Mole digging up yard

[Pat]

How do you suggest we get rid of a mole that is digging up the back yard. I think it is a mole. It is really doing a job on the yard. We haven't used the yard this year and someone else has been cutting the grass so I have no idea how long it has been digging back there.

 

[zigs]

I caught one by sitting still next to the run for a while, then removing a plug of soil to expose the run.

He could sense the change in air pressure and came along to see what had happened. Grabbed him and put him in a metal tin.

Let him go on the local bowling green

Keep your fingers away from the business end, he'll have your fingers off

 

[Pat]

I have seen pictures of the moles I don't think I will be trying to catch it, maybe have some something I can put in the holes it is digging that would make it want to find some place else to dig, like the vacant house next door.

 

[MaryMary]

@Pat, I did a bit of searching, and this is what I found:

Since moles spend all the time in the dark, they have limited eye-sight. However, a perfect sense of smell makes up for this lack completely. Use their sensitivity towards certain scents against them. Repellents based on castor oil sprayed all over the lawn and along tunnels will effectively help to keep moles away from your land. Prepare a mixture of 2 tablespoons of dish soap with a cup of castor oil in a gallon of water. Apply every month and after rains as a preventive measure.

A good natural preventive step is also planting chocolate lilies. It is an efficient way to make moles shy away from your land. The same is true for planting garlic.

If you are known as someone who can’t even kill a fly, consider live traps. After you capture these uninvited guests in your yard you can relocate them, avoiding killing. Locate the tunnels which moles are currently using. Flatten the pushed up soil and check the next day if it’s risen again. After you located active tunnels, place a live trap in the entrance to the hole and cover with any solid covering. A mole will get into the trap basket but will not be able to get out.

In case you decide to opt for a kill trap, choose between re-used and disposable traps. Most common kill traps are of a spring kind. The spring will work when a mole will try to open a tunnel which you flattened beforehand. Before setting the trap in the entrance of an active tunnel, make sure that you’ve loaded the trap as follows in manufacture’s instructions.

Another solution of how to get rid of moles in your yard can be using bait. There are baits which have a look of a worm and, therefore, attract moles. Other baits come in a cone (poison peanuts). However, be careful using this method if you have a dog who can find this bait.
Read more: http://pestkill.org/moles/in-your-yard/

I can't vouch for any of these ideas, as I've never had to use them. Where I live, I've seen one mole, and it was a "treat" left for me on the front porch by one of the cats. I don't know how they caught it, since moles spend most of their time underground.

I also found this, which may be helpful:

How many moles do I have in my yard?
Most mole problems consist of one or two moles doing a considerable amount of damage. A good indication of how many moles you may have is to clear all the hills away with a rake. You can then determine how many areas are active concurrently by observing where the new mole hills are being created. If you have two different areas of fresh mole activity in one night, there is a possibility you have more than one mole. If you have only one area active at a time, you may have only one mole. There is no concrete way of determining exactly how many moles there are until moles are trapped and there is no more activity. http://molepro.com/pages/mole-facts

Hope that helps!!

(Let us know when you find what works for you! )

 

[zigs]

I have seen pictures of the moles I don't think I will be trying to catch it, maybe have some something I can put in the holes it is digging that would make it want to find some place else to dig, like the vacant house next door.

These Moles you saw, didn't look like this did they?

 

[MaryMary]

Let's hope they're not R.O.U.S.es!!

Have fun storming the castle!!

 

[Beth_B]

At a previous house we had a verified mole issue (humpy tunnels everywhere) but despite traps and flamethrowers and poisons (which I hated) and professional pest services (didn't work) the moles persisted and thrived.

From what I understand, removing their main food source - grubs - is the only way to persuade them to move on.

Then again, if you are not using your yard and someone else is taking care of it, why is this even an isssue for you? Moles arent really that destructive and they do take care of grubs.