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stev32k
Premium Member
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL

stev32k to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77

Re: Need to kill a mole.

By far the best way of getting rid of moles is to kill the grubs and other subterranean insects they feed on. If you apply a grub killer about twice a year the moles will be gone.

Around here we have moles and armadillos and if you don't keep the grubs killed off your lawn can look like a construction site when the two of them visit.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

The problem is that earthworms are just as big a food source. And any healthy lawn needs those.

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

Pacrat

MVM

One treatment of Milky Spore lasts for years. It actually multiplies in the guts of grubs. The grubs, literally eat themselves to death. The nice thing about it, too, is that it singles out Japanese Beetle grubs, while not harming anything else, aka, beneficial earthworms. It's relatively expensive, but on a per annum basis it just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper in the long run.

Moles are insectivores. Get rid of their food source and you get rid of the moles.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Yes, but as I just mentioned, earthworms are their biggest food source. Killing grubs will not always work, especially if you have healthy soil and lots of worms.
quote:
A common example is when homeowners try to control lawn grubs and insects to reduce mole activity. However, this is often unsuccessful because the mole's primary food source is earthworms.

»ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/ ··· 011.html

stev32k
Premium Member
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL

stev32k to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

The problem is that earthworms are just as big a food source. And any healthy lawn needs those.

A healthy lawn does not need earthworms. They are not harmful and may be a slight benefit, but their loss is more than offset by the removal of moles.
stev32k

stev32k to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
If the insecticide you use does not kill the earthworms along with the grubs then either you did not use enough or you used the wrong stuff.


Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

Pacrat to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
Then you'll probably have to resort to "search & destroy" tactics and bash them with a shovel or tamper as you track their travels under the sod. You can try to "flush" them into one area, but established tunnels are difficult to fill up with water. Another method is to attach a garden hose to the exhaust of a small engine with a full tank of gas, stick the other end of the hose into a tunnel and start the engine and let it just idle for an hour or so. Fills the tunnels with carbon monoxide, since it's heavier than air.

Cheese
Premium Member
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL

Cheese to sk1939

Premium Member

to sk1939
what exactly is that?

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD

sk1939

Premium Member

A device with an ignitor at the end that injects propane and oxygen into the tunnels, and then lights the mixture to blow the tunnels apart (killing the moles in the process).

iknow
@optonline.net

iknow to sk1939

Anon

to sk1939
said by sk1939:

Bleach will also kill the roots of your lawn, and will poison your water if you have a well.

it'll sink down below the roots, never had a problem before using it on yellow jacket wasp nests underground. and also, it will NOT poison a well, water companies add chlorine to the water, and people that have wells add bleach to them to kill bacteria, and keep the water clear. you'd have to add quite a LOT of bleach to a well to poison it, and the chlorine only lasts a fairly short time anyway.

aurgathor
join:2002-12-01
Lynnwood, WA

aurgathor to Lurch77

Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

I want a mole dead.

Why do you want them dead? A healthy lawn needs moles, and moles needs a healthy lawn.

When they make a mound in my lawn, I just spread the dirt and smooth it out, and chalk it up as a free aeration....

jed
Premium Member
join:2001-07-06
Alberta, Can

jed to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
A farmer where I live, built his own version of the Banger, but instead of propane/oxygen, he uses Anhydrous Ammonia. Works well to get rid of subterranean pests, and as a side benefit, fertilizes the soil!

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77 to aurgathor

Premium Member

to aurgathor
said by aurgathor:

said by Lurch77:

I want a mole dead.

A healthy lawn needs moles......

No, it doesn't. You're not the same guy that told me to plant clover in my lawn last year, are you?

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD
ARRIS SB8200
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Juniper SRX320

sk1939

Premium Member

said by Lurch77:

said by aurgathor:

said by Lurch77:

I want a mole dead.

A healthy lawn needs moles......

No, it doesn't. You're not the same guy that told me to plant clover in my lawn last year, are you?

LOL, that's a funny suggestion.

macsierra8
Baby Newfoundland
Premium Member
join:2003-11-30
Minden, NV

1 recommendation

macsierra8 to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
Here's the answer... My suggestion would be to train your kids or even the neighbors to kill the moles. Amazon has the cool tool you need right here. It's called Whac-A-Mole and it's only 65 bucks!

