| Moles in your Yard |
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The mole is a small, insect-eating mammal. They are found in moist, fertile or porous soils throughout most of the United States. Three species of moles are found in the Northwest; the Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendi, the Pacific mole (Scapanus orarius) and the California mole (Scapanus latimanus). The Townsend’s mole is the most predominant and the largest of the three in this area. (Burt, 1964)
Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in thick fur with short, nearly hairless tails. Their forefeet and hindfeet are broad, flat and face outward with claws. Their eyes are very small, almost inconspicuous, and they have no external ears.
Rarely seen above ground, moles live most of their lives underground in an elaborate system of tunnels. Here they feed primarily on earthworms and insects. Their presence is evidenced by the low ridges and mounds created as dirt is pushed to the surface as a result of their tunneling activity.
Active throughout the year and, as its food source near the surface becomes scarce; moles will continue to dig deeper tunnels in search of more food. These tunnels are more permanent and complex and can extend to 150 cm deep. (Feldhamer, 2004)
Moles can cause major damage in lawns and gardens, heaving plants up, and tearing roots as they dig tunnels through the dirt looking for their food. Consequently, most gardeners find them a nuisance and have tried one or all of the following methods to get rid of them.
Noise and Vibration – devices such as pinwheels, and whistling bottles, or commercial sound-producing devices such as, a Mole Chaser are frequently advertised for mole control.
Repellants - some garden literature advises using the “mole plant” Caper Spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) as a repellent. The mole plant is Biennial. Plant about 6 feet on center, and be sure to cut back before it seeds. It is prolific and invasive. But it does repel moles. The plant is also extremely poisonous.
Poisoned Bait – gardeners bait tunnels with poisoned raw peanuts and worms, grain and other food, and chewing gum. For control of large areas, poisoned bait placed in active tunnels is most effective.
Flooding the Tunnels - flooding the tunnel system with a garden hose is another technique used by gardeners. But flooding the entire burrow system quickly is difficult; moles move fast in their tunnels to get away. Also, as a result, moles may start digging tunnels in other parts of the lawn or garden.
Trapping – trapping seems to be the most effective method for getting rid of moles. Several effective mole traps are available at hardware stores.
Before setting mole traps, determine which tunnels are currently being used. The trap(s) must be placed in tunnels that are active, and a trap should be placed in more then one tunnel at a time.
Using a small shovel remove a section of sod and soil slightly larger than the trap from the tunnel. Wedge the set trap into the opened tunnel. It should be set to straddle the tunnel. Cover the trap with loose sod, grass clippings and a large bucket. This will keep light from entering the opened tunnel. The upward movement of the mole’s body or the soil against a triggering plate will spring the trap.
Setting a trap is difficult and takes a lot of practice. Professionals can be hired to do this job. Look in your yellow pages under “Pest Control.”
Burt, William Henry. 2nd edition. 1964. A Field Guide to the Mammals: Field marks of all species found north of the Mexican Border. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Feldhamer, George A. et al –2nd edition. 2004. Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill |
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