Moles

Moles can be destructive to a lawn. The build tunnels a few inches below the soil, and are easily detectible by raised grass. They prefer well-maintained lawns like yours with. If you water regularly, keep your grass thick, top dress with compost, etc, the ecosystem will invite moles. Sometimes moles suggests grubs, but they don’t exclusively feed on grubs. They also feed on worms which are part of a healthy lawn. We’ll review a few methods I have experience with.

You can see a detailed overview of all methods discussed here in the YouTube playlist for moles: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHXHjAeFldcFKQnxEoDltNp2r65LfYq07

Trapline Products

Trapline is heavily recommended on the forums as an effective trap. I had to get it from their website as I don’t believe it’s sold anywhere else. I tried a pair of them for about $23. I let them sit in the yard for a week with no results. I was a bit worried about hitting them with the lawnmower after forgetting they are set there. Certainly stay away that part of the lawn in barefeet.

The Gopher Hawk is another popular trap option. I didn’t have luck with it, but it’s far easier to set. Their online ordering is funky – I waited 2 weeks for an order then they cancelled it and I got nothing. Underwhelming experience personally but others have had luck.

Juicy Fruit

It’s unclear the effectiveness of Juicy Fruit, but it a hot topic on the forums, and it’s also the cheapest method for killing moles. For less than a couple dollars, you can try this out.

Smoke Bombs

This was the most fun method on the list. I used the Amdro Gopher Gasser for moles. I don’t think they were in the tunnel, but if they were, I am sure these would have been effective.

Water Hose

This is similar to the strategy of smoke. You basically put your garden hose in the ground to the tunnel and fill it with water. That pushes the mole out, or if they don’t come out then they drown.

Mole Repellant

I used a granular product which moved the moles. You could also use castor oil, although I don’t think a traditional sprayer would handle the oil very well so application may be tricky.

Bait Worms

They come from a few different brands, so I just chose the cheapest brand. Mole activity stopped for several days. I don’t know if it worked. My mole activity is sporadic so it’s hard to say. Eventually activity returned, potentially, although unlikely from another mole.

I don’t like this method because it can harm the food chain, but it was worth testing.

Neighborhood Cat

This is probably the most effective method I have. I have stray cats all around my street but to attract them to actually walk across my lawn and not hang out on the neighbors, I need food. A 3 pound bag of cat food on Amazon will run you about $5. Put out a golf ball sized pile every 2-3 days to keep one around, but anymore and it won’t be hungry. I have watched a cat kill a mouse right outside my window.

Next Steps

This all starts with prevention. The mole repellant certainly works. I’d apply this in spring around first green up, after I scalp. I imagine the scent would last in the soil enough to be sure the mole doesn’t establish in your lawn for the season.

Beyond the repellent, the hose method in conjunction with the neighborhood cat are my favorite and what I’ve had the best luck with.

Everyone tends to have luck with different methods when it comes to killing moles. Unlikely the far majority of topics on this blog where we can trim out 80% of bad advice and agree on a common ground, this is not like that. All of these methods have worked for someone, so I hope one of them work for you.