DIY Mole Control Tips and Solutions.

Knowing the enemy can help:

Moles are very solitary and territorial. Unless mom has pups, you likely have just 1 mole causing all that havoc in your yard.
Like most rodents, they are creatures of habit and like to travel to the same tunnels over and over again.
The mounds in the yard are usually a sign that they are digging new tunnels and looking for new food sources or possibly just popping out to look for a girlfriend.
They eat earthworms, grubs, beetles, slugs and other invertebrates found in the soil. If you keep your yard well-watered, you’re likely to be a target.
Moles generally mark off a territory of at least a ½ an acre, up to 2 acres. You’re probably sharing your problem with your neighbors.
Moles are NOT nocturnal. They must constantly consume food and only sleep for 3-4 hours at a time, then wake up and start looking for food again.
The mole piles appear more often in the morning because they think it’s safer to hit the surface in the dark.
Moles are active year-round. They are more active in the spring and fall when the soil is moist and easier to dig. Spring is also mating season and in the fall is when mom kicks her (2-6) pups out of the house.

Methods of Removing Moles

Repellents: They work well, especially in small yards when all you really need to do is make your yard less appealing than the neighbors. Popular brands like “Mole Scram” and “Chase” can be an easy fix.

Yard/Lawn insecticides: Both liquids and granules, can really help by removing the food the moles are after. Nobody wants to live with an empty refrigerator. Just read the product labels well before using these.

The Garden Hose method: Because there is probably only 1 mole, this can often solve the problem with one quick flood and it doesn’t require much skill or effort. If you fail, you’ve at least watered the lawn. Just try to locate an active tunnel, use a small shovel to make an opening and insert the garden hose a foot or 2. Then turn on the water and mayhem begin! Run the water for it run for 10 to 15 minutes. Be alert for where the water may come back out. And, in the event that the mole surfaces, be prepared to scoop him up the mole and move him to Karen’s yard a few blocks away.

The Car Exhaust Method: Ace hardware and Amazon both sell a device that lets you connect your car’s exhaust pipe to a standard garden hose and fill the tunnels with fumes that will put a mole to sleep permanently.

Ultrasonic Devices: The short answer is they don’t really work. The longer answer is that Moles get used to the noise and start ignoring them. They can work for a while if you’re continually moving them around and turn them on and off at random times. Also, since you can’t hear them, you never really know if they are working at all.

Traps: They can work well, but I don’t usually recommend them to the average homeowner for a variety of reasons. I won’t bore you with all the reasons here, but in general, I believe traps are best left to the pros who have lots of experience in setting them, baiting them and know exactly how to place them safely.

Poisons: There are a variety of mole poisons. Most are designed to be placed underground, directly in the tunnels. In my experience, avoid pellets and go for the gummies worms or other poisons that resemble a moles natural food of bugs, grubs and slugs. Use a large screwdriver or metal pole about ½ inch thick to poke the ground and find the hallow tunnels. A screwdriver will also leave a hole big enough to drop the poison directly into the tunnels. Be careful to wear gloves, preferably rubber, and never touch the poison with your hands. Moles will avoid anything that smells like people. Also be careful when storing the poison so it doesn’t pick up odors from your shed or garage. Place the bait in the tunnels every 3 to 6 feet. Be sure to read the label well.

If all else fails, call the pros at Aard Pest Control. Sometime an experience pro can avoid a Caddyshack storyline.