Moles - how to get rid of the critters

[cat843]

Now that the snow has melted I see the tops of mole tunnels. I was thinking I should use GrubEx to get rid of the grubs and then the moles would go away. But I guess moles eat more than grubs.

I see a few spring traps on the HD website with 4 or 5 stars with respect to recommendations. So I was thinking of one of them.

 

[Drew99GT]

I apparently have moles/voles as well. I'd like to trap them and not use poison so the native rabbit population in my yard stays in tact.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

One of these ?

We took in one that was declawed (we did NOT declaw it) and it was missing most of it's teeth. Inadvertently, he caught a lot of moles in my parents house ... not bad for something with no claws or teeth!

 

[Cup of Joe]

I use trapline mole traps. They are very effective unlike most of the mole traps in the stores.

http://www.traplineproducts.com/

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: cat843
Now that the snow has melted I see the tops of mole tunnels. I was thinking I should use GrubEx to get rid of the grubs and then the moles would go away.


This is the only rational way to deal with this. Lets see the logic in killing moles:
I have grubs and moles kill grubs, thus I have to kill moles, DUH!!!

 

[BobsArmory]

I have had some success with Grubex but we never got complete control until we adopted a Jack Russel terrior. He hunts them down like a pig sniffing out truffles.

 

[cat843]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: cat843
Now that the snow has melted I see the tops of mole tunnels. I was thinking I should use GrubEx to get rid of the grubs and then the moles would go away.


This is the only rational way to deal with this. Lets see the logic in killing moles:
I have grubs and moles kill grubs, thus I have to kill moles, DUH!!!


I am not sure I have grubs. Its too early to tell in the northeast I think. But I know I have moles. I was first thinking that the only thing moles eat in a lawn is grubs. But I was latter reading that moles eat more than grubs. So I need to deal with the moles and I may or may not need to deal with grubs.


I have cats and dogs but have never seen a mole that was killed by my dogs or cats. I do not want to put down poison for the moles.

 

[dparm]

Raccoons eat grubs too. They tear up backyards.

 

[Cup of Joe]

Originally Posted By: cat843
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: cat843
Now that the snow has melted I see the tops of mole tunnels. I was thinking I should use GrubEx to get rid of the grubs and then the moles would go away.


This is the only rational way to deal with this. Lets see the logic in killing moles:
I have grubs and moles kill grubs, thus I have to kill moles, DUH!!!


I am not sure I have grubs. Its too early to tell in the northeast I think. But I know I have moles. I was first thinking that the only thing moles eat in a lawn is grubs. But I was latter reading that moles eat more than grubs. So I need to deal with the moles and I may or may not need to deal with grubs.


I have cats and dogs but have never seen a mole that was killed by my dogs or cats. I do not want to put down poison for the moles.


Then do yourself a favor and look into the trapline traps. They do work I have caught my share of moles with them.

 

[Stewart Fan]

Stuff a lit road flare down an active mound. The smoke and gasses from the flare travel through the tunnels and suffocate the moles.

 

[Danno]

I throw some moth balls down the holes.

 

[Hallmark]

When I observe the moving soil, my 12 gauge does a marvelous job.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I have a large hawk that helps control mine!

Fun to watch.

 

[MBS500]

dump 55 gallon drum of gas into holes and lit the match. It will help to get rid of them, and probably you house too, but hey, you will get on TV and become popular

Now seriously, my Dad used to use spring loaded spike traps and later on ultrasonic devices that go underground. Second ones seemed to help.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Use a scissors trap.
Find a tunnel along a HARD edge, like a sidewalk or driveway, not a random tunnel in the yard. They typically re-use the ones along hard edges.
Stick it down there and wait. You'll get it soon.

 

[robshelton]

Grubex is good, but Milky Spore might be better if you have a serious long term grub problem. Killing the grubs will usually get the moles to move next door. Add some spear traps to help keep the neighbors happy.

 

[Schmoe]

I've tried it all. Killing grubs only gets the surface layers. Moles dig deep. They use very little oxygen, that's why suffocation techniques do not work. Don't waste your money. I don't remember what they are called, but here in Oklahoma at the farmers coop, they have a small wooden box with a trap inside of it and a small hole on one side. The wood box on one end is totally open so the mole can get into it and the other end is enclosed where the small hole is. You dig up the mound and find the active tunnel. You place the trap with the open in down in the active tunnel, the other end, where the hole is, you place dirt all around the box but not the hole. What happens is the mole comes back and sees the daylight, they will then go to the light and try and fix the hole, then the trap gets them. 100% effective. Ultrasound does not work. Gas in the holes, glass, chewing gum, moth balls, etc. etc. is all myth. Mole just digs deeper or goes around it.

 

[tc1446]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
One of these ?

We took in one that was declawed (we did NOT declaw it) and it was missing most of it's teeth. Inadvertently, he caught a lot of moles in my parents house ... not bad for something with no claws or teeth!

Miller...what an absolutely beautiful cat. Got four and they ocassionally get one and bring it up to the house for the dog to chew on. I then get to dispose of it!

 

[daves66nova]

Back up a truck or smelly exhaust vehicle to the mound,Connect a tube to the exhaust and then shove it down the hole.Run the engine for a good while.

 

[Shannow]

Propane and a match ?

Rabbit pellets (only available with a licence down here) phosgene them IIRC.