MN Wild Animal Management
When it comes to moles tearing up your lawn its personal, isn’t it? Almost like they’re taunting you with their fresh runs each morning, challenging you to stop them somehow and it can be seriously intimidating when you can’t.
Are Ground Moles Driving You Nuts?
Moles can drive you nuts! If you’re like most homeowners, you’re probably confused by all of the conflicting “advice” on mole control. You believe every rumor, home remedy or control method is worth trying. In fact, chemicals and home remedies (including castor oil derivatives like Mole Med and grub controls) are not only ineffective when dealing with moles, they allow the animals time to establish and become real problems. Moles are woodland animals in nature, but can quickly colonize and spread through adjacent residential properties if not handled properly. Since they need a well-established tunnel network to survive, the longer they’re allowed to tunnel, the more habituated they become and difficult to control. Trapping is the only effective method of control. It is literally a war of attrition.
The common mole is an insectivore, not a rodent. Its diet is restricted to ground invertebrates such as grubs, millipedes and ants. However, the mole’s primary food source is earthworm; therefore trying to control white grub and lawn insects is no protection from mole activity. The activity in certain lawns can simply come and go throughout the season. On large properties the activity may gypsy from one part of the lawn to another. This movement or migrating is controlled by climate and ground moisture. Moles will adapt to changes in food supply and source as different insects become available in different places and at different times throughout the year. Moles will jump home range and readily decolonized other existing or deserted tunnels. Moles may leave an area if disturbed but will usually return when you least expect it. Even without disturbance mole activity may last only a week or two in a particular area. This here-now gone-tomorrow behavior is probably the root of most of the subjective misconceptions that make some home remedies including moleicides appear credible. Test results using chemicals as a control can also be distorted.
Ground moles may be a real dilemma for a homeowner. Couple of issues can ruin the design of a gorgeous lawn faster than moles. These mice burrow extensive tunnels underneath your grass. The moles’ tunneling exercise causes elevated mole hills to show up in your yard. These types of mole hills kill grass and give your yard a bumpy, uneven appearance. Moles can ruin expensive landscaping, and may also destroy floral beds and vegetable gardens. The sooner you get these pests removed by a Minnesota Animal Professional, the sooner you’ll be able to reclaim your backyard.
