Are moles ruining your yard and garden? Flower beds torn up? Do you blow dirt and chip your mower blades running over dirt mounds?
If you’re like me, you tried every goofball “remedy” that comes down the pike… from sonic blasters to chewing gum… from car exhaust to poison baits and “secret tonics”… from mini-windmills to thorny rose branches.
As you’ve found out, none of that malarkey works. All you’ve really accomplished is to drive the pests a few feet away or into your neighbor’s yard for awhile. But next day, they’re back. More mounds. More damage. And your frustration continues. What’s more, some of those concoctions are unhealthy and hazardous to your kids and pets.
Forget all that stuff, and make it easy on yourself. Here’s how to get rid of ground moles in your lawn for good…
First off, you’ll need to buy an inexpensive trap, or two, at the hardware store or garden nursery. To properly set the mole trap, locate the main tunnel. This can be done by removing the dirt from a discharge mound, finding the dirt’s exit hole, and feeling into the hole with your finger to determine the direction from which the mole came. Once you know that, dig out a shovelful of earth about 6 to 8-inches away from the exit hole in that direction. With a little exploration, the main tunnel can be found.
It’s best not to remove too much dirt or disrupt the tunnel area excessively. The objective is to make the mole believe it’s conducting “business as usual” as it looks for food.
Every 3 to 6 feet, or so, the mole ejects dirt which creates a mound. Newer-looking or fresh mounds will be toward the end of the tunnel most recently created or traveled. Set your trap or traps in the newer areas.
Setting the Trap
Once the main tunnel is found, to properly kill moles, the trap should be set astraddle the tunnel with its legs slightly depressed into the ground and no more room around it than was needed to dig the hole.
After the trap has been placed in the main tunnel, the hole should be completely covered with a flat board. The board should rest right on the top of the trap to help keep it in place when a mole passes through and pushes up from below.
The shovelful of sod you removed when excavating the tunnel should then be placed on top of the board. The sod adds weight to the top of the trap, helping to assure that the mole doesn’t move the trap out of the way when passing underneath it.
Just as important, covering the trap and hole helps keep the family dog or cat from snooping and possibly becoming injured in the trap.
Removing the Dirt
After you’ve chosen a location for the mole trap – and it’s in place – the remaining mounds must be removed. You can accomplish this by either spreading out the excess dirt in the vicinity of the hole or by scooping up the dirt and moving it to a garden or fill area.
Removing the mounds not only improves the appearance of your yard, but also helps disclose where moles are currently active, which is vital in determining where to set traps in the days ahead, if needed.
Now, when you’ve set your trap correctly, you should snare the invading little pest within a few hours. Usually, overnight. If not, you’ll see another mound or two of dirt nearby. Follow the above steps and re-set your trap. Sometimes we must be patient!
Most likely, though, you’ll soon be celebrating your first victory.
Good luck, and good trapping!