Comes complete with 4 Mallets, instructions in English and Spanish and sound clues are included free with a bonus sound for killing a mole.. Features 4 moles with attitude!

It's great for kids reflexes, hand/eye coordination etc..

»www.amazon.com/Hasbro-40 ··· 001GDP00

Disclaimer, be careful of animal rights folks, I found this in the reviews section. (below)

"I never heard of this pathetic excuse for a game until my mother-in-law tried to give it to my 4-year-old. I don't know what she was thinking. It's going right back to the store. This toy encourages violence, cruelty, and the idea that animals don't feel pain, and that it's okay and even funny to hit them on the head with a mallet."

Comment on the above review:

"I nearly pee'd my pants reading this review, thanks for the great laugh, I was literally crying!!! Seriously, it's a plastic mole! OMG!!! What's next, like someone else suggested banning Candyland for fear of tooth decay or Hungry Hippo because it may be offensive to overweight people? WOW, WOW, and WOW!!! I'm forsure buying this after reading this! Btw, you should see what moles have done to my garden, you'd want to wack one too!"

LOL

rockotman
...Blown On The Steel Breeze
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06
DSotM

3 recommendations

rockotman to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
Instead of using a shovel or a tamper, if you have any old netbooks laying around that are no longer working because, say, someone dumped water in them, you can use those to bludgeon the critters with.
ryusoma
join:2006-09-30
Edmonton, AB

1 recommendation

ryusoma to Lurch77

Member

to Lurch77
I would suggest feeding it disinformation. Usually if the take goes bad, its handler will burn it.

Or you could make it look as though its a double agent- increase its salary disproportionately, and then the FSB should clean up the problem for you.

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD
ARRIS SB8200
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Juniper SRX320

sk1939

Premium Member

said by ryusoma:

I would suggest feeding it disinformation. Usually if the take goes bad, its handler will burn it.

Or you could make it look as though its a double agent- increase its salary disproportionately, and then the FSB should clean up the problem for you.

LOL.
Hahausuck
Premium Member
join:2003-12-14

Hahausuck to rockotman

Premium Member

to rockotman
Here, you need some of this to really do the trick.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to Plan Ahead

Premium Member

to Plan Ahead
said by Plan Ahead:

This:

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· EFHeo6mw


Skip to 2:44 for the action

2:26 looks best.



Hans
@fluor.com

Hans to Lurch77

Anon

to Lurch77
Take a small/medium potato, cut out a plug and hollow out a space in the center. Fill with a teaspoon or so of rat poison, replace the plug, and bury the potato where the mole is active.
DMWCincy
join:2004-04-27
Fairfield, OH

DMWCincy to Lurch77

Member

to Lurch77
I have two boxers that keep our yard mole free. Had one problem about 5 yrs ago and they took care of it for me. After that I'm the only one out of 4 or 5 houses that do not have mole issues.
c4junk
Premium Member
join:2004-05-08
Orlando, FL

c4junk to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
I saw an old article that said to bury an old (deep) coffee can in a mole run and cover over with a board, the mole will fall into the can and can't climb out.
I have also put a hose up tailpipe and into a tunnel and let car idle for 10 min- seemed to work, but that run was right next to drive.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Again, thanks for all the replies and conversation. In the end, my dog determined I had voles, not moles, and took care of the problem, or at least some of it, for me.



nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya

MVM

Good boy!

John Galt6
Forward, March
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp

John Galt6 to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
Click for full size
Click for full size
More work here at the coast if your doggie is up for it...

sempergoofy
Premium Member
join:2001-07-06
Smyrna, GA

sempergoofy to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
Yay terrier!

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD

sk1939 to John Galt6

Premium Member

to John Galt6
Oh that's nice. At least you don't have the long tunnel runs.

John Galt6
Forward, March
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp

1 recommendation

John Galt6

Premium Member

said by sk1939:

Oh that's nice. At least you don't have the long tunnel runs.

That's actually the neighbors house.

I had them at my place, which is close to an acre. I made a bubbler out of my small shop vac that uses ammonia and I pump that down the tunnels.

Pretty much puts an end to the problem...

whizkid3
MVM
join:2002-02-21
Queens, NY

1 recommendation

whizkid3 to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
C'mon, Lurch. I would expect that you know this requires a professional effort. Those varmint's are tough critters.