Keith Hansen

They're back! Actually, they never went away.

I'm talking about moles - those blind, furry, underground creatures that create havoc in lawns and gardens with their incessant tunneling. I seem to be having a bit more success trapping them this year, catching four so far, so I thought I'd pass along a few tips that may help you if you are trying to control them in your yard.

This underground dweller is well adapted for a life of continually searching through the darkness for food. Its front feet are large and wide and the toes are webbed at the base of the sharp claws. This equips the mole for digging and tunneling in search of earthworms - their favorite food, and insects. Although moles are practically blind, they have a very keen sense of smell and touch which helps them locate food.

It may seem that there are a hundred moles on your property, judging by the extensive tunneling. But moles are solitary mammals. It is their constant search for food which explains the never ending network of runways. Moles eat from 70 to 100 percent of their weight each day. On average, there are only 3 to 5 moles per acre, although a site with a long-established mole population could have more.

The mole's diet is mainly earthworms, supplemented by grubs, beetles and other insects. They are often blamed for eating the roots of prized plants, but vegetation makes up only a very small, insignificant part of their diet. Damage to plants is mainly from the drying out of roots as they tunnel through the soil, and from other rodents, like mice, that also use the mole's tunnel system.

Trapping is the most practical and effective way of controlling moles, but requires persistence and patience. Mole traps work based on the mole's response to a blocked burrow. It is not suspicious of dirt blocking the runway since its burrow is often closed by rain, foot traffic, equipment and animals. The mole pushes its way into a dirt blockade, reopens it, and continues on its merry way.

Mole traps take advantage of this behavior. The trap's trigger pan rests on top of the dirt blockade. If an unsuspecting mole cannot detect the trap, it pushes the dirt to clear the obstruction, lifting the trigger pan which releases the trap spring. Mole traps are available in garden centers, hardware stores and farm supply stores.

Moles have two main types of runways. One is a shallow network of tunnels running near the surface of the soil where they search for food. These may be used only once, infrequently or on a regular basis. Others are deeper runs which are like main highways that are regularly used. A mole can travel through an open runway at about 80 feet per minute. A molehill is sometimes the only above ground sign of a deep runway.

SUCCESSFUL TRAPPING

The first key to trapping is to locate a run which is used frequently. When you see a fresh runway, do not disturb it except for collapsing it with your foot in one spot only. Come back later in the day or the next morning to see if the depressed soil has been lifted. If so, then you know the mole is currently using that runway and set the trap there.

Runs which travel under or along side sidewalks, drives or around foundations may be good places to locate a trap. Runs in these locations are regularly used.

Over time, I have identified where the main mole highways are on my lot. I now look for runs that have a lot of soil pushed up indicating they are major runways, and runs with a straightaway section.

Once you locate an active runway, depress the soil so it blocks the tunnel. Do this in only one spot so as to not arouse the mole's suspicion or throw it off course. The plug should be in a straightaway section so the mole will continue passing through the trap instead of bending around it.

Set the trap and place the trigger pan so it just rests on the soil plug. If you are working with a deeper run, scrape away some of the soil so top of the soil plug is just above the level of the tunnel. That way the pan will rest just above the top of the blocked runway.

There are three main types of mole traps: the harpoon, the choker loop and the scissor trap. All three work on the same principle, although they kill moles in different ways. Many prefer the harpoon trap since it is a little easier to set, although the strong spring still requires a lot of strength to set.

When setting a harpoon trap, make sure the legs are straddling the runway. Some trappers recommend wearing gloves to help mask your odor from the mole's keen sense of smell. A plastic bucket can be placed upside down over the trap to keep children and pets from disturbing the trap.

Persistence is the key to catching moles. If a trap doesn't spring in one location after three days, move the trap to another active tunnel. If you catch one, reset the trap in the same location. Even though moles lead solitary lives, other moles can use the same runs. Of the four I trapped so far, two have been in the same spot. That spot has been pushed up again, so I expect to catch another mole using the same tunnel system!

Stick with trapping and stick with the program. Don't give up - you'll eventually gain the upper hand. But, a vacuum always wants to be filled, so sooner or later, moles from neighboring properties will make their way back to yours.


Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension. His Web page is http://EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu Texas Cooperative Extension educational programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension.
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