I am part of a few Professional Pest Groups on Facebook! One of the other small business owners asked everyone what their best treatment for Moles was.
There were several ways that were mentioned, some including explosives, but since we all are practical people here I will mention five ways to do get rid of moles that are effective.
In this article, I will tell you exactly how you can get rid of moles given experience and testing rest assured you can be rid of these turf mammals for once and for all.
So, how do I get rid of moles from my yard? The very best way is to use a trap called Gonzo Step -N- Set. Lethal mole traps have the highest success rate and the quickest outcome when getting rid of moles.
In this article, I will share with you the things most pest companies don’t want you to know.
For example: If you call a pest company most of them will not trap the moles for you because it is not cost-effective for them to come out set traps and come back to check on them.
There are specialists that only do moles and they do a very good job, however, the going rate for that specialist is anywhere from $30-$80 dollars per mole.
Pest companies can get rid of your moles for you by using a chemical method where they spread a granule across your lawn rendering all the earthworms and grubs dead. In a matter of weeks.
This method usually does not come with a guarantee and the chemical lasts about 60 days so if more bugs come in at that time you can find yourself in the position of paying them to do it again if the moles return.
You can get the chemical the pros use if you like this idea. The chemical is called Merit 0.5G (see the current price on domyown.com) with an active ingredient called imidacloprid the granule meshes deep into the soil giving nutrition to the lawn and removing the bugs.
Pour the granules into a fertilizer spreader to distribute the granules throughout your lawn.
By using granules you will remove the mole’s food sources like worms and grubs, earwigs, silverfish, and beetles the moles will have no other choice but to move on.
For years this has been a very good practice I’ve used this method and it is the most popular among several professional pest companies!
Five Good Ways To Get Rid Of Moles
- Lethal/Humane Traps – Gonzo Step -N- Set Mole Trap (see the current price on domyown.com) is one of the easiest traps to set up and has the highest success rate over and should be placed at entry holes you will want to make sure they fit tight to the hole and that you clear the passage from any debris caused by placing the trap, moles like a tidy tunnel.
- Granules – Merit 0.5 G (see the current price on domyown.com) granules can be applied by a fertilizer push spreader or a hand spreader. You will want to cover the entire area since using this will help remove a mole’s food source. Remember any places you don’t spread too may still be susceptible to mole activity.
- Liquid Chemicals – Talstar- P (see the current price on domyown.com) is a chemical that comes in a concentrated bottle and can be applied to the entire lawn. Again, this will attack the mole’s food source the effects of this treatment will wear off after 21-30 days or after a hard rain.
- Baits – Talprid Mole Bait (see the current price on domyown.com) should be placed in the mole hole and buried, Juicy Fruit Gum (yes you read correctly gum can clog the mole’s esophagus from breathing. But specifically Juicy Fruit).
Make sure to read the directions on any product you purchase in your endeavors to remove moles.
I have tried and tested all these things and whichever way you choose to remove them, please use extreme care when using chemicals and traps. Also, baits are considered a chemical.
Since moles can harbor disease it is important to wear safety gloves when handling them.
As a safety precaution, you should also wear gloves when applying chemicals or baits.
What Attracts Moles To My Yard?
A mole is attracted to a lush yard that has an abundance of food. Moles will eat their entire weight in a single day with the food they eat.
Moles will usually stick to worms and grubs when they are in their usual rural environment, however, when they make their way into a well-manicured yard or garden they will eat bulbs of flowers and vegetables as well.
How To Spot A Mole Infestation?
This is a great question, a lot of people will say well look for lots of massive dirt mounds, and yes unchecked you can see a lot of holes in your yard. But in the early time, a mole will tunnel in with maybe a few holes.
When you walk through your yard one of the first telltale things you may notice is soft spots in the ground due to shallow tunnels being dug just beneath the surface.
How Do I Remove Moles From My Garden?
In your garden, it is a little tougher because you can’t use Talstar in your garden because it is not labeled to use on anything that is edible.
The gonzo traps that I mentioned above are the very best way to deal with moles in your garden.
What Home Remedies Get Rid Of Moles?
Set a Humane Trap – If you dig a hole for a bucket to go down into the ground you can trap moles inside.
You will want to dig a good size hole along a fresh mole trail and place the bucket at the bottom of the hole. Don’t put anything in the bucket.
Now cover the trail and bucket with a board and clean all debris from the tunnels, you don’t want the mole to be deterred, and by covering the top with a board and some dirt you are done, lift the board to check your trap periodically until you feel the moles have either all been caught or have moved on.
I saw a guy on Youtube hook up the exhaust pipe of his vehicle and wrap it in aluminum foil and he pretty much used the carbon exhaust fumes to eliminate voles with this method.
If you are at your wit’s end and on a shoestring budget you could try this for moles as a last resort.
But as far as liability goes you are on your own I don’t personally think that this is a good practice and I feel it is harmful to the environment.
There are almost no smells or natural remedies that work well for a mole problem (at least not in the way of being rid of them). The reason they don’t work is that they will dissipate quickly in the elements of rain or sun. and since moles prefer to be in lush moist soil you can imagine why a granule or castor oil won’t last.
Foliage That Deters Moles – I just mentioned that castor oil does not get rid of moles and this is true, however, if you were to plant castor beans this will have a longer-lasting effect and will help to keep moles away. There are some flowers that deter moles and rodents and that is marigolds and daffodils.
I personally don’t use this method but have been told by other pest professionals that they have had success with it.
If you want to plant these things in or around your garden that could be keen, but if you have a large property you are trying to protect you may want to try another method that has a wider span.
Set A Lethal Trap – Just like the first trap you will want to find a fresh mole hole, the way to tell if the hole is still new is by the moisture that is still in the freshly dug dirt. If the dirt is dry look for a newer hole to place the trap.
You will simply set the trap clean out the hole and the trap should fit snug in the diameter of the hole. Once set cover around all the edges of the trap
Mole Facts
- Moles generally reproduce a litter of 5 and they do that 2 times a year (baby moles become independent after 1 month of life).
- Moles will eat their entire body weight in a single day.
- A mole diet consists of earthworms, ants, spiders, grubs, vegetable garden plants, locusts, and some tree roots.
- A mole family can destroy a 2-acre lot in under 2 weeks.
- Once grown though moles live a solitary life unless it is a time to mate.
- Moles prefer well-manicured lawns and golf courses with healthy soft soil.
- Moles will dig 4-6 hours a day.
- A mole will generally live 4-6 years max (if no one or thing preys on it first).
- A moles saliva has a toxin in it that is able to paralyze earthworms, this allows the mole to store the worm while it is still living so that they can consume it later.
- Moles are polydactyly which means they have 5 fingers and a thumb on each claw which are contoured and allows them to dig like a shovel.
Summary
The best way to get moles out of your yard is to trap them, however, not everybody wants to handle this type of task or wants to take lethal action on these animals so using the granule method will get rid of their food source. I know from experience that these methods both work well and I wish you well on tackling your mole removal endeavors.
And as always,
“Thanks For Buggin Out With Me”
