Between the cooler weather and uptick in fall maintenance tasks, you may be spending more time in your yard. Well, so are certain lawn pests. If you notice mounds of dirt or raised paths across your property, it may be moles. Learn about why they’re there and some fall mole control techniques to try.

Signs of Moles in Your Yard

Since moles live underground and rarely come to the surface, you may not always see them. However, there are still some telltale signs.

1. Molehills: Volcano-shaped mounds of dirt in your yard, that you did not dig up. If there’s a hole and you fill it in, check back to see if it’s been reopened. Then you’ll know they’re active.
2. Tunnels: Raised ridges across your yard are tunnels used for foraging, but there’s probably deeper tunnels they use for nesting.
3. Pests: In the off-chance you do catch mole activity, you can identify them by their pointed muzzle and hairless snout. They use their large front feet to dig a network of underground tunnels that can end up ripping apart grass and plant roots.

While moles may always be around, they’re more active in the spring and fall when the ground is moist and easier to dig. During fall, moles are also busy preparing for winter, which means digging deeper tunnels in the warm soil. But you can help prevent them from choosing your yard for their home.

Fall Mole Control

Whether you’ve seen the signs of a mole or want to help prevent them altogether, there are some ways of repelling and trapping these pests.

1. Limit their food supply. Moles dine on earthworms and grubs. If you didn’t already know you had a grub problem, a mole in your yard is another sign. By taking these items off their menu, moles will look elsewhere. There are products that treat your lawn for grubs, but you can also work to keep your lawn healthy by aerating and following proper watering and fertilizing techniques.
2. Invite natural predators. If owls, hawks, and snakes are also common in your area, you’re less likely to have a mole problem. You can attract owls to your yard by installing a specially designed owl box to provide them with shelter.
3. Repellents. These are short-term solutions to help drive moles away from your area. Electronic devices that create a noise and/or ground disturbance helps scare and deter moles. You can also try flooding the tunnel with a garden hose or spraying a castor oil solution or other commercial product around molehills and tunnels.
4. Barriers. Bury hardware cloth or metal batteries at least two feet deep around the perimeter of your yard. Line the bottom of any raised bed or garden area with wire mesh to prevent moles from tunneling up. You can also plant marigolds, daffodils, and other natural garden barriers that moles don’t typically like.
5. Traps and baits. There are several trap designs that can be placed at the main tunnel that will either capture or kill the mole. Bait products mimic worms and grubs but are laced with poison. These traps should be used with caution, especially if you have pets.

While using any of these control methods, it’s important to regularly monitor for activity to determine if it’s working. If you’re still having issues after trying these techniques, your best bet is to call a professional pest control company.

Contact Cardinal Lawns for Mole Control

If your lawn is overrun with tunnels and you’re out of ideas, Cardinal Lawns can help. We have the experience to target and treat a mole infestation more effectively without doing further damage to your yard. We can also help repair your lawn once the moles are gone. Minimize the mole problem with our tested solutions. Call 614-808-4446 today.