to get them to leave once they’ve moved in.

To ensure effectiveness, follow product instructions carefully and reapply repellents as recommended. Regular applications are necessary to maintain their effectiveness over time.

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