Our yard, and the yards in my area are being wrecked by moles. Any suggestions that won't harm/kill cats or dogs? I'm about ready to till the whole yard - cousin has an 8' tractor mounted tiller and I'm seriously thinking about having him come over to till the entire grass area.
…… Moles - the kind that live underground; how to get rid of them?
- Thread starter ReneeT
- Start date
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Hire EITHER a cat OR a hawk. But not BOTH.
There is a trap that works.
Kinda like a reverse mousetrap.
You catch them early and put it in the opening and cover a little bit.
It has a hole in the end to let light in. They go into it trying to cover the light leak.
Kinda like a reverse mousetrap.
You catch them early and put it in the opening and cover a little bit.
It has a hole in the end to let light in. They go into it trying to cover the light leak.
TKO
Veteran Member
I once tried to smoke them out with these flare looking things. I dumped a few of those flares down their holes. It didn't phase them. However, when winter came...like 3 months later, and snow was on the ground, I saw steam coming up in that part of the yard. Uhuh. It was the flare things that were still smoldering after MONTHS. Apparently, the roots of trees and bushes, that were quite a distance away, caught on fire underground and just sat there and smoldered for months. I dumped a ton of water on the area and that did the trick...as the ground wasn't really frozen.
IceWave
Veteran Member
That's what I had to do. Got rid of the grubs and the moles moved on. So every year I treat for grubs and the moles haven't returned. Ground is settling in nicely again.
Illini Warrior
Illini Warrior
there's knife killing traps that will spear them - old time remedy
Chicken Mama
Veteran Member
Forget traps. Buy and spread GrubX. The moles will go elsewhere for food. That's the only method that works.
naegling62
Veteran Member
I think there is a documentary staring Kevin Bacon on something that might help, they're called Graboids.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
If using those, set the traps near the edge of a hardened surface, like a paved road or driveway. When moles reach that surface, they will tunnel along the edge of it.
I know someone who will slightly chew Wrigley's spearmint gum, and then drop it in the holes. He claims the moles will eat it, and it will block their digestive system.
Scooter and Cleetus have a plan,
1:31
View: https://youtu.be/fp0idqc-tMc
1:31
Blowing up Moles- Now this is backyard fun!
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
That's a fact. Have tried it all.
Although I just get the Specticide at walmart. And they recommend spreading it mid March.
And by their standards you will need to do it twice a year.
Which doesn't mean a mole won't come looking from time to time.
The Specticide is a dry spreadable, so a good wheeled or hand carried spreader is recommended.
I've got 1 1/4 acre's so get 2 bags, and it doesn't' cover the whole yard but about 3/4.
BTW the Specticide also does flees, ants etc.
This is what I do, and yes you have to treat the yard twice a year.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
A friend of mine has two huskies.
One of them has decided he, is “King of All Mole Killers”, lol.
She swears by his skills, too. He knows RIGHT where to look, finds them every time and dispatches the creature in short order.
He’s finally found a skill to prove he’s not just the house ding dong.
I told her she should hire him out for extra cash, lol.
One of them has decided he, is “King of All Mole Killers”, lol.
She swears by his skills, too. He knows RIGHT where to look, finds them every time and dispatches the creature in short order.
He’s finally found a skill to prove he’s not just the house ding dong.
I told her she should hire him out for extra cash, lol.
Walrus Whisperer
Hope in chains...
My dad used to pull a vehicle up close, hose run from exhaust jammed in the hole and run the car for a while. Seemed to work.
I also did this, problem solved and they were already buried too.
Illini Warrior
Illini Warrior
the grub killers work to a point - it wiped out the little guys without any problem - but this last summer it got DRY DRY DRY - never ever that dry in the garden - found GIANT freaking grubs cocooned into the ground - their cocoons broke open with the dry dryness - damn things were the size of my thumb
They're making a bigger mess than the moles!
GrubX works, but gets darned expensive if you have a larger yard. But it is dual purpose.. most of those grubs are Japanese beetle larvae, so if you have gardens, you'll get a dual benefit.
The best control is a good hunting cat. Some don't seem to hunt moles... and ours don't seem to think they are edible! They bring home mice, rats and chipmunks to eat, but we find defunct moles scattered everywhere!
We once had an older, spayed female cat dumped at our farm. She had terrible house manners (probably why they got rid of her)... couldn't keep her off the kitchen counters, etc. So we let her stay in the barn, where she had plenty of food and fresh milk, warm straw to sleep in...
She showed her gratitude by bringing home *at least* one mole a day, and leaving it on the kitchen step. I think her record was seven in one day. It was her specialty, apparently! It took her close to two years to run out of moles (we had 163 acres, and would see her hunting a half mile from the barn in the back fields), but when they got too scarce, she switched to chipmunks! We had a big problem with them eating my flower bulbs... when she was done, I ended up with over 10,000 spring flowers every spring... crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips!
