NFR *%!@ing moles!

Non-fishing related
Clean Willy

Clean Willy

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After a years long battle, involving three different kinds of scissor and spike traps, Castor oil deterrent, poisoned gummy worms, grub killer, and standing and waiting for them to tunnel so I could attack them with a pitch fork, I finally thought I had arrived at a solution to eliminate the moles in my lawn.

I had read that not just using these smoke bombs, but using a leaf blower on low to get the smoke deeper, was effective. I tried it a few days ago and thought it had worked since I hadn't seen any activity for a couple of days. Well, they or it is back. It is also possible that it worked and this is a new one that moved into already tunneled territory.

Really other than inline tunnel traps I have tried everything.

So before I go all Caddyshack on them, who has a solution that has worked for them?
 
My dad couldn't stand moles. 25 cents per pelt was the going rate. Fantastic results attained by turning a hose on low and inserting it into a tunnel. Armed with pellet guns we would stand next to the dry mounds and wait for the escape.

What was really fascinating was watching them pop out of a hole like 50 yards away. Those tunnels are impressive. Keep the hose on low at least to start or you'll collapse the tunnels.
 
Had a Norwich terrier that decimated the mole, vole, and mouse population...she'd silently wait even in a steady rain near their tunnel openings, and bit them in two....leaving the carcass on display.

With her passing nothing seems to work!
 
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I bought some small inline tunnel traps for gophers and never caught a mole with them. I cleaned out the tunnels of loose dirt but the moles just pushed dirt to cover or trip the trap. I have had good success with a garden hose if they get in my lawn. If you can get behind them as they dig a new tunnel you can flush them out.
 
mark wlker said:
Worked for us when all else failed;
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Just ordered one. Can you please share how you identified where to put it? I am currently seeing only mole hills with minimal evidence of near the surface tunnels. I know that you are supposed to look for main runs rather than feeding tunnels but don't know how to find or identify them.
 
After trying every suggestion imaginable, water hose, commercial smoke bombs/road flares (caught my dry grass on fire) spearmint gum/ multiple scents the following traps have been the most successful if your diligent in finding the main tunnels and placing the traps as suggested.

Trapline Products Mole Trapping Page

Learn to identify mole damage and learn how to use the Trapline mole trap to effectively traps moles on your property.
www.traplineproducts.com www.traplineproducts.com
 
The shallow tunnels just below the surface I find are used for feeding only and the critters sometimes won't come back to them. I usually target the hole where the conical mounts are. Sometimes you can located the tunnel betweem mounts and set the trap there. I've got several traps so when a mole enters the property (I have an acre of lawn) I deploy the my platoon in that area. I was blown away by how effective and easy the Gopherhawk is to use compared other traps.
 
Okay I have 5 acres with pasture and was trying to keep up on moles with the old Victor traps until a farmer friend showed me how to use the Gopher Hawks properly. It wasn't cheap (I bought 10 of em) but I have 5 mole free acres. I'm pretty close to 100% trap rate the day after I see a new mound.

The directions with the Gopher Hawk suck. Here's what you do.

  • Walk up to the mound and kick the crap out of it
  • Find the hole - it may help to clear it slightly with a trowel
  • Find where the horizontal run starts to head out
  • Stick the Gopher Hawk down the vertical shaft and into one of the horizontal shafts at an angle (NOT VERTICAL)
  • Set it by pulling back on the plastic part - very important. Do not push in the spring side. This will allow the stainless loop to be set properly and not get bent to crap
  • If you don't get a mole within 24-48 hours (I let mine go over night) pull it up and move it to any new mounds
  • My farmer friend swears by using gloves and not touching the traps with bare hands, he says the moles can smell humans and avoid the trapped areas. I don't use gloves but I do avoid touching the stainless loops

There is definitely a learning curve to a good deployment of the Gopher Hawk and I had a terrible trapping rate the first month when I was trying to find the horizonal runs. I have trapped probably 30ish this year. I have trapped 2 by just a front leg which is unfortunate. I check and move the traps daily.
 
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Not sure why all this animosity against moles. They make a significant positive contribution to the health of the landscape. Their extensive tunneling and mound building mixes soil nutrients and improves soil aeration and drainage. Moles also eat many lawn and garden pests, including cranefly larvae and slugs.
 
For us, the farmer who hays our field doesn't want mounds everywhere because you can get soil spoilage in the hay if they rake the soil up with the orchard grass. For most it's just aesthetic.
 
And rats in and around your house would be good for cleaning up crumbs, small insects, garbage, and debris left on the floor....

My front lawn is sort of a legacy thing since some of my earliest memories are of my dad mowing it. I've spent countless hours and put down a literally tons of organic material to keep it healthy. Mounds and the bare soil left behind do nothing to contribute to that. If moles could be trapped and moved I'd be all over that. I don't NEED them dead, just don't want them IMFY.
 
RCF said:
Not sure why all this animosity against moles. They make a significant positive contribution to the health of the landscape. Their extensive tunneling and mound building mixes soil nutrients and improves soil aeration and drainage. Moles also eat many lawn and garden pests, including cranefly larvae and slugs.
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Moles only live in healthy soils, after a few years of chemical treatment for weeds and insects, moles are gone.
I always tell folks moles are a good sign, as their soils are healthy and full of life...
Doesn't always go over well, but as far as lawns go, I hate 'em, so...
🤣🤣🤣🤣

Kill your lawns...
 
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