What do you use to control moles?

Hey ya'll. I just bought me fifty acres and a Kawasaki mule!
It is in a sandy soil area, and moles tend to be a real problem. I want to keep their numbers in check.

I have thought maybe a border terrier or perhaps cats. But What do I know. I have never seen an actual mole, much less had to control the population of them.

What do you use, and what works?

Richard

Nothing has worked for me. Not a damn thing. Cats, dogs, poison, guns, nothing. I even tried those spear trap thingies. /sigh I've planted potatoes for them. I hope they leave my trees alone.

We use spring traps. When you see hills appearing in lawn areas you excavate a little section of tunnel, set the trap and cover it again. It doesn't stop more moles moving back in to the area, but it does seem to keep the worst of the damage at bay.

If you have moles in the general area then nothing you can do will rid you of moles totally. When you thin the population in one area the others will drift to fill in the empty territory. I haven't tested this yet, but I'm sure that a flock of chickens will make short work of a trapped mole.

I should also add that we don't try to eradicate them - just protect a few key areas.

I only control moles around annual vegetables. Otherwise they aren't hurting anything, not perennials or fruit trees. They are after the worms. If you want to keep them away from a lawn, I can't really help.

But they kicked up 50 feet of lettuce overnight and put an air tunnel under what remained, so they aren't helpful. So I planted a native weed that they avoid, or day lillies, daffodils, gladiolas, every few feet. Find what gophers and moles go around, and plant that in intervals then plant vegetables in between.

elle sagenev wrote:Nothing has worked for me. Not a damn thing. Cats, dogs, poison, guns, nothing. I even tried those spear trap thingies. /sigh I've planted potatoes for them. I hope they leave my trees alone.

Sounds like you have the same sort of question then

Cristo Balete wrote:
But they kicked up 50 feet of lettuce overnight and put an air tunnel under what remained, so they aren't helpful. So I planted a native weed that they avoid, or day lillies, daffodils, gladiolas, every few feet. Find what gophers and moles go around, and plant that in intervals then plant vegetables in between.

I am having the same experience. Air tunnels are killing me! Curious as to what weeds you have found that they avoid (I am on the west coast as well).

Depends on where you are, and this may not be of any help for the average "Permie" diyer but I have controlled mole very well (to the point of eradication) with Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) and Snakes of the "mole eating type." Like I said...not the average solution but very effective if you take the time to educate your self about the snakes in your area that may feed on moles. My Least Weasel cam from a local "wildlife rehab center" that I would volunteer at. The get really "feisty" as they get older, and love to explore tunnels...

I have hunted with mink, weasel, ferret, fox, and a few other "wee beasties" over the years...Many will work in concert with humans if given the correct care and freedom to "be themselves..."

Here is a few videos to illustrate personalities and abilities...

Zenais, I've got a book called Northwest Weeds, and you can find lots of natives in the book. Natives are great because nothing bothers them. Yarrow, English Plantain (also good for itchy skin, smash the leaves), dock with the tall spiky seed stem (just clip the seed head to keep it under control) Crane's bill and wild geraniums, sweet pea flowers which you can start early before you plant vegetables, and there are perennial sweet pea flowers, lupine.

Not weeds, but they leave these alone, daffodil bulbs (plant down at 6" so you can plant lettuce over/next to them), day lillies, gladiolus, herbs.

The only things I avoid are weeds that seem to have growth inhibitors, like anything in the sunflower family, gumweed, (sunflower family) a couple kinds of sow thistle (not purple thistle, but the ones with yellow flowers)

Walk around and see what they avoid, and as long as it's not too invasive or hard to thin out, save the seeds, and start spacing them along your rows. Hope this helps.

My dad swears by using those little windmills that have the wire to stick in the ground keeps them away - I guess they feel the vibration or something - if they are away from the garden then I usually just let them be and assume its just natural irrigation for the ground - idk

Cristo Balete wrote:Zenais, I've got a book called Northwest Weeds, and you can find lots of natives in the book. Natives are great because nothing bothers them. Yarrow, English Plantain (also good for itchy skin, smash the leaves), dock with the tall spiky seed stem (just clip the seed head to keep it under control) Crane's bill and wild geraniums, sweet pea flowers which you can start early before you plant vegetables, and there are perennial sweet pea flowers, lupine.

Not weeds, but they leave these alone, daffodil bulbs (plant down at 6" so you can plant lettuce over/next to them), day lillies, gladiolus, herbs.

The only things I avoid are weeds that seem to have growth inhibitors, like anything in the sunflower family, gumweed, (sunflower family) a couple kinds of sow thistle (not purple thistle, but the ones with yellow flowers)

Walk around and see what they avoid, and as long as it's not too invasive or hard to thin out, save the seeds, and start spacing them along your rows. Hope this helps.

Thank you! I am inspired!