Moles ?

[Hilltop Cycle ATV]

Well, I think I am getting my thistle problem under control . Well, now I am starting to see mole tracks in the yard . Today I looked out and I have a pile of dirt in the yard that wasn't there last night . I don't know much about moles . Now, is this pile of dirt where they start their tunnel, end it or what ? I would like to know a way to get rid of these varmints . Any suggestions ? Thanks, Raz

BTW: I am not an animal activist so don't worry about any effective way, I don't care how it is done . As long as I get rid of them.

[Tom The Great]

I've found that removing their food supply works best, plus makes for a healthier yard. Get rid of your Grubs.

I used Milky Spore, it's long lasting, and nontoxic. Your neighbors yards will seem more appealing to the mole(s).

tom

[dave]

Light a road flare and shove it in the hole. Buh bye! Could you stand to breathe that sulfer crap? They will go away.

[Tom The Great]

Does this work on annoying neighbors.

;)

[Eggs Zachtly]

And, they'll be back, dipshit. They're not in your yard just hanging out, they're there to eat your grubs.

[trader4]

While moles eat grubs and if you have a grub problem it should be dealt with, moles have a wide variety of food sources. It's a myth that having moles automatically equates to a grub problem. It's not unusual to have a lawn that doesn;t have a grub problem, but still has moles.

I

[Eggs Zachtly]

This time of year, in the OP's location, my money's on grubs, everytime. Grubs and earthworms are a mole's main diet.

From _Fieldbook of Natural History_ by Palmer (Cornell U.) and Fowler (Penn. State U.)

Common Mole: Food choices (in order of preference)

1. white grubs, and earthworms
2. insect larvae
3. adult insects

(Not really a "wide variety", unless you're going to count each species of insect's larvae as a "variety").

Star-nosed Mole: 49% worms, 33 % insects, 8 % miscellaneous,

6 % crustaceans, 2 % mollusks, 2% vertebrates

Again, in the OP's location, I'd treat for grubs, or live with the moles, and let them kill the grubs for you. If you'd rather not treat for grubs, then sit there with a shovel and wait until you see them tunneling, and whack em. =)

[trader4]

Here from Washington State Dept of Fish and Wildlife"

Food and Feeding Habits

Although most North American moles are insectivorous, Washington species are somewhat omnivorous, eating both plants and animals. A mole's diet is mostly insects and other invertebrates, including earthworms, centipedes, millipedes, snails, slugs, grubs, ants, sowbugs, termites, beetles, and crickets. Stomach samples in Oregon revealed that 70 to 90 percent of the Townsend mole's diet is earthworms; however it also ate grass roots, vegetable crop roots and bulbs, and seeds.

Or from NC State Coop Extension:

mole's diet is almost entirely animal, including earthworms, white grubs, ants, beetles and other subterranean insects.

Or Univ of Missouri Extension Service:

Chism, University of Missouri Extension Service agronomist in Lamar, passes along tips for mole control.

Moles feed every two hours, 24 hours a day. One or two moles can cause lots of damage. A female mole will have only one litter of two to four babies each spring. Up to 90 percent of the mole diet is earthworms.

Seems there is widespread agreement that moles eat a lot of things besides grubs that are commonly found in lawns.

[dave]

No they don't DIPSHIT. I've done it, and so have my friends. They go away and stay away, Probably because they are dead. DIPSHIT

[George Ewart]

If you are old like have the time.... First I flood their runs and holes with water. Sometimes when I do that the mole comes to the top for air and then he gets it.

If that didn't work, I flatten al the runs. Stepping on them, running the golf cart over them or lawn roller.

Wait and hour and go back and look. Usually the mole will start back up again in an hour or so and you can see him pushing the ground up. Take a shovel and jam it in the ground/run about a foot or so behind him.

You can then flush him out with water or use another shovel to dig him up, or in my case, I sick the dog after him.

It may take a few times of stomping the runs down till you get to his main that one he uses. You can then watch it to catch him. It takes a little time a patience.

But, for an old guy who has been doing it for years, a little time costs nothing at all.

[trader4]

You must have moles that are a lot different than the ones we have here in NJ. In all my many years of dealing with moles, I have never seen one re-open a tunnel in an hour. Here it always happens overnight.

[Mary Beth]

All I can say is a HUGE THANK YOU!! I had three copies over the years, (had it as a Biology major in college), and have always loved it. Twice it was borrowed and lost, but they replaced it. The third time, never knew what happened! Anyway, I have been trying to find this book everywhere, even looked in amazon for YEARS. All I needed this time was the name, and it came up!

But if you hadn't brought it up I just may have never looked again, (even tho this time it was nice to have the author's names, I had forgotten them), and reading your post made me go check it out *one more time*, just in case! Not in print, anymore, which is why I couldn't get it even at the college libraries I looked/called, but I got a great deal on a used, but like new copy.

I'd asked for it on e-bay for a long time, and never got an answer for it. Had been checking all kinds of places, college libraries, for used books, to no avail.

Thanks again and again.....

MaryBeth

[Eggs Zachtly]

You're welcome, it's definately a "must have" in my library. =)

Hardback:

edit. (1949):

[Mary Beth]

:

> First edit. (1949):

> HTH

Oh it helps!! Hopefully anyone else looking for a great book, will order it. I got it coming in for $11.00 total with S&H. :) I'll be a happy gal when it's back in my home library! :) I've got it ordered already, before I sent that note out, got it being shipped by tomorrow. It's funny to see the first edition book on the e-bay site! Looks a lot older, but as soon as I saw the pic on amazon, I knew it was mine!

You really did help me out with just the mention of it. I think I gave up looking for a few years now.

Thanks again, MaryBeth