House moles: they’re the bane of many homeowners’ existence. These little guys might seem harmless, but they can cause major damage to lawns and gardens, leaving unsightly tunnels and mounds in their wake.
While many people think of house moles as just an aesthetic problem, their tunneling can actually do some serious damage. Their digging can affect your home’s foundation and drainage, leading to costly repairs down the road.
This article will give you a complete guide to identifying house moles, assessing the damage they cause, and controlling and preventing future infestations.
Identifying House Moles: Physical Characteristics and Behavior
So, you think you might have moles? Here’s how to identify them.
Physical Characteristics
Moles are smallish mammals, generally 4 to 7 inches long. They have small eyes, pointed snouts, and large front paws that are powerful and perfect for digging.
Their fur is velvety, which allows them to move easily through their tunnels.
Tunneling Behavior and Activity
Moles create tunnels and volcano-shaped hills of dirt. They can dig tunnels at a rate of 18 feet per hour, and they can add 150 feet of new tunnels to your lawn every day. That’s a lot of digging!
Moles are most active during the spring and fall, and during or after a rainfall.
How do moles affect your property?
Moles can cause a surprising amount of damage to your lawn and garden. Here’s how:
Aesthetic Damage
Moles dig tunnels and create molehills, which are unsightly mounds of dirt. These can be tripping hazards and destroy the smooth, manicured look of your lawn and garden.
Structural Damage
Mole tunnels can contribute to soil erosion and drainage problems. Over time, this can even affect your home’s foundation. Their tunneling also disrupts plant roots, which causes dead or brown patches in your grass.
Indirect Effects
Mole tunnels can create pathways for other pests, like voles, which can further damage your plants and property.
What attracts moles: food sources and habitat
Moles love to eat. They’re insectivores, which means they eat insects and worms. Their favorite foods are earthworms, grubs, and other insects they find underground. Moles eat a lot, too. They can eat 50 to 100% of their body weight every day. A five-ounce mole can eat 50 pounds of insects in a year!
If you have a lot of grubs or earthworms in your yard, you’re more likely to attract moles. They’re just following the food.
Moles also like moist soil and thick vegetation. These things help them dig and create tunnels, and they also attract the insects and worms that moles like to eat.
Effective Mole Control Methods: A Comprehensive Guide
If you’re ready to tackle your mole problem, here’s a rundown of some common methods.
Trapping Techniques
Trapping is often the most successful way to control moles, particularly in the fall and winter when they’re most active. The key is to place the traps in active tunnels.
There are several types of mole traps, including harpoon traps, scissor-jaw traps, and body-grip traps. When setting the trap, make sure the trigger end is facing the runway and that the trap is well-covered.
Reducing Food Sources
Moles love grubs, so treating your lawn for grubs can sometimes help control the mole population. However, it’s important to remember that grub treatments can also affect other wildlife.
If you choose to use a grub treatment, those containing imidacloprid should be applied in May, while treatments containing trichlorfon or carbaryl should be applied in early July.
Keep in mind that grub treatments can also harm beneficial insects and other wildlife, so it’s not always the best solution.
Repellents and Other Methods
Castor oil-based repellents are sometimes used to deter moles. However, these products tend to have only temporary effects and aren’t very effective in the long run.
Sonic devices are another option, but there’s not much scientific evidence to support their effectiveness.
Poison Baits
Poison baits are another effective method for controlling moles, but it’s crucial to use them safely. Using poisons poses a potential hazard to humans, pets, and other wildlife.
If you choose to use poison baits, be sure to read and follow the label instructions carefully.
How to keep moles out of your yard
As with most pest infestations, prevention is key. You can make your yard less hospitable to moles by:
- Reducing their food supply. Moles love grubs and earthworms, so keeping your lawn healthy will help. Regularly mow and dethatch your turfgrass. Consider whether you need to use pesticides that could attract moles to your yard in search of dead or dying insects.
- Improving drainage. Moles are attracted to moist soil, so prevent water from pooling in your yard.
- Installing underground barriers. To protect your garden, try installing an exclusion fence that extends 12 inches above ground and 6-10 inches below. The mesh should be ¼ inch or smaller.
Wrapping Up
Moles can do a lot of damage. Their tunnels and mounds can ruin your lawn and garden, and in some cases, they can even undermine the foundations of buildings.
That’s why it’s so important to get them under control. Effective mole control means reducing their food sources and improving drainage in your yard. You can also try humane traps, repellents, or professional pest control services.
By taking proactive steps, you can protect your property from these pesky critters and keep your lawn and garden looking their best.