There are at least 12 genera of Moles in the world and the United States has at least 5 of them. The most common is the eastern or garden mole. This mammal has a pointed snout, rudimentary eyes, soft velvety fur, broad feet and long powerful claws on it’s front pair of legs. Moles are a nuisance around the home and garden because they dig tunnels just below the surface of the ground. These tunnels seem never ending and will cause damage to grass and shrubs. They are on a never ending quest to find food and this will lead them to yards where insect and worm populations are high.
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DO YOU HAVE A MOLE PROBLEM? ^
Are you seeing destructive raised mounds appearing in your yard? Are they quite extensive traveling throughout the entire lawn with no clear goal or intent? And do they seem to appear overnight? These are most likely due to a foraging mole. No doubt homeowners have long been frustrated and infuriated with the damage these small yet persistent creatures will do. It is not uncommon for them to cause damage to all types of turf including Bermuda and Fescue.
Moles are cursed with the need to feed throughout most of the day. In fact its estimated most will spend 20+ hours a day searching for food. Now what do they consider food? Grubs, worms, insects and some plants.
In the garden, they will routinely tear through the root systems of plants and flowers as they forage. This in turn will cause the affected plant to die.
Although considered to be insectivores, moles have been found to like certain root systems common plants in the garden have to offer. We believe that many plants are killed by moles which are feeding on insects nesting and living around plants and shrubs. This article will address how to control the insect population moles feed on and then offer suggestions on how to control the moles.
WHATS THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF MOLES? ^
There are several ways to control moles burrowing through your turf. The list of options includes repellents, bait and traps. At the end of the day, the “easiest” method seems to be taking their food source away. Since moles are constantly looking for food, they’ll quickly move off your land if your turf doesn’t have what they need. In fact, most any insect moles like to eat will make noise and if its not the smell of the insects which attracts them, its the sound they make.
For this reason it means doing some basic insect control will generally get rid of the moles. And if you do these treatments once every 2-3 months, you will help your lawn stay healthy and mole free for good.
So whats the best way to treat the yard for insects? The general process includes applying granules and spray. True, there are several options available that can accomplish this task but the best for treating when moles are active is a combination of DEMAND GRANULES and CYONARA CONCENTRATE.
Of all the treatments for turf, these two seem to work the fastest. No doubt they’ll work quickly on active insects. But the active is also highly irritating to moles. So once in the soil, the active will bother the digging mole by bothering its sense of smell and irritating its senses. This sensation combined with the reduction of insects will cause them to forage elsewhere so in most cases treating your yard will yield positive results in a week or less.
To treat with both, you’ll first want to apply the granules.
Use 3 lbs for every 1,000 sq/ft of turf; the 25 lb bag will cover up to 8,000 sq/ft. Be sure to apply some to flower beds and mulch areas too. Renew monthly until all mole activity is gone. After that, treating once in the spring and once in the fall will keep them away for good.
Apply the granules with a good GRANULE SPREADER.
Next, spray over the top with either CYONARA RTS or CYONARA CONCENTRATE.
Cyonara RTS is the concentrate packed in a sprayer. Basically one quart will cover up to 16,000 sq/ft and all you have to do is hook it to your garden hose and its ready to spray. Use this once a month after applying the granules; after that once in the spring and once in the fall will usually keep insects under control so the moles don’t return.
If you have a large lot to treat, get the CYONARA CONCENTRATE. This form goes a lot further and will prove more cost effective in the long run. 6 oz will cover an acre so if you have 1/2 acre or more to spray, this will prove more cost efficient.
To apply the Cyonara, use a good HOSE END SPRAYER. If you get our unit, you’ll need to add 1.5 oz of concentrate to the sprayer and then enough water to fill it to the 10 gallon line. This is about half way full and enough to treat 1/2 acre.
WHAT ABOUT USING MOLE BAIT? ^
If you decide to use a mole bait, remember it must be placed in a tunnel you know they’re using. This can be tricky and tough to find since 95% of the tunnels they make they never use again. Remember, mole tunnels are dug as they seek food. And though they may have a “main” section or “run” where they like to rest, it can be far from the problem area. In fact it could be on someone else’s property since moles will routinely forage up to an acre from home when looking for food.
