Moles!

Is anyone else having a problem with moles? And if so, what is your preferred method of getting rid of the pesky creature...traps, poison or a combination of both? How long does it typically take to know that the mole is well and truly gone?

 

Think Caddyshack...

 

Moles or voles?

If I'm not mistaken, voles are the mouse-looking creatures that burrow and make paths in your lawn. I've used mouse poison in the past. It seems to do the trick since have found a couple of them dead around the house. I buy the stuff from Home Depot -- I don't recall the name, but it is green and comes in packs of eight, I believe.

 

I don't have problems with moles, but I have big problems with ground squirrels. I have put out some life traps, unfortunately they like to go into the garage and get into the birdfood, and we had some die in there. That was pretty gross.

Marianne

 

we have voles, we have dogs.
no problem

 

The following was posted along with other comments and ideas at http://hoa.broadlands.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=817

I am a self proclaimed warrior on the battle against voles and moles. I've tried all kinds of weapons of mass distruction on these vial, yard destroying creatures.

Voles are vegitarians, moles eat meaty things, (worms, grubs, bugs, etc.) Unfortunately moles don't eat voles.

Voles are best killed by getting a plastic bait box. It is a small box about the size of a shoe box. Inside has 4 to 6 stakes for poison. The poison comes in cubes with holes in the middle. You slide these poison clubes onto the stakes, close up the box, and place the box in the vicinity of your vole sightings. Voles crawl in eat the poison and then die elsewhere. You'll be amazed at how fast the poison disappears.

Moles aren't interested in the poisons, as they eat meaty things.

As for moles, the only way to get rid of them is to physically execute them. Spring traps are the best. Screwdrives work as well, if you have a quick 10 year old son. They tend to nest underneath trees in the stump roots. The more traps you use the better. Place the traps over the trails you can see in your yard. They should be raised dirt hump trails. Different looking than vole trails. Voles tend to skim across the ground, eating their way through the root system of grass. Moles are deeper.

By the way, when you get your first kill, you will feel like going to the taxidermist. It is quit a thrill.

There are tons of marketing cures for these vermints. None work, from my experience, i.e. grub killer (moles eat other things than just grubs), sonic barriers, sharded gravel, voodoo dolls, juicy fruit gum (this is true, some say, voles eat the gum, can't digest it and die, I tried it, didn't work)

It is likely you have both voles and moles and will have to deploy both offensive tactics.

Good luck, and let us all know of your pending success against this scurge on our yards.

 

Think Caddyshack...
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That's what we're afraid of!!! [xx(]

 

Ack!!! How do we determine whether we have a mole or a vole? Right now we have all these holes in our backyard as well as all around and under our deck. What brought our attention to these holes is that at first we thought someone had a wild wild party in our backyard as the dug up mud looked like bunches of corks from wine...but then on the closer inspection we saw the accompanying holes.

The husband and I are going to Home Depot when he gets home tonight to see if we can start winning the battle against this pesky critter.

I cringe at the thought of a trap as I can see neither myself nor the husband wanting to touch the thing!

 

I don't think you have moles or voles, but just holes. If it looks like cork from wine bottles, it's because the landscaping company is aerating the ground for us. That means poking holes all over the ground with some machine, which leaves behind a small pack of dirt that looks like a cork. They did our lawn last week.

 

I've found the best mole/vole protection is my dog! He scares away anything that wants to set up camp in my yard.

I can arrange to have him visit your yard--he loves field trips.

 

This is pretty funny.

Come on, Carol, in all your world travels you have never seen aerated ground before???

 

I guess there is a first time for everything, eh? [:I][)]

Given that I have no idea which is a mole hole, vole hole or aerated groundhole, I probably should get an independent confirmation...but learning about this aerated stuff is a nice relief (as she says still blushing...)

 

Carol, how tall is your deck? If you have a short deck and holes under your deck (as you mentioned above), then I highly doubt those are due to aeration. It would be difficult to aerate under a short deck since the machine needs a fair amount of clearance to operate.

 

As our home does not have a basement, we have what I would classify a short deck with less than 3 feet between the deck floor and the ground.

Fortunately we have great neighbors so I'm going to see if I can grab one of them this evening for another opinion on the holes.

 

If the deck is only three feet tall, then I highly doubt the holes under it are from an aerator. However, the holes throughout your yard are a different issue...

 

hummm...Carol may have stumbled onto something. I wonder if aeration spikes go deep enough to kill the moles. Haven't thought of that[}]

 

So you mean the aereation may have brought on the revenge of the moles and voles?

I'll keep ya'll posted as to what exactly we do have.

 

Carol,

As I recall you live in the Courtyards section of Southern Walk as do we. I noticed today we have recently been aereated. I would assume they did all of us.

 

Okay...I am kind of embarrassed but also relieved...we have been aerated! Guess I'd just been out of the USA for too long to keep up with all this kind of stuff....<grin>

 

Hmmm, just to be sure I think you should 'Caddyshack' all those little holes in your yard. Just let all of us know when you plan to do it so we can come watch...