How to Get Rid of Moles in Your Yard

A lush, well-kept yard is a source of pride for homeowners. However, the presence of moles can turn your picture-perfect lawn into a frustrating landscape of raised tunnels and mounds. While moles might play a role in maintaining soil health, their destructive activities can wreak havoc on your gardening efforts. Here’s how to get rid of moles in your yard.

How to Identify Moles in Your Garden

Before tackling your mole problem, you’ll need to be able to identify the problem itself. Here are a few signs that moles have made your yard their home.

• Mound formations: The telltale sign of mole activity is the emergence of molehills or mounds. These formations result from moles pushing up soil as they burrow underneath. These mounds typically take on a conical shape, with loosely packed soil.
• Surface tunnels: Moles create a network of shallow tunnels just beneath the soil surface. These tunnels can damage plant roots and create unsightly ridges. Unlike surface-dwelling pests, like voles, mole tunnels are less noticeable.
• Unusual molehills: Unlike burrows made by other animals, molehills don’t usually have a distinct entrance. The soil appears pushed up from beneath, showcasing the distinctive nature of mole activity.
• Excess weeds: Moles digging underground can separate plant roots, causing more weeds to grow and take over the area.

What Attracts Moles?

Before you learn how to get rid of moles, you need to understand what draws them to your home in the first place. There are several factors that can make your yard more enticing than others.

A yard rich in insects and worms will naturally appeal to moles. These creatures are insectivores, and an insect-laden yard provides them with a steady source of sustenance. A healthy yard generally has a lot of insects and worms, so this unfortunately means that healthy yards are great for moles.

Moles also prefer moist soil, as it is easier for them to dig through. Overly watered lawns can create an inviting environment for these creatures. On the other hand, loose, sandy soil is also for moles to tunnel through. If your yard has this kind of soil, it might be more susceptible to mole activity. Finally, if your yard lacks natural predators like owls, hawks, and cats, moles might feel safer and more inclined to establish themselves.

How to Get Rid of Moles

The best way to get rid of moles requires a combination of strategies that target their habits and preferences. Traps designed specifically for moles can be an effective way to reduce their population. Place traps in active tunnels and check them regularly. Live traps allow you to relocate captured moles and are more humane than other kinds.

Mole repellents, often containing castor oil, create an unappealing environment for moles. These products can deter moles from tunneling in treated areas. If you own pets that spend time outside unsupervised, be sure that you only use repellents that are safe for animals.

Moles dislike wet environments. By flooding their tunnels with water, you can encourage them to move elsewhere. However, this method might not be suitable for all yards.

How to Deter Moles

Stopping moles from making your yard their home takes some planning and hard work. You may need to try various methods until you find the one that works for you.

Keeping your lawn mowed regularly and avoiding overwatering will not only improve your yard’s appearance, but will also reduce the availability of moles’ food sources. Aerating your soil can also make tunneling more difficult, deterring mole activity.

If those methods don’t work, try an ultrasonic mole repellent. This is a tool that makes annoying high-frequency sounds that moles don’t like. You can put these devices in your yard to keep moles away.

Other ways to deter moles include planting daffodils around your yard, building fencing that goes deep into the ground, and using pet-safe mole-repellent granules. All of these methods can make your yard less inviting to moles and keep them from setting up shop near your home.

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Keeping your yard nice can be tough when moles show up. But if you know how to find them and understand what they like, you can figure out the best way to get rid of moles in your yard.