Apparently it's not all that far-fetched an idea to catch the pesky little critters that tunnel under your lawn. You can find helpful how-to sites that show exactly how to catch a mole, alive or dead. There are also many ads for chemical solutions to the problems or for professional help.
Moles, it appears, are not too smart or agile. You can dig through a tunnel, put a deep bucket under it, restore the run to a usable condition, and wait. The animal will run along its tunnel and fall into the bucket. The experts say this actually works. You can also wait at dawn or dusk for movement in a tunnel, plunge a shovel deep into the ground, and heave both dirt and mole into the air. Grab the critter (you need thick, strong gloves) and put it into a sack or bucket.
You need to think about what to do with a live mole. It's against the rules to evict a wild animal from its habitat in many areas. Check local animal control regulations to see if you can re-home moles.
Catch and release folks should read up on what moles like before letting them go. They like lawns, so letting them go in deep woods is not humane. You don't want to release them on a neighbor's property, either. If you have a part of your garden which is not on display, you could release your captive there and hope it stays away from your lawn.
If you aren't worried about saving the critters, there are ways to kill them once and for all. People use chemical poisons that are dropped in the tunnels. Some of these, grain based ones especially, don't work well, since moles eat mainly insects or vegetation. Insecticides that kill grubs, the mole's main food, can help keep these pests away.
There are also traps that seem a little drastic but are probably no worse than the snap mousetraps homeowners use for indoor pests. They need to be set carefully, and you need to make sure pets or children won't encounter them. You set the traps in the tunnels; although the moles may be smart enough to avoid them, this method seems to be one that actually works.
People flood the tunnels with water by the simple expedient of sticking a hose into the molehill and turning on a steady stream of water. Apparently you then catch any moles that emerge. It seems that the old trick of putting mothballs in the tunnel to get the moles to move out doesn't work very well, if at all. Gassing the animals is another thing desperate gardeners have tried, as are explosives. At this point, it might make sense to call in the pros. Ask for a guarantee before signing a contract; even professionals have trouble with these little creatures.
Moles eat mainly grubs and are therefore of some benefit to gardeners. Some tunnels may only be used to travel through, so they may not be a permanent problem. Rolling your lawn might pack the ground hard enough to discourage moles from living there. Spraying insecticides that kill grubs removes one favorite food that attracts the animals.
Moles, it appears, are not too smart or agile. You can dig through a tunnel, put a deep bucket under it, restore the run to a usable condition, and wait. The animal will run along its tunnel and fall into the bucket. The experts say this actually works. You can also wait at dawn or dusk for movement in a tunnel, plunge a shovel deep into the ground, and heave both dirt and mole into the air. Grab the critter (you need thick, strong gloves) and put it into a sack or bucket.
You need to think about what to do with a live mole. It's against the rules to evict a wild animal from its habitat in many areas. Check local animal control regulations to see if you can re-home moles.
Catch and release folks should read up on what moles like before letting them go. They like lawns, so letting them go in deep woods is not humane. You don't want to release them on a neighbor's property, either. If you have a part of your garden which is not on display, you could release your captive there and hope it stays away from your lawn.
If you aren't worried about saving the critters, there are ways to kill them once and for all. People use chemical poisons that are dropped in the tunnels. Some of these, grain based ones especially, don't work well, since moles eat mainly insects or vegetation. Insecticides that kill grubs, the mole's main food, can help keep these pests away.
There are also traps that seem a little drastic but are probably no worse than the snap mousetraps homeowners use for indoor pests. They need to be set carefully, and you need to make sure pets or children won't encounter them. You set the traps in the tunnels; although the moles may be smart enough to avoid them, this method seems to be one that actually works.
People flood the tunnels with water by the simple expedient of sticking a hose into the molehill and turning on a steady stream of water. Apparently you then catch any moles that emerge. It seems that the old trick of putting mothballs in the tunnel to get the moles to move out doesn't work very well, if at all. Gassing the animals is another thing desperate gardeners have tried, as are explosives. At this point, it might make sense to call in the pros. Ask for a guarantee before signing a contract; even professionals have trouble with these little creatures.
Moles eat mainly grubs and are therefore of some benefit to gardeners. Some tunnels may only be used to travel through, so they may not be a permanent problem. Rolling your lawn might pack the ground hard enough to discourage moles from living there. Spraying insecticides that kill grubs removes one favorite food that attracts the animals.
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You can get advice on how to catch a mole and more info about the best mole traps at http://www.traplineproducts.com/trapinstructions.html right now.
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