When Pesky Moles Invade Your Yard
No one wants to wake up with their morning coffee and look out over their yard to see… molehills all over the perfectly manicured lawn. That tell-tale pushed up dirt in a zig-zag pattern means you have molehills in your yard.
Those little pests can do a whole lot of damage in no time. But what exactly do they harm? Do you need to be rid of them, or are they simply an eye-sore?
Let’ take some time to discover more about moles, then you can decide for your yard.
All About Moles
At a mere 5 inches in length, these small animals look a bit funny. They are mammals with tiny eyes and ears tucked under their fur since they live underground. Their short hind legs, weird snout, and large digging hands add to the unique look.
Moles live in tunnel systems about 10 inches under the surface of the ground. As they create these tunnels, the molehills pop up every so often, creating the tell-tale sign you have moles in the yard.
It is also important to know moles are carnivorous, eating insects, grubs, and earthworms.
Are Moles in the Yard a Danger?
Inconvenient, yes. But are moles a danger?
If you have spent any time on your lawn, fertilizing, mowing, edging, and creating that perfect green blanket, you do not want them wreaking havoc on the perfection. What’s more, the tunnels they create will destroy the grass’s root system and leave ugly brown spots in your green lawn.
Vegetable and flower gardens are the perfect buffet for omnivorous critters. Once the moles have built underground tunnels, the veggie eaters’ path is clear to come in and attack the garden at its roots. The moles don’t eat the veggies, but instead, invite other critters and show them the way.
In a garden, moles will eat the beneficial insects and earthworms, leaving your plants unprotected.
The danger for the homeowner is the trip hazard. Because the tunnels are underground and the molehills are all that is visible, you can easily fall into a tunnel or den and twist your ankle.
So, what’s a homeowner to do when they find these annoying little mounds?
Try Preventing Moles from Entering Your Yard.
Luckily, there are ways to keep the moles out of the yard and from digging up the lawn.
1. Try using safe pesticides for the yard to eliminate the food sources for the moles.
2. Don’t overwater your lawn. The drenched soil encourages worms and grubs to the surface, which attracts the moles to your yard. Check around for lower areas of the yard that may retain water, too.
3. Putting castor oil in and around the garden will effectively keep the moles away since castor oil is a scent the moles detest.
4. Marigolds, daffodils, and alliums are additional scents the moles cannot stand. Plant these flowers in your garden and around your lawn to make your home less attractive to the moles.
5. Vibrating devices that sit in the ground sending out a sonic pulse are available or purchase at most stores. They are inexpensive and create a mole barrier for the yard.
6. Live, humane traps can be purchased and set for the moles if you know what you are doing with them. Moles are certainly not easy to catch in the act.
If the moles have already begun to invade your space, they need to be eradicated. But how?
Let’s Get Rid of the Molehills in Your Yard.
All right. Let’s assess the damage and work to devise a plan ridding your lawn of the pests.
To start, you need to locate the active tunnel system. There are tunnels they live in, and tunnels they used to get to their optimal den space. To find the active spots, simply flatten the hills and wait until morning. The molehills the moles push back up indicate the active site. You will then be able to identify the tunnels connecting them.
At that point, you can set the traps at the active hills and catch the moles, if you are lucky. Then you should call someone out to relocate the animals to a safe location.
Calling a professional Wildlife Relocation Company to trap the moles is the easiest way to deal with the problem. Once you have discovered the active tunnels and mounds, you can then call a company like World Class Wildlife Removal set the traps and properly relocate the animals, saving you time, money, and frustration!
Moles and Molehills… GONE!
There are choices in life that are difficult and others that are simple. This choice is an easy one. The professionals at World Class Wildlife Removal have the equipment and are ready to take on those moles in your home or yard. Their experience will make your molehill no longer a mountain of a problem.