I've got a whole herd, or gaggle of moles in my yard. I'm ready to do battle but not sure what to do to get rid of them. I'm looking for a simple and easy solution.
I bought some mothballs with thoughts of dissolving them in water and pouring the water all along the dirt mounds and runs. But the mothballs won't dissolve. ::) So, my plan is to poke mothballs down into the dirt deep enough that they'll be inside their tunnels. Then wait til they dig themselves out for fresh air and stomp on them.
I reckon I should call PETA and give them a chance to save them, which I wouldn't mind as long as they took the moles with them when they left. ;D
Anyone got any better ideas?
Ask the co-op extension and they'll tell you to get rid of the grubs that the moles are feeding on. ::)
I decided instead to get mid-evil on their arses with that nasty looking impaling device. >:( It worked. You flatten one of their runs and place the trip plate on the flat spot. When the mole comes by and pushes the earth back up, the spring loaded spikes (4) drop down and impale the little sucker. Gruesome but effective. :o
I hear there is a device which emits pulses into the ground which annoys them, so they leave. I suppose you could do the same by taking an old speaker, putting it face down, and playing rap music(?), thus forcing them to leave. I know that would work on me! :D
There's a bunch of gimmicks on the market, but I ain't sure none of them work. ??? The scientifically accepted way is to spray your yard to get rid of the grubs that are attracting the moles in the first place. I don't know what you're supposed to spray with, though. There may be some granulated stuff at the garden center that would do the trick, too.
If you have good soil which contains huge populations of worms and grubs, the reality is you will never get rid of them for good. If you have someone who can come on a regular basis and live trap them you might keep them down to minimum. The problem is that 200 ft away in your neighbors yard or down the road in the next field there is a female mole who is going to push out her offspring and they will be looking for their own territory to start their own family. It is an interesting circle of life between the moles and there food supply and the territory that they live. You could erradicate their food supply and drive them off to another area, or you can trap them and kill them, however they are benificial in moving sub soils around. I dealt with moles professionally in my yard care business and the only sure fired method that I found was to use the standard scissor trap. Moles are also highly territorial and very fast, one mole can give the appearance that there are several.
Are they in your lawn or garden, this can make a difference in the ease of trapping them. Lawns are easier to trap moles in because of the sod and the soil is compacted?
If you are going to trap them you will want to wear gloves as they have an accute sense of smell considering that they are nearly blind. You also have to find the main runway which is not necessarily directly connected to a mound. 90% of their runways run horizontally from 6" to 2' below the surface. Sometimes if you have several mounds close together you can get a fairly good idea where the main runway is,(you can use a metal rod and push down into the soil until you feel it push through easy) then dig down til you intersect the tunnel digging the hole no larger than your trap. Next put a small stone (about the size of prune not necessarily round, just something to create a mass)under the trap to cause them to have to go over the stone which will cause them to hit the trigger on the trap, and if they happen to be pushing dirt ahead of them this can also cause them to stop pushing dirt and investigate the obstruction which will put them up to the trigger. Without the stone they will either dig beneath the trigger or they will push dirt ahead of them and set the trap off before their body is in postiion.
Hope this helps. You might do an extensive web search on moles.
We have millions of them out here in the pacific northwest, mostly because of the moisture which the worms and grubs thrive in and the fact that we do not get hard deep freezes in the winter.
