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Mole Control Blog

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What are signs that a mole has invaded your yard? What can Critter Control do to help control mole problems and prevent mole damage?

You can tell when moles have invaded your yard by the tunneling and large push ups or volcano dirt mounds in your yard. Tunneling is the surface activity caused from moles rooting around for food. Moles are very active diggers and tunnel at a rate of 12 to 15 feet per hour. This coupled with their high metabolism makes one believe they have a lot more moles than are actually present. Damage from the tunnels is constant as the moles do not hibernate and lead very active life styles. The large volcano's or push ups seen are caused from the dirt excavated from deeper tunnels 1 to 3 feet down. There, the moles have to bring up the excess dirt from tunneling up to the surface where it is ejected out and looks like a volcano as it pills up. Critter Control can remove the moles with trapping and/or mole treatments, although trapping is the preferred method. New products and a good working knowledge of moles gives us the upper edge in dealing with these insectivores. Call your local Critter Control office for an inspection and we can help you reclaim your yard.

Petery Riney
Critter Control of Greater Nashville LLC

How can you identify when you have moles in your yard? What damage can moles cause?

Moles on a property are typically identified by their tell-tale 'mounds' or 'mole hills' as well as the surface tunnelling. Surface runs can sometimes be very easy to spot in the summer time due to grass that gets raised and turns yellow due to stress on the root system. The grass can usually be saved if the run is pressed or stomped back down in a timely manner. Sometimes surface runs are not noticed until someone walks out into the yard and notices 'spongy' areas where the sod has been raised - this is more common in the Spring and Fall or when the grass is getting plenty of water.

'Mole hills' or mounds are caused by moles running deeper in the ground (6-24") below the surface and needing a play to off load the dirt from the tunnel they are digging. They will push the excess dirt above them, many times creating very large piles of loose soil (mounds) in the yard. Mole hills can kill the grass underneath them if they are left their, but can be easily removed by scooping off the excess dirt soon after the hill is noticed. Most of the time the dirt has been pushed through a 'hole' in the sod no larger than the size of a half-dollar.

Petery Riney
Critter Control of Central Missouri

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