Getting rid of moles in a lawn? (2023 Update)

[trader4]

Anyone have any actual success in any solutions that work to get rid of moles? Would appreciate real results as opposed to what is supposed to work.

[A. Baum]

Get rid of the grubs (food source)

[Pat]

I like traps.

[IGot2P]

We have tried some stuff that was supposed eliminate grubs, mole poison, & two kinds of traps all without ANY success. Now comes the part that is hard to believe. In April we put three of those solar powered mole chaser thingys from HF in our yard and we have not seen a sign of a mole since installing them.

It could well be a coincidence but all I know is that we no longer have any moles so if they work that is fine and if it is only a coincidence that is also fine.

YMMV

Don

[A. Baum]

Skunks also like the same grubs. My front yard was ripped apart by skunks until we solved the grub infestation. Good comment about the Milky. That's the trick. It's not an overnight cure but it eventually works.

[RonB]

I had some mound and tunnels show up overnight about a month ago. Our local extension agent said poisons are not that great but traps, and a little patience, can work about as well as anything.

Before buying a trap, I tried flooding the system with a garden hose. Poked it in several holes, and into one of the tunnels that was obvious from above. Kept with it until water was flowing from all 4 or 5 openings. No more problem.

RonB

[Fat-Dumb and Happy]

My neighbor's little terrier dog made short work of one, dug it out and the mole was history. Might try this,.... "Strangely enough you can kill them just by putting 'Juicy Fruit' chewing gum in their tunnels. For some reason they love it and when they eat it, it kills them for some reason. I didn't believe it until the wife tried it. In less than two days we had NO more new tunnels and it remained this way for about two years. When the new crew arrived they also got the 'gum' treatment. Haven't had anymore in the last three years. Also other flavors do not work as they are not attracted to it, but for some reason they LOVE Juicy Fruit."

[Robert Green]

Good to know! Apparently this is the ideal time of year to put down the spores to break the grub life cycle.

-- Bobby G.

[Robert Green]

There's a sales pitch: "Chew Juicy Fruit! Tastes great and kills moles, too!"

I'd imagine it gives them some sort of intestinal blockage and they die from being full of shi+!

I just *had* to track this down and by God, Snopes says it's true regarding dogs - which is where I thought I heard the "chewing gum kills" story before:

" Even the vet didn't realize how toxic the stuff is to dogs until she called the vet poison control center. They told her that 2 pieces of gum or candy (gum sized) with Xylitol would throw a 13 pound dog into severe hypoglycemia, 10 pieces would throw it into liver failure on top of that. We figure she ate somewhere between 5 and 10 pieces of Orbit gum."

I think I might even stop chewing sugar-free gum myself.

Live and learn.

-- Bobby G.

-- Bobby G.

>

[HeyBub]

Put a few lumps of Calcium Carbide in the hole with a little water. Cover the hole. Wait.

Uncover the hole and drop in a match.

BOOM!

Don't know if this will bother the mole, but it sure is fun.

[Robert Green]

Millions, billions, that a "yotta" spores. (hyperbole alert!)

I always worry that it might end up to be a cane toad or gypsy moth solution that has consequences yet unknown. Those, too, were attempts to control natural pests by natural means that got way out of control.

-- Bobby G.

[trader4]

This is exactly what I was not looking for. Suggestions based on nonsense from heresay or the internet. If you could say you tried it and it worked that would be different.

[trader4]

t-email.me:

Only problem with the grub theories are that I don't have grubs and moles are omnivores, eating earth worms too among other things. So, whatever they like in my lawn apparently is not grubs.

[trader4]

I've always been doubtful about the products that are supposed to work by chasing them away with ultrasonic, which I assume is how this works. But since you say it worked for you and HF stuff is cheap, I'll pick some up and try them. Thanks for the help.

[Robert Green]

innews:iuop59$s8s$ [e-mail]:

[Tom]

mousetraps with peanut butter worked for me last autumn

the two stray scats that I was feeding apparently did nothing, though they came through the back yard every day and night. They'd eat all the cat food that I put out, but not the moles.

[Doug Miller]

Get a terrier.

We used to have a small terrier+???? mixed-breed dog that was hell on wheels when it came to moles. We didn't know this until we moved to a place in the country that had a mole problem, and saw the dog in action. I set traps, too, but the dog killed far more moles than the traps ever did. Sure, the dog dug holes in the lawn to get to the moles -- but the dog did far less damage to the lawn than the moles were doing.

Wish I could tell you what kind of terrier, specifically, but our dog was a real mutt. She clearly had terrier instincts, but there's no way to tell what sort. I'd guess anything that was bred for going after rats...

[Robert Green]

Red Green, [e-mail] & Robert Green wrote

The obvious solution is getting earthworms to eat milky spores, too. I'd be more reluctant to get rid of earthworms than grubs because earthworms are more beneficial to the soil, IIRC.

-- Bobby G.

[Skiteach]

Earthworms are their staple diet, grubs are a delicacy.