Moles: How Do You Exterminate Them? (Vanity)

Today | Me

[DouglasKC]

Is there a reason you want to exterminate them? I've lived quite harmoniously with them in the past - moles aerate the soil and help moisture find its way deep into the ground - important in dry, hot, hard-soiled areas like here in Texas.

I'm in Michigan and we have very soft soil. I'm getting sick of walking in the yard and sinking 6 inches ever step I make. Also mowing the lawn is problematic when the lawnmower wheels keep sinking in.

If the only reason you don't like them is the Bugs-bunny-type mounded trails they create, try a multi-pronged approach. Get a cat (mine caught dozens), spray the soil with a castor oil/water solution, use a common device to shake up the soil and disrupt their lives (I think the brand name is Klipity-klop.)

We have a cat but it's an indoor cat and I think the moles would gang up and kill it. I'll check out klipity-klop. Thanks.

[Eagle50AE]

Milky spore to kill grubs but will not solve this years problems.

the 20% propane or oxy/acetylene flashes at around 5000 deg.
toasts whatever it contacts,and instant oxygen remover...... caution...ignite from distance. beware of flashbacks..

I use Just-One-Bite..Rat Bar

looks like a big de-choclated butterfinger

place in zipllock freezer bag, break into small bite sizes

apply around borders and near entry points in ground.and wait 4-5 days... reapply every two-weeks during season to eliminate remaining pests...

CAUTION: LETHAL to anything that eats it..Pets included..

don't get this on your hands/clothes/privates..etc. Follow instructions..

[Darksheare]

Daleks.

[Red_Devil 232]

The Marines have it down pat! Just ask them to come over a do a demonstration!

USMC Wall Of Fire

[OKSooner]

Hire a local weed control company that uses the little "gummy worm" poisonous baits. Don't try it yourself.

Also, depending on where you live, put down a grub killer at the time when grubs are present in your soil. Your local nursery supply (NOT the box store) can help you with this.

Don't use the extract of castor bean stuff either; it's just vile stuff.

[freedomlover]

You smash down the tunnel you see going through your yard. You get a comfortable chair (and a beer or whatever), you turn on the yard lights and settle in listening to your mp3 or whatever. Keep watching the smashed down tunnels ... soon you’ll see one moving back up ... and that’s where he is. Tiptoe, very quietly up to the moving area and use a heavy spade and give several heavy thrusts in that area ... you’ll probably cut the mole in half if you do it right. I did this three nights in a row, killed 2 moles and never had a problem again. This after spending more than a hundred bucks on “remedies.”

---

I have to agree with you. I went through about the same thing. One variation I did was to put little empty Dixie cups on top of the smashed down paths. When the moles go under sometimes you can tell as they will be tilted.

Also dont try to just smash them with your foot. Doesnt work.

In my case it was only two moles, too. Although I thought there were a lot more.

[woodbutcher1963]

“Milky spore to kill grubs but will not solve this years problems”

Milky spore ONLY kills Japanese Beatle grubs. It will not kill other beatle grubs. I found this out the hard way. We had European beatle grubs. After spending hundreds of dollars on Milky Spore only to find out it only works on Japanese Beatle grubs.
Try Merrit grub killer by Bayer. It kills all grubs.
Also, to kill the moles use the Wrigley Juicyfruit gum.

[Just mythoughts]

I hope you can find a ‘reasonable’ fix for these miserable underground beasts.

[OB1kNOb]

[kidd]

Easy. Remove their food source. Use a good grub and insect killer on your yard NOW.

This works exceptionally well here in the northeast. I have a horrible mole problem when I don't do this and have NO mole problem when I do do this. I would add that you should reapply around July 1.

[CONSERVE]

buy something that kills grubs and put it on your lawn no food no moles.

[Pistolshot]

Call this guy. I'm sure he has some creative ideas.

[SoothingDave]

Get a cutting flame, and extinguish it without shutting the gas off, fill the hole with the gas/oxygen mix, spark it off, and viola (or WALLA! as some FReepers like to write),

I fail to see what a small violin has to do with it. ;-)

[Travis T. OJustice]

I hate it when i do that! LOL!

[IamConservative]

http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/talpirid-mole-bait.htm

Here is what I use. I cut each bait in three pieces.

If you want to go organic use castor beans, a.k.a. mole beans. They contain ricin.

[Kirkwood]

Get rid of what they eat and they will go to your neighbor’s yard.

[Gorzaloon]

We used sharp rakes and pitchforks.

That's the sure way, but it lacks the charm of taking a cup of coffee out on a fine Spring morning, and sitting on the grass, blowing things up...

[A_Tradition_Continues]

Cindy Crawford made a career out of her mole.

Does that make her groupies molasses?

[libstripper]

Many years ago, we had a neighborhood version of "Caddyshack". We had moles and voles that were feasting on flower bulbs. "Someone" got angry and learned that a Bernzomatic MAPP torch could be stuffed down the molehole, and the valve pressed halfway down, so ignition was delayed, and the hole flooded with MAPP gas and air. Then the button was pressed, and the sparker fired,and the gas exploded. Too much flooding time would cause flying soil and rocks, so experience had to be gained.

This reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago while I was in law school. Three friends of mine and I had rented a house in Urbana, IL that was about 4 miles away from school. I commuted on a Honda Super 90 motorcycle. The bike would periodically get dirty and I'd clean it off with about a pint of gasoline. We had an old 50 gallon drum in the back yard for burning trash and I'd dispose of the used gas by throwing it into the drum and following up immediately with a torch that would ignite the fumes with no real trouble. That was until one fine day when I tossed in the gas, tossed in the torch, and nothing immediately happened. Knowing what was inevitably to happen, I started backing away from the barrel as fast as I could. Anyway, the fire found the gas fumes, now nicely mixed with air, in a few seconds and there was a big explosion. A giant fireball, combined with pieces of burning trash, shot out of the top of the barrel, definitely impressing all the local housewives. Oh, for the days of one's misspent youth once again.

[FourPeas]

Yep, it's the grubs that really cause the problem.

As a side note, we have a springer and a boxer/hound mix and both of them are great mole hunters. Of course, our lawn looks like a scale model of down-range artillery practice....