When you get a moment, look out into your backyard.
Consider your landscaping. Consider your lawn. Consider every nook and cranny.
There is no place in your yard that moles can’t do damage. This may sound dramatic, but it is important to understand.
Moles can have a wide-reaching impact, an impact that can cause a lot of frustration and cost a lot of money.
Let’s go over a few ways moles can do damage.
Earthworms
Let’s start off with an obscure way moles do damage. Do you know that a healthy lawn needs earthworms? Yup. Earthworms help with aeration and they move nutrients and moisture through the soil. When they need to eliminate waste, they come to the surface. This provides a sort of fertilizer for your turfgrass. Moles eat earthworms by the truckloads. So, even if you never see a molehill, dead grass or some other visible signs of a mole infestation, they can impact the health of your lawn just by eating earthworms. Okay. We might be making a mountain out of a molehill here, but moles could have you scratching your head and wondering why your grass doesn’t look healthy.
Mounds of Dirt
One of the first things you’ll notice when a mole infests your property is the presence of molehills. These are volcano-shaped piles of dirt that usually have a plug on top. When moles push dirt out of their underground tunnels, not only does it create unsightly mounds, it can create unsightly patches of dead grass around the mounds, especially if you run over them with a lawnmower and spread dirt over your grass. These patches of dead grass can be up to two feet wide. This kind of damage does not make for an attractive lawn.
Dead Grass
Mounds aren’t the only way moles damage your grass. As we mentioned above, these critters make sub-surface runways. This can create squiggly patterns of dead grass all over your lawn.
Bumps or Sunken Areas
The runways created by moles don’t just produce dead grass, they can create “ripples” that can make mowing your yard a chore. They can also create sunken areas. When tunnels cave in, the ground can sink.
Water Collection
Many pest problems begin because of the availability of stagnant water. When sunken areas are created by moles, secondary pests will take advantage of puddles on your property. This can create a cascading problem.
Cracks in Concrete
When moles tunnel under concrete slabs and walkways, it can lead to cracking. This doesn’t happen overnight. But it is important to understand that long-term infestations can lead to extensive damage.
Ornamental Plants
While moles rarely eat plants, their tunnels can be used by critters that do, such as meadow voles and white-footed mice. If you’re seeing damaged plants in your landscaping, there could be more than one pest to blame. It is important to get an experienced trapper to take a look at your problem and offer insight.
Improper Mole Control
If moles are frustrating you, you might turn to the internet for solutions and come across an “expert” who suggests that grubs are the reason you have moles. If you decide to treat your yard for grubs to get rid of your mole problem, you will allow the damage to continue. While moles certainly like to eat grubs, earthworms are their dietary staple. It is also important to understand that grub treatments can kill beneficial insects that live on and in your soil. So, indirectly, moles can cause damage by making you do something that can damage your lawn.
The Solution for Moles
The best way to deal with moles is to hunt them down, trap them and remove them. This is hard work, and it requires training and experience. If you need assistance, don’t turn to a pest control company. You’re likely to be disappointed with the results. Pest control companies don’t specialize in trapping ground-dwelling pests and many use chemicals to solve this type of problem. Contact a licensed trapping professional like Smith’s Pest Management. Traps are more than pest control providers; they are specifically trained to track down and remove moles, voles, gophers, ground squirrels, rats and other wildlife that burrow under the ground.
If you live in the Bay Area, we want you to know that Smith’s Pest Management employs highly trained, fully licensed and certified professionals who have been given specialized training in this field of pest control. No matter how big or how small your mole problem is, we can help. Reach out to us for immediate assistance.
Nancy G. - Atherton, CA
