Feel like your lawn is a real life whack-a-mole game? Keep reading!
At first glance, this little fella looks pretty cute, right? I mean, what harm can a little tiny, fuzzy, pink-nosed fur ball do, anyway? Well, quite an incredible amount of damage for something as small as a hamster!
If you have one (or a whole family) in your yard, I’m guessing you feel kind of murderous toward our little mole friend. So how do you get these things to pack up their little mole belongings and move out of your yard? Here are three ideas:
1. Get Rid of the Grub
Yum! Our little mole here loves some grub – literally. Grubs are a great source of food for moles. The less grubs in your lawn, the less chance you have of a mole moving in. Lots of moles? You may be a grub hot spot. Treat your yard with a grub treatment. No grub? (Probably) no moles.
2. Bait Worm Mole Bombs
When preventing a mole problem isn’t going to work, you need a fail-safe way to say, “see ya!” Bait worms are a great solution because they’re more safe around pets and kids. Place these fake worms into an active mole run. Your pesky mole pet is the only one who will find it – and then he doesn’t stand a chance.
3. Tame the Wild
Are there woods or tall patches of brush really close to your property? If so, there’s a good chance that moles are close by. You shouldn’t try to eliminate this habitat, but common cutting and maintenance keeps the boundary more clear, “You stay over there, mole!”
Yes, tame the wild weeds and brush, but also, tame your own wild side! You will never totally eliminate moles and their need to eat, and you will never eliminate what they will eat or where they will come from. Know that, try some of my tricks and enjoy the view as you watch your mole holes dwindle.
– Craig Grabow is the manager and staff horticulturist/arborist at Central Lawn Care. He is the treasurer of the Kentucky Arborist Association and president of the Fort Mitchell Tree Board. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in plant and soil science.
Photo credit: Mick E. Talbot / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA