They keep showing up, even in the backyard. I live in Western Washington State and moved here a year and a half ago. They appear pretty regularly throughout the year.
Smoke bomb - cap the holes.
Scout said:
Smoke bomb - cap the holes.
They don’t always work, neither do the works. I’ve only had luck with those guillotine-type traps that snap a neck when they travel through.
Kei said:
Dynamite.
He’s getting rid of the moles, not the driveway.
Kill the grubs in the lawn.
My favorite way is to use a water hose and stick it in an entry point and wait. They will shoot out of the holes running from the water… once you see them, grab them.
Noel said:
My favorite way is to use a water hose and stick it in an entry point and wait. They will shoot out of the holes running from the water… once you see them, grab them.
This works pretty well unless you have a really big infestation. If so, brace for an awful lot of water. Amusing side note, it didn’t take long for the dogs to figure out what we were doing. They’d wait by the holes for the moles to come out and then snatch them.
Noel said:
My favorite way is to use a water hose and stick it in an entry point and wait. They will shoot out of the holes running from the water… once you see them, grab them.
This is what I did. Plus a pellet gun.
@Clair
Was gonna say the same. My dad put me on a hole with a pellet gun.
I bought these traps/killing devices and they worked like a charm. Plus if they come back next year, I’ll be ready. There are cheaper versions that essentially do the same thing. Amazon: Mole Traps. You can try grub killer, but it may be too late in the season to make a difference. I believe you need to apply that treatment early in the summer, and they will come back, and you’ll need to treat your yard year after year. Good luck!
@Nady
I use one of these and got the little bastard after a few days.
@Nady
I got 4 out of my yard with these. Tried everything else before, and nothing worked.
Moles are notoriously difficult to trap/kill. Or at least that was my experience. I had one for 2 seasons that wreaked havoc around my chicken coop and lawn! I found the best method was to flatten the mounds with my foot then go out as the sun is setting late evening with a shovel and when there is movement strike with the blade. That was the end of him. Other than that, the gopher hawk would have been my next choice after trying multiple trap types.
@Micah
Yes, Gopher Hawk.
Would aerating the lawn work? Seriously, stabbing the ground faster than they could run?
Blake said:
Would aerating the lawn work? Seriously, stabbing the ground faster than they could run?
Not deep enough.
Spread the product GrubX. It worked for me.
Probably one mole. Rake out the hills and see what comes back tomorrow morning (or whenever you have time the next day).
Get Ramik mole bait and a clean broom handle (moles have very strong noses and you don’t want your smell on the broom).
When the hill pops up, poke the ground between two hills until you find its tunnel. Put a scoop of Ramik in there. Do this in 3-6 spots. Wait a few days and retry until they go away.
Wait a few months until a new mole rolls in and do it again. Have fun! They’ll never fully go away.
Oh! And put down grubex in the spring.
95% of a mole’s diet is earthworms. Controlling grubs is only controlling a small portion of its diet. There are plenty of ways to combat moles. Mostly wise tales, the only true way to get rid of them is trapping. Around 15 years ago, I listened to the owner of this company talk at Ohio State. I’ve lived everything he says on his website, and it’s true. Get a harpoon trap or let them naturally move on once they deplete the earthworm population. They are nomadic and take a couple of seasons to eat the worms, then they go to your neighbors.
There are sonar sticks, repellents, Talprid (poison earthworms), castor oil. It’s all not worth it. It may work, but you have to continually reapply repellants, and poison isn’t an option for me with kids and animals. I think a lot of times these methods get credit when the mole was going to leave anyway after the food source is depleted. Anyway, you can buy the harpoon traps off Amazon. Check out this dude’s website. He has been trapping for over 30 years. The Mole Man.
@Lex
Thank you for this, so I didn’t have to. 