Charlie
The mole traps mensioned here are definatly the way to go. If your not familier with them (I'm guessing your not) you might do a search online to see how they work. You should be able to find them in your local hardware stores or in some of the catalogs you might already have. I know that Forestry Suppliers sells them for $10.00 to $13.00 you can find them on page 310 in their catalog or on their website Part #'s 35816 for scissor type or 35808 for the spike style trap. I like the spike trap myself. Umm ::) their is one other shurfire way to get rid of the peskie creatures. What you will neeed to do is get yourself two (one will work but two are much faster) German Shorthaired Pointers and turn them loose in your yard. They will sniff out the moles no matter how far down they are and immediatly procede to excavate the creature and proudly parade it around the yard for the other one to see (this is the part where having two speeds the process) this makes the other one jelous and that much more determined to find one of her very own to play with. This process will repeat untill you no longer have a mole problem. Just remember to watch your step and not to fall into any two foot deep holes or trip on one of the many 15' to 20' long trenches you now have in your lawn. :D Hey it works for me. ;D
Charlie my method only works if you live in the country or if in the city have understanding neighbors. First thing I do is stomp down all of the runs and hills they dig, get a lawn chair and at least a 12ga shotgun (preferably an auto-loader). Sit in the lawn chair and wait for em to start redigging, as soon as you see dirt being pushed up very quietly sneak over and blast the spot they're digging. Works every time and is good clean fun...oh sure some safety nut is going to say this is dangerous but at least your not spraying your whole yard with noxious chemicals.
If you want I can also give you some tips on how to rid the house of mice. ;D
Buy a cat, cat catches a mole give it a tastey treat, the cat catches on quick and will be mole hunting all night and day and have your porch covered in dead moles and lose body parts :D. Are cats name Trouble II and he does in aleast 4 moles a week, dad has a trap in his yard and has only caught one in the last two weeks now dad wants to barrow the cat.
I have 3 stray cats that keep the moles tamed down, and if they get into the garage there is a gauntlet of warfarren and traps to overcome. ;D
I was thinkin cut the end of extension cord ,split wires , one at each end of lawn ,plug it in. Turn on sprinkler.
Have your video camera handy in case they do a dance.And the 12 ga ready in case they run.
Norm F-- I want to know about mice. Unless it involves indoor gun play which I've already considered and ruled out with winter comin an all. :D
Y'all just have no sense of fun.
Buy one of the propane torches that has the prizo lighter, where you pull the trigger part way, then as the gas comes out, you pull harder and light the gas.
Open a small hole into a run, insert nozzle, depress trigger part way and fill run with gas, ignite gas. There is a satisfying "THUMP', the dirt lifts a little, and you move on to the area where the dirt didn't jump, and do it again.
I had moles in my yard at the office, St. Augustine grass, and got rid of them in a couple of days.
No loud noises like a 12 Gage, but the neighbors appreciate the Silence of the Moles.
Run a hose from your vehicle's exhaust into one of the mole tunnels. The carbon monoxide will fix them
Norm, Norm, Norm,
Tell me your not putting toxic lead into your yard. Tell me your using steel shot which would rust away. Using lead your providing a toxic environment for those beautiful critters to live in. Lead poisoning is a bad way to go, either ingested or driven through the body at a high rate of speed. ;D.
OK, I'm only kidding ;D Sounds like a lot of fun.
I had the chance to go prairie dog fishing in west Texas a few years bag and it was a blast. Norm if you like that type of shooting you will get a kick out of this.
We would put a slip knot on a fishing line (20lb spider wire works best because it doesn't stretch) and make a loop which is placed around the opening of a prairie dog hole. Walk back about 100-200 feet then sit down next to your cooler and rifle. Hold the fishing pole in one hand, cold drink in the other. When that little sucker sticks his head up set the hook! I mean the noose ;D
You now have a angry little critter on your fishing line that is scrambling like mad to get back in his hole. But being the great fisherman we are, we not only set the noose but we reeled him in about 5 feet real quick which means he cant reach his hole.
Once you know you have control, grab your rifle and let target practice begin ;D I can assure you when the afternoon is done, you will have never laughed so hard nor had so much fun in you life. Make sure you do it with a couple friends.
If this offended anyone im sorry..........a little. Those critters are a nuisance to farmers and they carry the plague. Besides, the state DNR folks thought it was a neat way of putting fun back into hunting them pests and though it might be a way to get more folks shooting them.
