topic Re: Moles in my yard in Garden

Moles in my yard

nanapat — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 23:49:24 GMT

Help we live in Maine. More than half our yard is dug up by these critters.

Anyone have any helpful ideas?

Re: Moles in my yard

JustJazzmom — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:05:05 GMT

Try pouring castor oil into the entrance & exit holes.

They eat grubs which is a good thing. Contact your local Extension Service to ask what they recommend.

Re: Moles in my yard

Tribesters — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:04:57 GMT

@nanapat

I live in NY & am having the same problem. They’re everywhere! Last year we asked our landscaper about it & he suggested some poison mole worms. They were expensive & we dropped them in the holes. Supposedly they were supposed to carry it underground & kill all the moles. It didn’t work. I’ll be watching to see if anyone else has any ideas.

Re: Moles in my yard

shaggygirl — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:11:44 GMT

I hate those little buggers. I have valves about a foot down into the ground for my sprinkler sections. They're in circular boxes w/lids but the bottoms are open. Little buggers were tunneling and filling up the boxes w/dirt so I couldn't get to the valves. Plus making tunnels all over the side of the house and the front. Even had dirt piles out front on the sidewalk where the grass met the cement. This was in the spring. Had a professional come and he placed traps. $150 to come place them then $75 for each mole caught. He'd come every 3 or 4 days to check them over a period of a few weeks. Wound up costing me some cash but it took care of them EXCEPT I had to go way in the back of the yard last week and fooey fooey I saw a tunnel and pile back there now. As the weeks went on a few neighbors would ask "hey did you have a mole guy come?" and proceed to tell me they were driving them batty too. And here I was thinking I was the only one on my street....cause that's just the way my luck usually runs.

By the way, did you know they can tunnel about 15 feet per hour?

Re: Moles in my yard

fthunt — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:13:04 GMT

I've seen this question on here in the past - - so my suggestion will get a yea or nay again - - but it's about the only thing that works. Pouring stuff down hole - mole just moves 10 ft away to another hole. The electronic/battery horn (8 - 9 inches long) are stuck in the ground or one of his holes and it beeps - wa - wa -ever so often. It's too cold for you to sit out on the porch now - so it won't bother you or neighbors. I was told just today by my apartment complex manager that we're loaded with moles this year - haven't had them in years - so he dug out the horns but didn't have enough batteries. He's going shopping. The wa - wa sound drives the moles nuts. If you try these - buy enough to space them all across your infested area - one or two won't do the job. Years ago I bought 12 for my apartment's 3 acre lawn - and they worked! Normal lawn - I'd get six.

Re: Moles in my yard

drizzellla — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:30:33 GMT

Our backyard has had all kinds of critters. We had groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, moles and mice.

The groundhogs, skunks, racoons and opossums have moved on. Now our backyard has been overtaken by moles. Our dog used to run and have a good time in the backyard. Now he won't even go in the backyard. The yard is filled with holes and he has on occasion got his paws in one of the holes.

I have no idea how to get rid of them. I guess once they have made holes all over our backyard they will move on.

Re: Moles in my yard

FranandZoe — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:34:10 GMT

Use Milky Spore - a grub control powder. It worked for us. And it lasts about 7years before you have to apply it again.

Re: Moles in my yard

JustJazzmom — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 05:51:41 GMT

@FranandZoewrote:
Use Milky Spore - a grub control powder. It worked for us. And it lasts about 7years before you have to apply it again.

But only if you are in hardiness zone 8 and up is it effective. Warmer soil temps have more effectiveness to get rid of only the Japanese Beetle grubs, not the other beetle grubs.

Re: Moles in my yard

pattypeep — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:57:17 GMT

@nanapat Everyone in our area has had a big problem this year as well. There is a brand of poison pellets that sells at our hardware store that I've used off and on for years as needed. The stuff is in our shed, so I will look after day break for the name. Here's the kicker. You must find a "run". It's not easy. I use a small stick and poke around until I find less resistance. Then I use my bulb planter to dig down. The key is to not let them feel the air coming in after you are done. After finding the run (it's about 1.5" in diameter and goes pretty much horizontally) pour in pellets per label instruction. This is important: lay something flat across where you dug so as to not disturb the area you have just opened up . Use something to weight down the board or whatever you use. I did a treatment about two weeks ago and no fresh holes. I read on Nextdoor. com that someone hired a professional and they charge $75 per mole caught. What? We would have to get a second mortgage.

PS: I battled these critters for 15 years when I lived next to a greenbelt. Through those years, I tried everything from the smoke bombs, glass, mothballs, cat hair, dog hair, everything I had heard about. Nadda.

