How To Avoid Making A Mountain Out Of A Mole Hill
The snow is finally gone! You can actually see your lawn again for the first time since November, such an exciting occasion. However, your joy may have only lasted momentarily, until you noticed that your lawn was showcasing several volcano like holes and had a maze like theme. It can only mean one thing, you probably have a population of grubs, which have attracted moles. It’s time to take action and we’re here to offer some tips & tricks.
Here are some things we have learned about Moles:
Their choice of cuisine consists of insect larvae, earthworms, millipedes and other bug like delicacies. Bet you’re hungry now!
They like the single life of solitude until early spring when they find that special someone to breed with
They are not rodents…who knew! They are in fact insectivore, which translates into a carnivore that only eats insects. See we are learning so much!
As is apparent on your lawn, they are BIG FANS of creating mazes (aka tunnels). Hey, if they weren’t insectivores they could make a killing designing children’s activity books.
They’re big on constantly creating new feeding tunnels and tend to get bored of their newly designed tunnel and may only use it once.
They have a main runway, which they will use repeatedly. The runways are 12-18 inches underground and not usually visible.
They are most active during warm, wet months, although they live in their very own underground world year-round
Not the most attractive little critters. They grow to be 4 to 6 inches long and have gray to black velvety fur, slender hairless snouts, and beady little eyes and ears. They have large front feet with long claws that dig much like a hoe. Not your typical Disney woodland creature.
Their days are numbered and not because you’re trying to be rid of them. If they can outwit & outplay you they’ll only live for 3 years.
Here’s the thing, who wants to wait three years? You want your lawn back and you want those moles banished! It’s time to start the great mole attack of 2014! We will assume that you want to be as organic & humane as possible but based on our research we’ve learned that you may have to pull out the big guns to rid your lawn of these unattractive introverted insectivores.
Here’s what we know won’t work so don’t go wasting your time: Lye, Draino, pickle juice, broken glass, cayenne pepper, razor blades, bleach, juicy fruit gum, moth balls, human hair balls, vibrations, gasoline & explosives. Admit it, you want to watch Caddy Shack again, don’t you?
The humane way is to start with an organic method that is harmless to earthworms, ladybugs and plants. For the record, you want earthworms in your lawn, as they are good for the soil.
Get to know these two words: Beneficial Nematodes. What is a nematode? Nematodes are microscopic, whitish to transparent, unsegmented worms. They occupy almost every conceivable habitat on earth and are among the most common multicelled organisms. Beneficial nematodes seek out and kill all stages of harmful soil-dwelling insects. These bad boys control over 200 different types of insects in the soil. It’s like one big 70’s party at Woodstock in your lawn. Beneficial nematodes are parasitic, and invade the bodies of their prey, leaving behind the dead insect carcasses (pause for overall body shiver). They are a very effective organic insect control method and kill most insects before they become adults. This includes lots of common lawn and garden pests such as grubs, fleas, mole crickets, Japanese beetles and weevils. No chemicals are required and they are easy to apply. The other upside is that Beneficial Nematodes are harmless to pets & humans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode
Now for the bad news…this isn’t likely to get rid of your unwanted tenants…THE MOLES. Those nasty little critters will start to feed off the earthworms left behind and be happy happy happy.
Resource after resource has indicated that the only guaranteed way to rid your lawn of moles is to use a mole-specific trap that will exterminate the animal. Above and below ground traps are available for getting rid of moles. If you take this route, be sure to move the tunnel traps daily. Word on the street is that the Victor® Brand is the best on the market and are reasonably priced. For more information on their Mole traps check out the Victor® website www.victorpest.com. They ship to Canada. Local retailers such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot & Canadian Tire can also assist with your Mole Trap needs.
Now is the time to make your move, they are most active in the early Spring. Typically only 1 to 2 moles will lay claim on your lawn, as I mentioned previously these critters are not social & don’t live in communities so by removing just one or two moles usually solves the problem.
May the force be with you as you tackle the grubs & moles in your lawn. Before long your lawn will be free of volcano like dirt mounds and will be green and lush.
Please feel free to share your tips and tricks about your success of ridding moles & grubs from your lawn, we would love to hear from you.