Charlie no problem You put on a cook out every one come over and try out all these things at once I bet there won't be a mole left in a hundred miles :D :D Call Holleywood first 8)
Just rembered .I liked the LP trick I got to know a manager at a LP place once. He said an employe of his once had the same mole problem so he took the delevery thuck home and proceded to put the hose in the main run and turn it on . He waited a while then lit it took them moles and half the house out :D :D. Seemes the runs went past a sewer line and under the house too. So if we get together bring Dogs cats guns load of LP traps and a few more thinges Call Tom we fix you right up .PS sell tickets 8)
NOW we know why Patty is always fixing up Norm's house. ;D :D
Thanks for all the ideas. This might be fun and sporting all at the same time. I like the steel spike idea and Norm's idea of blasting them with a shotgun. I was just wondering how long Norm has to sit in his chair waiting for the earth to start moving. How long Norm? A six pack or a twelve pack? ;D I also was liking the idea of letting gas flow into the hole and igniting it until I read J_T's post. It surprises me that they dig as deep as 2 feet deep. I also like Corley's idea of gassing them with exhaust fumes. No one mentioned my idea of putting mothballs in their run and forcing them to the surface. Must not be a good idea. Well, off to war I go! ;D This is gonna be fun! 8)
Charlie,
We used to plant a mothball about every foot of row when we planted peanuts. It at least kept them outta the goobers ;D
I remember grandad waging war on moles. He used poison peanuts. Wonder how long ago they outlawed them.
Be thankful you don't have those DanG hardshell possoms-----they root up a yard or garden as bad as a hog >:(
My neighbor's cat brings over dead moles for me and leaves them at the back door. He gives the chipmunks a work over too. So, I vote for a cat and give him a reward.
I had a Malamute (like a big Husky) and even being a city dog, he emptied the yard of everything including bumble bees, slugs, etc. Basically, anything that moved.
This place is great! ;D Few weeks ago we learned the recipe for napalm so I whipped up a couple hundred gallons and now I know what to use it on! :D :D Watch out moles!
When I was pretty young they had bounties on all kinds of pests. Fox ears were a dollar if I remember right, crows feet were something like 50 cents and gophers were a quarter. Took em into the county courthouse, don't remember which department but I would have hated to been the one to empty their trash.
The first time I tried that method for mole removal I used my uzi but after missing once decided that the shotgun gave me more margin for error. If they're active it only takes a six pack for em to show back up redigging their holes. Sprucebunny Patty has banned my method for mouse removal from the house but I have a brother, although I haven't seen him in a few years, I bet is still using it. Of course he probably still lives in a rental house. :D
Sprucebunny, inside gunfire will work if small caliber. I have an old .22 revolver that I use snake shot in. Does not do much damage. My wife said that is a matter of opinion, she didn't care for it. I figured a LITTLE bit of paint off the dryer was not too bad for positive results. The house we live in now we have never had any problems. My son-in-law has the pistol now. My daughter is not too crazy about. She said she guessed it was true" You marry a man just like your father"
PS. Pretty good son-in-law, decent shot.
Another effective method Norm used to use was back when we had a big yellow lab named Jordon. Well Jordy loved to hunt, so when he saw Norm get out the guns he was always right there at his side. One day he joined Norm out for a ground squirrel hunt, but wasn't having much fun, since Norm was just shootin the ground ::), so Norm took heart and went after a can of diesel. Norm would pour some diesel down the hole, and out would pop a ground squirrel! :o
Jordon thought this was great fun catching the deisel covered little rodents. After that whenever Jordon smelled diesel, he would get all excited. :D
See now my wife's just the opposite. When she smells diesel she get pist :( cause I got it on me and probably getting on something else in the house. Sure wish she was more like Jordy. Getting all excited and such. :D
Gee Shopteacher, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe if you took her ground squirrel huntin' with ya she'd change her ways. :D
I like the smell of deisel but I REAlly like the way a person (preferably male) smells when they's been running a chain saw. Will even put up with sawdust and mud for that. Course it might grow old...
Startin to wish I had moles so I could try the propane thing ;D
Mice are living in an outside wall. Can smell them but it might take more than one shot. Might as well disassemble the wall first rather than after it's ventilated.
Diesel covered mice and sweat washed men. What's all the excitement? ::) :D :D :D
Gotta ask about the cats...............are they catching moles or shrews???
