still having mole problems

heehaw · Oct 24, 2010

i had no idea they went that deep: with as many surface tunnels as they dig, not sure when they find the time to go so deep: plus the ground is almost as hard as concrete lately.
heehaw

MossRoad · Oct 24, 2010

heehaw said:
i had no idea they went that deep: with as many surface tunnels as they dig, not sure when they find the time to go so deep: plus the ground is almost as hard as concrete lately.
heehaw

Moles follow the food. If the food (usually earthworms, then grubs and insects) go deep, the moles go deep. Earthworms do not hibernate. If it gets cold, they go deep. Moles do not hibernate either. They just go deep in winter. If there is a drought, the earthworms go deep. So do the moles.

The nice thing about the out o sight traps is that as long as you find an active horizontal tunnel, you can set the trap, no matter how deep it is.

buck12 · Oct 25, 2010

MossRoad said:
Moles follow the food. If the food (usually earthworms, then grubs and insects) go deep, the moles go deep. Earthworms do not hibernate. If it gets cold, they go deep. Moles do not hibernate either. They just go deep in winter. If there is a drought, the earthworms go deep. So do the moles.

The nice thing about the out o sight traps is that as long as you find an active horizontal tunnel, you can set the trap, no matter how deep it is.

I wish the moles in my neck of the woods knew they were suppose to go deep during a drought. We have experienced drought conditions for a few months and the moles are still making a mess of my yard.

Johnbro · Oct 25, 2010

I find the traps to be too much trouble. I've had good luck with the smoke bombs (brand name "Giant Destroyer"). I watch for them on sale at TruValue or HD and buy several packages.

the trick I've found to using them is to find the living tunnel (not a feeding tunnel). usually the home front is marked by a bigger excavation mound, since they dig out a platform down deep to sleep in. I open up all the mounds in the "system" connected to that sleeping tunnel and nuke them all at the same time with multiple smoke bombs. the idea is to force all the oxygen out of the tunnel system with the smoke, which I believe is heavier than air.

One of the things I'd LIKE to try is the Rodenator, a system to inject propane adn air into the tunnel (propane is heavier than air) and then explode it. Supposedly moles are sensitive to concussion so it kills humanely.

MossRoad · Oct 25, 2010

hawkeye08 said:
A friend has been fighting them on his 11 acres for 10 years or more. He has trapped and trapped and trapped, but realized recently that he may have to plow and get rid of the tunnel system left intact when he traps one. More just move in from the surrounding area... he got a plow and will probably plow some of it this fall and more in the spring. He really does not want to, but the only way he can think of to destroy the tunnels (without explosives). I am thinking of getting him the caddie shack movie for Christmas. We have them some and use the vibrating stakes, a couple that take D cells, one that is solar. They keep them out of the yard for the most part.

Just wondering why someone would fight 11 acres of moles? Large lawn?