They're baaaaack!

[Myrl Jeffcoat]

Well, I know we had this discussion awhile back, but I'm desperate. Those pesky moles are back with a vengence. I know they are supposed to be solitary critters, but I'm having a real hard time believing it. My backyard looks like a terrorist training camp is being held just below the surface!

So let's revisit this. . .I've tried putting chewing gum down the holes. I've tried the gas sticks, which about killed me from the fumes. I've poured Clorox down the holes and plugged 'em.

I've tried killing off their food source (the worms and the grubs).

Can you guys give me your latest best advice regarding these bane to the garden?

Myrl Jeffcoat

[Rick F.]

I had the same "entertainment" with gophers that were coming up in my backyard and making rather large potholes. I've taken out 5 of them in the course of 1 year with a device called the "BlackHole" made by Victor I believe (see

and it has worked great.. I tried all other tricks including making a "juice" that had urine in it (supposed to drive them away), but nothing else worked.. I tried the smoke sticks which I found to have a very high failure rate (like only 1 in the entire package worked -- the rest were duds).. This trap has been the only thing that worked and if you are able to gently excavate a fresh hole to regain access to the tunnel system, you can dig out the hole a bit to give room for the trap.. IF you do it right, you can fool the gopher/mole into trying to bury the trap which is what gets them trapped.. Until this last gopher I had, I had a 1-5 miss ratio which I think was excellent overall..

For a better picture of what this device looks like, visit :

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from "Myrl Jeffcoat" contains these words:

Waste of time, as you have now discovered. So are, windmills, bottles, and holly and euphorbia.

The soil needs those worms to create the conditions in which your plants can thrive. By reducing the amount of live food available you may have caused your mole to dig further and harder to find any food, making more molehills.

Trapping works best IME, using a specialist mole-killing trap. In the UK you can buy these from rural farm suppliers and hardware shops. Follow the instructions exactly, or get someone experienced to show you how to place them.

Alternatively, employ a mole-trapper to do the deed. If you have local golf courses or farms, they should be able to recommend one.

Janet. (UK)

[Frank]

I think the poison that finally did mine in contained zinc phosphide. It's been at least 10 years, and I have not been troubled with moles since. Prior to that, I was using a mouse type poison which was only moderately effective.

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

I 'feel' the 4 most likely to work methods are the following;

1. the 'traps' (killing type)
2. the Giant Destroyer (smoke bombs)
3. Tom Cat (Talpirid) baits
4. Propane

Of course, all the above require extreme attention to detail and/or a full understaning of what might happen if used improperly.

I'm pretty sure the Giant Destroyer worked for me and my neighbor for several weeks. problem is, a neighbor further down the street(I recently discovered) had mole(s) and I think another one just moved into the existing tunnel network.

they are infuriating

Carl

[sockiescat]

Well, I know we had this discussion awhile back, but I'm desperate. Those pesky moles are back with a vengence. I know they are supposed to be solitary critters, but I'm having a real hard time believin it. My backyard looks like a terrorist training camp is being held just below the surface!

So let's revisit this. . .I've tried putting chewing gum down the holes. I've tried the gas sticks, which about killed me from the fumes. I've poured Clorox down the holes and plugged 'em.

I've tried killing off their food source (the worms and the grubs).

Can you guys give me your latest best advice regarding these bane to the garden?

I think the poison that finally did mine in contained zinc phosphide. It's been at least 10 years, and I have not been troubled with moles since. Prior to that, I was using a mouse type poison which was only moderately effective.

my mom had a really bad time with moles in her garden :(. i had rea somewhere to try using the windmill things that kids play with. i seems that the vibration that the turning windmill causes undergroun drives the moles nuts and they were soon gone. moms had really goo luck with them but i guess for a lawn its not a real feasible idea:(. cyaaaa, sockiescat

-- sockiescat

[sherwindu]

Trap em. Offer them a free ride to the nearest Forest Preserve.

Sherw> Well, I know we had this discussion awhile back, but I'm desperate.

[Myrl Jeffcoat]

Actually a few years back, I managed to get one to come near the surface while it was trying to escape fumes from the Clorox I'd poured down it's tunnel. When I actually unearthed it, I ended up taking pity on it. I tossed it into a styrofoam cooler, and drove it a couple of miles, to a wildlife area, near the river.

I also heard if you put stereo speakers near their little tunnels, and play loud rap music they'll leave and go to the neighbors. I don't know if my neighbors would have any better luck eradicating the little varmints, than I am. They may be a little less squimish though, but suspect it wouldn't make me really popular as a neighbor;-)

Myrl Jeffcoat

[Sgt.Sausage]

I found the easieast, and arguably the *best* solution to this (and other problems) last year.

C.A.T.

A cat solved my mole, mouse, squirrel, rabbit problem in a matter of a few weeks.

[Myrl Jeffcoat]

I have three cats. None has to date caught a mole. One won't hunt at all, because she believes she's a princess.

I have one black cat that was once an amazing hunter, but he's 17 years old now, and doesn't hunt very much.

I "inherited" the third cat, from my daughter, whose neighbor was upset because the cat was supposed to be some sort of amazon hunter, who had been wiping out her bird sanctuary. That cat came to live with me about 3 years ago. She will nap next to her feed bowl out on the spa cover, and the Magpies will come eat out of that same bowl with her laying there. . . Some hunter she is;-)

To my knowledge that cat has never caught a thing in the 3 years she's been with me.

I want to borrow your cat!

Myrl Jeffcoat

[sherwindu]

Now that's cruelty to animals.

Don't expect them to knock on your door with milk and cookies.

Sherwin

[Vivek.M]

*grin* sensible cat : well fed cat.

[James]

I heard a new one just today but can't verify it's effectiveness. Run a hose from your car's exhaust to a tunnel and let the car idle for awhile. It sounds reasonable but I would imagine some old tunnels are sealed away from some of the fresh ones.