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12 March 2017

Learn How To Catch A Mole

By Frances Barnes


It may surprise you to find out you can go hunting in your own yard. If you know how to catch a mole, you can have the thrill and rid your garden of a pest, too. If you don't want to be so 'hands on', there are chemicals you can use, or traps, or professional animal control services. All this information can be found online.

Moles, it appears, are not too smart or agile. You can dig through a tunnel, put a deep bucket under it, restore the run to a usable condition, and wait. The animal will run along its tunnel and fall into the bucket. The experts say this actually works. You can also wait at dawn or dusk for movement in a tunnel, plunge a shovel deep into the ground, and heave both dirt and mole into the air. Grab the critter (you need thick, strong gloves) and put it into a sack or bucket.

Of course, then you have a live mole. In many areas, it's illegal to remove a wild animal from its habitat. You need to check the local ordinances or call animal control for advice.

Moles like lawns, so you can't just let them loose in the woods. It's better not to just dump them on the neighbors. If you have the space, it might be best to move them to an area of your own property where their activities won't disturb smooth turf. They don't eat much vegetation and don't bother established shrubs or trees, so you may have a spot for them.

If you just want them gone, there are chemicals you can use. Poison bait is made to look like worms, which moles eat. They don't eat grain, so biscuits that work on mice or rats won't attract moles. Check the reviews for products (make sure they aren't just advertisements!) to see what works.

There are also traps that seem a little drastic but are probably no worse than the snap mousetraps homeowners use for indoor pests. They need to be set carefully, and you need to make sure pets or children won't encounter them. You set the traps in the tunnels; although the moles may be smart enough to avoid them, this method seems to be one that actually works.

Other things to do include putting Juicy Fruit gum or mothballs in the tunnels. The reviews are not great. You can stick a hose into a molehill and flood the breeding chamber below. Any moles flushed out will need to be caught and - whatever. Poison gas released into the tunnels is another solution. People have even tried explosives. Before trying the last method, you might want to seek professional help. Ask for a guarantee; moles are tricky.

Moles eat mainly grubs and are therefore of some benefit to gardeners. Some tunnels may only be used to travel through, so they may not be a permanent problem. Rolling your lawn might pack the ground hard enough to discourage moles from living there. Spraying insecticides that kill grubs removes one favorite food that attracts the animals.




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