Re: Moles in my yard

Fressa — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:45:14 GMT

I just recently developed this problem. We are surrounded by woods and have other "critter" situations to handle. This one was new. I have GSD's so I knew I had to act fast. I purchased a solar sonic pest sensor. It sends out an intermittent pulse to drive them away. It works. I also purchased these battery operated ground stakes for the back patio and they worked as well. They do send out a soft chirp but nothing annoying. I have these "critteres in the front and back so I tried the two types of devices that I could find. This
season I'm going to purchase another solar sonic sensor because I prefer how that one works.

Re: Moles in my yard

Puppy Lips — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:52:53 GMT

Wow, I thought moles were a Florida problem. We had no moles in Ohio. Then moving to Florida, we had a big problem in our yard. For years I did not want to do anything because I did not want to kill any animals. Until -- they started to do some real damage, like getting under our driveway pavers and putting dips in our driveway.

We call our pest company and they set traps and charge $75 per mole caught. For us, they are a problem for awhile, then go away for months/years, then come back. Now as soon as we see a hill or two, we call them to come out.

My neighbor had a few mole hills and he told me that he was urinating in a bucket and pouring his pee on the mole hill. Honestly wish he had not told me that. Not sure if that really worked for him or not.

Re: Moles in my yard

FranandZoe — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 01:02:18 GMT

@JustJazzmomwrote:
@FranandZoewrote:
Use Milky Spore - a grub control powder. It worked for us. And it lasts about 7years before you have to apply it again.
But only if you are in hardiness zone 8 and up is it effective. Warmer soil temps have more effectiveness to get rid of only the Japanese Beetle grubs, not the other beetle grubs.

Not true - we're in Zone 6b.

Re: Moles in my yard

JustJazzmom — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 01:12:48 GMT

I’m only repeating what our Extension which uses Cornell U as our research land grant college/university told us & we are in Hardiness zone 7.

Re: Moles in my yard

devalen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 23:37:46 GMT

I had both moles and gophers in my yard when I first replanted it and had a new sprinkler system put in. They loved the softer dirt. Now that the roots have spread, I just have the moles. What really works for me after using at least 15 other things was peppermint oil. They hate it. So when my moles push up some dirt, I put peppermint oil on cotton balls (2) and push with a tool into their tunnel. It lasts about 6 months and a few get tired and don't bother with that spot any more. Really works and you can buy peppermint oil extract cheap.

Re: Moles in my yard

CatsyCline — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:15:06 GMT

Pinwheels worked to get rid of our moles. .I always have several placed in the garden even in winter. The clicking sound as they spin drives the critters nuts.

Re: Moles in my yard

Ainhisg — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 17:30:05 GMT

@Fressa, could you please give me the name of the solar sonic device you use and also where you got it?

@fthunt, would you also do the same for the device you like?

My husband (a self-admitted "must do it myselfer") has tried all sorts of poisons and traps, and none of his methods (or maybe his methodology...lol) are working.

Re: Moles in my yard

Fressa — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 15:24:58 GMT

I don't have the packaging from the sonic device but it was "as seen on tv" item at my local hardware store. I've also seen them in BBB. I'm guessing that Home Depot and Lowes would have as well as other hardware stores. The one I have is green and medium in size. It looks like a solar spot light. The head is rectangle and the stake is longer than usual---about 8-10". I originally saw this item at Altmeyers but then purchased it at T&M (local store) It truly is silent and that's one of things I really like about it and the fact that it works. Hope this helps you.

Re: Moles in my yard

Ainhisg — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 12:57:29 GMT

@Fressa wrote:
I don't have the packaging from the sonic device but it was "as seen on tv" item at my local hardware store. I've also seen them in BBB. I'm guessing that Home Depot and Lowes would have as well as other hardware stores. The one I have is green and medium in size. It looks like a solar spot light. The head is rectangle and the stake is longer than usual---about 8-10". I originally saw this item at Altmeyers but then purchased it at T&M (local store) It truly is silent and that's one of things I really like about it and the fact that it works. Hope this helps you.

@Fressa, thank you. I have looked online, and there are a gazillion brands with varying reviews. Does the stake have the brand imprinted on it by chance?

Re: Moles in my yard

Fressa — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 14:47:59 GMT

I'll look this afternoon when I'm in the yard and let you know what I find.

Re: Moles in my yard

Fressa — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 16:35:55 GMT

I just was outside and the brand for the sonic device is Bell & Howell. Hope it works for me like it does for me.