To try and locate their main nest den, you need to “tamp down” or step on sections of the tunnels you find in your yard to see if any are pushed back up. This will happen in tunnels they using on a daily basis. And if you can find a section where this happens within a day of being compressed, bait it with MOLE BAIT PELLETS. This formulation uses insects as the main attractant which means moles will readily find it and consume your offering. The attractant also has ground worms in the mix. They seem to like it’s taste because we have seen good acceptance of this bait afield.
Now like most any bait on the market these days the active will not kill the target animal for several days so don’t expect instant results. The rule when baiting active tunnels is to bait them once a week and then after a week, tamp down the tunnels again to see if they get pushed up. If they do, bait again.
To bait thoroughly, apply a teaspoon every 10 feet in tunnels you see them re-using. Each 1 lb jar should be enough to treat up to 1/2 acre. To apply the bait, you only need to make a tiny entry hole from above just large enough to pour the bait down into the open tunnel below. If possible, laying some lawn litter over the top of the tunnel to help conceal the opening will insure the bait doesn’t get contaminated and that the mole doesn’t get spooked.
If you have open dens and tunnels throughout the yard with deep tunnels or holes, you’ll need to get the bait down out of sight. Use a SNAKE BAITER to place the bait down 2-3 feet. This device is easy to use and will help get the bait well away from the surface which will insure fast acceptance and less chance of it getting noticed by some animal above.
MOLE WORM BAIT ^
If you don’t have much of an insect population and believe the moles are targeting earthworms, go with TALPIRID BAIT. These are essentially “rubber worms” which have been impregnated with an active that will kill moles in a few days after they feed. Like the bait pellets, you’ll only get positive results if you apply the worms to tunnels being used for nesting and not forage tunnels.
The big advantage of this bait is that it looks and feels like the real thing to a foraging mole. In our experience, moles will readily accept this form and can’t resist grabbing any they find. Each worm has the length, shape and feel of a real worm so when found by a mole, they won’t let it go. If you aren’t getting bait acceptance using the insect based Mole Bait, Talpirid is the next best option.
MOLE GEL BAIT ^
The last bait option comes in syringe and is essentially a gel. MOLE GEL BAIT uses both worms and insects as attractants. Because of its form, its hard for any mole to resist tasting some. The other advantage of this form is that its very easy to apply. You only need a small port hole on top of an active tunnel. Using this hole you need to “inject” the 1/2 oz dose down into the tunnel.
Each 3 oz tube will provide 6 placements. Like the other baits, these placements need to be done in active tunnels so be sure you’ve identified which ones are being re-used. Each tube should be enough to treat up to 1/4 acre and one dose should be enough to kill 3-5 moles.
HOW TO TRAP MOLES ^
For many people, trapping moles is the most logical way to proceed and no doubt this method has been done the longest in pursuit of controlling this pest. There are many models available today but the two traps which have proven most effective throughout the years is the old SPEAR TRAP and the newer TUNNEL TRAP design. The Spear Trap resides above ground; the tunnel trap is underground when set and again, like the bait, both need to be deployed over and in active tunnels.
So if you’re more of a traditionalist and prefer to have your trap visible so you can tell when its been activate, the Spear Trap would be the design for you. This trap sits above ground and though its hard for anyone to be hurt by it, some people feel its both unsightly and presents an attractive nuisance to children and non-target animals. But over the years, this trap has probably caught more moles than all the others combined. Use as many as you want; in general the more set out, the higher the chance of success. But just like the bait, if the trap is set over active tunnels you should get a hit within a day.
If you prefer a more “discreet” design, go with the MOLE TUNNEL TRAPS. These are placed down inside active tunnels and have small wood dowels which serve as both anchors and locators. Tunnel Traps are more economical and overall, the most common choice of professionals.
Set one trap every 15-20 feet and inspect them daily. The key to getting success with this trap is to make placements of two traps set back to back so no matter which direction the mole comes from, he’ll surely have to enter the jaws and in turn, get caught. Like the spear trap, the more you employ, the better your odds of having success.
Though trapping moles is usually the fastest and surest way to control unwanted activity, it is not always easy. However, once you identify where a nest or den may be located, your chances of success will be greatly improved. It is also suggested that Mole Bait be used in any tunnels just in case. Since the bait is so inexpensive to use we always recommend it along with the use of traps. This approach helps to insure success sooner rather than later before they’re able to do more damage to grass and plants.
