Has there been a breach of security in your yard? Has your lawn been infiltrated by a mole? Moles are small, furry, animals. However, do not let this fool you, they are neither cute nor cuddly. Moles resemble rats with what appears to be squinty or concealed eyes. The fact that the mole has his eyes hidden should be your first clue that he is up to something sneaky. He burrows through your lawn in underground tunnels, paying no regard to the bulbs that you have so carefully planted, and disrupting the once safe haven for plants with young roots, in search of food.
The mole is a bad guy, there is no doubt about it, but like a lot of bad guys he also catches the blame for a lot of things he didn’t do. Moles generally feed on earthworms, grub worms, and other insects and usually do not have an inclination toward plant life. If you notice that your plants are being nibbled on more, now that the mole has taken up residence, it might be due to rodents or other animals taking advantage of the mole’s well orchestrated tunnel system.
So how do you get rid of the bad guy? You beat him at his own game! The tunnels that are made by moles are unsightly and tear your yard apart but they can be used to your advantage. The mole is telling you exactly where he is and where he is going. Not all of the tunnels that a mole has made in your yard are used often. In fact some tunnels may have been made originally in a search for food, if no food was found, then the tunnel would likely remain unused. To catch the mole, you need to find out which tunnels he uses most often. This is done, by walking down all the tunnels till they are even with the ground. When the mole returns on his forage for food, the tunnels he uses most often will reemerge from the ground. Mole control is a lot like the common cold. Everyone and their brother have a solution. Some solutions range from using mothballs, broken glass, and insecticides. These methods have not been proven to work. I like to use traps, they seem to work fairly fast (a day or two). There are traps that can be purchased, which have been proven effective, but you can also make your own trap.
Take a large coffee can or any large vessel that is deep and has a wide opening, and bury it in one of the frequently used tunnels. Make sure the body of the coffee can is buried below the tunnel, and the mouth of the can is horizontally even with the tunnel. So that when he scurries through the tunnel, it will be like he is falling in a very large pothole. Cover the top of the tunnel with a board or something that will shut out the light to the tunnel. Chances are you will have the little guy in your coffee can by late afternoon or early morning, because that is when moles are most active.