Mole holes in your yard certainly are not nice to look at when they start appearing in your lawn, but these little, underground critters can also disturb the roots of plants, causing them to die. Mole holes in your yard certainly are not nice to look at when they start appearing in your lawn, but these little, underground critters can also disturb the roots of plants, causing them to die. Fortunately, while these earth-dwelling pests are not after the garden’s goods but that doesn’t mean that their mounding trails cannot be very disruptive to your plants and your underground bulbs aren’t always safe either.

Their carnivorous habits are one of the many factors that put moles in a category outside the rodent family. They opt for earthworms, grubs and insects, rather than shrubbery or plants. However, their underground pathways will frequently be used by small rodents, who do seek out the tasty garden treasures. And if you have moles in your yard, you will want to have them removed by a pest control company as they can cause quite a lot of damage.

There are two types of tunnels produced by these critters. The first, which cause the unsightly mess in a lawn, are called runways. These are created when moles are on the hunt for food. They result in raised patches of earth. However, these paths can often resemble those created by other species, so moles are often wrongfully blamed. Voles, for instance, create paths at the surface of the earth. These are more clearly detected because the voles are plant eaters, who forage as they plow through the earth.

There are a few ways to deal with a mole problem. Mole traps are typically the most effective, but there are also poisons and repellents available. Professional pest control companies will make use of a variety of methods as well. Traps, which have gotten a bad rap, partially due to their horrific names, like scissors trap, choker trap, and harpoon trap, but there are also live traps that can be used and have proven equally as effective for removing the pests.

Pest control professionals will generally recommend using the traps in the spring, before the females have had a chance to reproduce, thereby reducing the chance of a growing problem later in the year. The best way to trap is to find an active feeding tunnel. Though there may be tunnels all over your yard, not all of them will be in active use all of the time. There is a way to determine if you have found one that is still being used. Use a trowel to gently pack down an area of the raised mounds, so the earth is flat again. Mark the area with paint or a small flag and check back in one day’s time to see if the ridge has been raised again – a sign that moles have been traveling through. Once you have discovered an active path, you can dig a small section out and place the trap. Moles are blind so they will not see the trap until they have come in contact with it.