OT (somewhat) MOLES!!!! They must die in a fire!!!!!

I recently purchased about 1acre that touches my property. All open field, and rough as a cob. I dont have any real plans for it, but wanted it smooth enough to mow with my ZT Mower without beating it to death.
A few weeks back, I took the disc to it, and turned it over about 5 times. Then, dragged the high spots into the low spots with the box blade. Finally, finishing it off with a chain harrow drag.
Pretty as a picture, and smooth as a golf course.

Anyhow, I have had a few moles around my land and they create those ant bed sided piles of dirt, that are hell on a lawn mower. Never really paid them much mind as only a few would pop up on the 3 acres that I mow.

However, they must LOVE the freshly tilled, and loose earth of the new field, because every night another 20 or so hills will form. I have been simply smoothing the hills down with a rake, but its getting to be a PITA doing this EVERY day. I simply cant have these awful creatures messing up my newly manicured field.

That in mind. How best to eliminate them?
I must note, thay they are not leaving many, if any tunnels. I see a few short ones from time to time, maybe 2ft long, but for the most part, they emerge directly under these dirt piles that they make.
That in mind, im guessing the usual spring spike traps wont be effective.


Not sure if there is any truth to this, but I have heard, that you can put a piece of folded Juicy Fruit gum in thier holes, and they will choke on it.
I would like them to die in agony, so, is there any truth to this??

I'm not a tree hugger, but if you google ground mole and something like natural predator, you'll find some help. I think with that small of area (not that an acre is small) regular noise/vibration from an occassional harrow and driving with a mower.

Dave

The only way to kill them off that I know of is to kill their food supply. They eat bugs in the ground. Spread insecticide on the soil and let the rain wash it in. The moles will move on. (at least that is what is supposed to happen)

My dog can smell/hear them under ground. He digs down to their hole and kills them. There was a huge one in our back yard and he dug the whole thing up, like a maze, till he got him.

Nofbdybs
Google Rodenator or put a hose on tailpipe of a gasoline engine and insert it in the mound/tunnel and gas the little buggers.

The only way to get rid of them is to spread grub killer on the area. Works like a charm but expensive.
No food no moles.

yep all that freshly tilled ground is just what the moles ordered, got all those bugs and worms moving around for them, got to get rid of their food or intense tractor use will help, we have em too but not in high activity areas, our activity, not theirs

Grub killer doesn't always work. The moles come anyway!

There is a product that can be used on moles or voles, I forget which. Looks like a fake earthworm, you put it into a tunnel, and they eat it and die. Lesco landscape supply (now JD landscapes) used to sell them, weren't cheap, when I looked at them, now that JD has bought them out, the worms will be painted green and yellow, and cost twice as much!

There is a product that can be used on moles or voles, I forget which. Looks like a fake earthworm, you put it into a tunnel, and they eat it and die. Lesco landscape supply (now JD landscapes) used to sell them, weren't cheap, when I looked at them, now that JD has bought them out, the worms will be painted green and yellow, and cost twice as much!

The grubs that moles feed on live in acid soil. The best way to get rid of them and the moles is to lime the soil, this raises the the ph of the soil and the grubs can't live in the higher ph soil, no grubs-no moles. Plus the decreased acidity of the soil increases the vegetation, i.e. grass. definately a win win situation.


Tom

talpirid....


http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=talpirid&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=_9TWS4yiCI6CNu2R-MEF&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQrQQwAA

sneak out with a shovell and flip them onto the top of the ground..its fun,like hunting.

Id set up a tree stand and have fun with target practice. Toby.

Sounds like "POCKET GOPHERS", not moles !

Lot's of opinions here so I guess that I will add mine as well. I believe that trapping is the answer and I use this trap although there are probably many other good ones. www.themoletrap.com

Also you may want to read www.themoleman.com Remember moles also eat earthworms not only grubs as grubs are only available for a short time each year.

(quoted from post at 06:08:54 04/27/10) Sounds like "POCKET GOPHERS", not moles !

Click to expand...

EXACTLY!!

If you have mounds of fresh dirt that look somewhat like fireant mounds, then you have pocket gophers.

The gophers runs are deeper than moles, so all you see are the fan shaped mounds where they push out their dirt. If they are moles then you can see raised runs just under the surface of the ground.

Pocket gophers are a completely different animal that eats roots of plants and trees. They are vegetarians and not carnavores like moles.

There are lots of different ways of getting rid of them. There are lots of opinions, but most people seem to have better luck with traps.

http://www.traplineproducts.com/gophers.html

This link explains the differences between the two. And their traps are pretty popular.

But google gophers and you will find all kinds of info.

Moles don't like the smell of castor oil. Do a google search for "Ed Hume mole formula". Mix up a batch and apply it to the area you want to keep moles out of. They'll go visit your neighbors instead.

This solution is expensive but it WILL work. Apply nitrogen at a high rate, nearly enough to burn the grass. Timed release pelletized version. AND apply grub control at the CORRECT time. (Still too early in wost areas). The nitrogen will drive out the earthworms and the grub control takes care of them. No food = no moles. Now, if your problem is voles/pocket gophers, then this won't help with them. AND if you quit applying fertilizer and the worms come back, the moles will follow. I suspect your trouble is in fact moles eating the worms that are feasting on your decaying sod that you turned under, but I am by no means an expert. Good luck.

Talaprid, yeah, that's the stuff.

Upon closer inspection (and with some research)
yall are correct, they are Pocket Gophers