I could have made a fortune if I could have cloned her, selling kittens to frustrated suburbanites!
Summerthyme
TKO
Veteran Member
In my area, you could do grub treatments 9 months a year. No kidding.
colonel holman
Veteran Member
YES. This works. Moles rely upon grubs in soil. Kill grubs; moles move on.
mourningdove
Pura Vida in my garden
I have a terrible problem with moles. We have about an acre and a half of land. The little #*$:&=#(@ live in the unoccupied area north of the house and tunnel all the way to my flower beds in the summer. We use well water so I am always reluctant to use pesticides or herbicides But the grub killer sounds promising as does the exhaust idea. We have an old Dodge pickemup truck that might put out some powerful exhaust. Decisions, decision.
PREP is the wrong prefix for moles. Please adjust
LinuxFreakus
Contributing Member
I have used coyote/fox urine granules before and they left the area quickly.... but I don't really have a manicured lawn at my current place so I just ignore them unless they get too close to the house, and the dogs tend to kill them when they do :P
Milkweed Host
Veteran Member
Yes, moles are a PIA.
Next to the house I pour high concentrate bleach on the ground.
It keeps the moles, ants and grass away from the house, along with improving
smells in the basement.
Grub killer is expensive, so I spread it in strips on the lawn and in different patterns.
I've tried different mole traps, but never had any success.
Next to the house I pour high concentrate bleach on the ground.
It keeps the moles, ants and grass away from the house, along with improving
smells in the basement.
Grub killer is expensive, so I spread it in strips on the lawn and in different patterns.
I've tried different mole traps, but never had any success.
Knighttemplar
Veteran Member
I've used the poison gummy worms, the spike traps, grub killer, and the scissor traps. the scissor traps worked the best but they all got some moles out of the yard.
pauldingbabe
The Great Cat
Chickens...
We do the deep litter method in our birdhouse. As usual over the winter, some moles/voles get into the deep litter and have their babies.
So we are cleaning out the birdhouse in very early spring and uncover a nest of moles. The chickens saw them and that was that.
If you ever want to see the savagery of nature just watch a flock of chickens go after a rodent. My chickens tore up that momma and babies like it was nothing! It was gruesome. It was over in about 3 minutes. The chickens were chasing one another tearing those little moles apart. Two mole litters gone, nothing left, at all.
Kids learned a lesson about the natural world that's for sure. I told them that's nature working at its finest and that was a prime example of how the food chain works.
We do the deep litter method in our birdhouse. As usual over the winter, some moles/voles get into the deep litter and have their babies.
So we are cleaning out the birdhouse in very early spring and uncover a nest of moles. The chickens saw them and that was that.
If you ever want to see the savagery of nature just watch a flock of chickens go after a rodent. My chickens tore up that momma and babies like it was nothing! It was gruesome. It was over in about 3 minutes. The chickens were chasing one another tearing those little moles apart. Two mole litters gone, nothing left, at all.
Kids learned a lesson about the natural world that's for sure. I told them that's nature working at its finest and that was a prime example of how the food chain works.
TKO
Veteran Member
I swear by the Tomcat grub mole killers(grub formula). I have not been impressed with the Victor brand of grub worms to kill moles.
Renee.. a thought? You have, IIRC, some semi-feral cats? Try attracting their attention to the mole holes.. maybe with a bit of tuna oil (if you can handle them, carry them yo the spot and show it to them as well)
And if they do manage to kill one and bring it to you, reward them with some tuna or other "high value" treat. Cats aren't stupid... while not as trainable as dogs, they definitely can learn cause and effect...
Summerthyme
And if they do manage to kill one and bring it to you, reward them with some tuna or other "high value" treat. Cats aren't stupid... while not as trainable as dogs, they definitely can learn cause and effect...
Summerthyme
Ravekid
Veteran Member
If the tunnels are higher to the surface where the grass starts to die, the spike traps will work. The spike traps can only penetrate so deep and if the tunnel is deep the moles won’t make contact with the spikes. Even if you don’t find a mole in an activated trap, sometimes they get cut and could still die due to infection or bleeding out.
I’ve heard that in my area treating for grubs is best. Large laws might be costly but not much else one can do. I got moles that I believe came from under the street where there is a corn field. I treated for grubs in one area and they left that area.
I’ve heard that in my area treating for grubs is best. Large laws might be costly but not much else one can do. I got moles that I believe came from under the street where there is a corn field. I treated for grubs in one area and they left that area.
Line Doggie
Contributing Member
If my pups ever catch on to hunting moles, I can make a pile just renting them out in my neighborhood.