MOLE SOUND REPELLERS ^
Ather type of repellent which needs to be discussed is the use of sound. There are many devices on the market which reportedly emit some type of ultra sound which is thought to irritate moles. In general such devices do not have a practical application in or around the yard. This is due to the fact that very infrequently do moles reuse the same tunnels over and over. So since all ultra sound cannot transmit well through soil or dirt, using this type of technology would not prove effective due to the limited range of the device.
But the true “sounding” devices, the kind that make an annoying noise, will work. If by chance you are able to find and identify the main living den, the use of a sound device at that location will assuredly chase them away. And if you position these devices along property borders after you chase them off the central part of the lawn, they can be used to keep the yard mole free. In other words, don’t just set one out where the mole tunnels are clearly seen; instead set out units around the property borders so that moles won’t be able to penetrate. These units are low lying and can be completely hidden so a protection “grid” can be set in place that can be quite effective at keeping active moles at bay. The key is having enough out and having them properly spaced.
There are generally two times when these sound devices should be considered as valid options for resolving conflict and getting moles off your property. The first is when you have moles or voles targeting a specific plant or tree under which to live. It is not uncommon for moles or voles to focus in one plant. Many times this is a prized plant or flower or shrub and damage to their vital root system is not acceptable. Using sound for such limited applications is valid and if there aren’t other plants for them to focus in on, they will many times simply leave.
The second type of application these devices are useful for is when you have a lot or adjacent land which has mole activity and you want to keep them out of your yard. If a neighbor reports having a mole problem, setting up some of these as a barrier between your property and the neighbor will most likely keep them off your land. Since the device will serve as a deterrent, it is entirely possible to set up a “sound wall” around the perimeter of your property that can work all the time at keeping moles away. Combined with reducing their food supply and the use of either liquid or granular repellent will work; the key is keeping the repellents fresh and the sound devices fully powered so they are working.
So if you have an active mole problem and want to make it as unpleasant as possible for the local population, install the more powerful SONIC MOLE CHASER. This unit is battery operated and strong. It has two settings and will cover a large area. If you want the best and you want to set up a fortress through which local moles cannot penetrate, then get this unit for the immediate problem. Each unit can protect up to 1/4 acre and batteries will last 6-10 months depending on the power setting used. On average, expect to change them at least once a year.
If you don’t have a bad problem or if you have a small area that needs to be protected, the SOLAR POWERED CHASER should do the job. This unit uses the power of the sun and does not need batteries. However, its only about 1/2 as strong as the Sonic Chaser. It’s blast is less powerful and less frequent. However, it does use the sun for power so you won’t have to replace batteries and it’s pretty much maintenance free. Just turn it on and let it be. But for any serious problem, you will be better off investing in the Sonic Unit with it’s extra power being a big boost to performance.
MOLE CONTROL PROGRAM ^
In summary, there are several ways to deal with local mole infestations. The best way is to first apply some Bifenthrin Granules and then spray over the top with Tempo. At this time you should also push down tunnels to try and learn which ones pop back up indicating main dens. At least a day following the spraying you can apply some Mole Bait no further than 10 feet intervals down into the tunnels trying to make these placements where you have seen tunnels pushed back up. You should also set out some traps. If you don’t get them quickly with the traps you should be able to kill them off with the bait. Within a growing season or two you should have killed off enough of the insect population so that local moles will have to go elsewhere to find food. If you want to make sure they don’t come back to your yard apply some Whole Control over areas you want to protect. The Sonic Sound Chasers can also help and since the work around the clock, they can help provide a uniform barrier through which moles won’t want to pass.
CONTACT US ^
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Cindy says
Did not read anything about any of these ideas being harmful to birds. I have bird feeders and this is where most of the mole damage is done.
Tech Support says
Sorry for the confusion; in fact none of these treatments or suggestions pose a hazard to birds which is why it’s not mentioned. But since you brought it, these treatment options are safe for use around pets, people and other animals as well as the local environment.
Steve DeSantis says
I’ve used milky spore for the last two years and thought I might have the problem under control but this year the moles are back. I notice you do not mention this treatment in your Mole Control instructions. Why?
Tech Support says
We have not seen using Milky Spore will help much compared to the products listed above. Now if you don’t have any mole problems but want to treat for grubs for preventive maintenance, Milky Spore can be considered. But if you’ve got a mole problem, go with one of the control measures explained above as you’ll get fast results and minimize damage.
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Milky Spore: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/bacteria/milky-spore-10-oz