Haven't seen a cat catch a mole, but have shrews show up on the decks ALL the time, with a few chipmunks mixed in. ;D
We used to drop moth balls down the mole holes at my grandma's, she said it worked. I'd always drop a few in the vertical tunnels just for the heck of it.
We have used the water hose and milk jug trick on chipmunks before. Block off one exit hole and stick the hose down the other. Turn the water on for a minute or two, then pull out the hose as you stick the neck of a milk jug down the hole real fast. Chipmunk in a jug! ;)
One of my predecessors as County Forester tells the tale that back in the 1950's, he was at his county forest warden's home one day. They were sitting in the living room talking, when a mouse started running along the baseboard against yon far wall. The warden whips out a hidden 9-shot .22 revolver he kept beside the cushion in his chair and starts blasting away at the mouse across the room, perforating the wall in the attempt.
Said mouse escaped, said forester never again visited said Warden, and also kept a good eye on him after that.
Both my dad, and my grandpa used to plant mole beans around the edge of their yard.
Ain't never heard of mole beans.
Well, today I went out to the colonies of mole hills and shoved mothballs down into their tunnels. I had expectations of them burrowing to the surface gasping for air as I whacked them with a re-rod. But nope....nothing. The earthworms sure came out of the ground though. I reckon I'm going to pour some gasoline down a tunnel.....wait a bit and then light it. Or maybe use Norm's shotgun method. Norm, I have a question. It's too cold to drink cold beer while waiting for the moles to push the dirt up.....is a few shots of Jack OK?
coyote ears were 5.00 out here, i can rember going coon hunting an getting 2 or 3 a night a couple nights a week. we got 25.00 a peice for the coons an gas was .40 cents an a case of beer was 6.00 bucks. also can rember that bone hangen fron the mirror of the car all the girls ask what it was never told them an i dont know if they ever figered it out.i might tell them at the 30 year ren. 8)
duke
ps i get reid of rodents with a propain an oxgen mixture the tool is called rodex 5000 works good but you need a face sheild,might do more damage than the moles do.
Sorry Charlie,...........(been waitin years to say that 8))
Hmm, guess I should a said 'CASTOR BEAN' instead a 'MOLE BEAN'.
http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/70/
Ya need to know that the plant is highly poisonous in it's natural state. Reportedly ' but 2 to 6 beans from this plant will KILL an adult person'. I never knew of nobody getting poisoned from one but they are highly poisonous. Both the roots, and the seeds are poisonous to moles.
"Castor Oil" is made from the seeds.
I also found out a few years ago the deadly poison '"ricin" is made from them.
On the up side it makes a really pretty unusual looking plant that grows big, fast.
I never tried to grow none myself cause of my kids but my dad was growing em up to a couple a years ago. I wouldn't be afraid to if I had a mole problem, and didn't have kids. I never knew a farm type animal such as a cat or dog or chicken messing with, and getting poisiioned. I think my dad quit growin em when he found out 'ricin' was made from em even though it has to be lab made.
Just found out that if you let em go to seed they can become invasive in some areas.
I'd also like to point out that the taste of 'Castor Oil' is awful. I think that's why they used to give it to you when you was sick. Even if it didn't help you'd want to hurry up and get well so's yer mom would quit forcing it down you.!
ckate posts some of the greatest stuff....... :D
Charlie I looked in my book "How to Kill Moles For Dummies" and it specifically stated if cold weather sets in you can substitute a little JD mixed with a good cup of hot coffee for the cold beer. ;D
I had a terrible problem with them little suckers until I put the new version of Diazinon on my yard. They don't set foot in it anymore. Now I wish I could get rid of them dang worms. >:( I know, I know, "worms are good for your yard." My yard used to be groomed like a golf course until those worms took over. Anyone know how to kill worms? I want my putting green back. I don't mind aerating my yard once the worms are gone.
Oh!, I almost forgot. My gandpa used the gasoline trick, I'm pretty sure it worked because the boom crack his foundation in a couple spots. :D I think he only used that method once.
What kinda worms ??? Got a GREAT idee.
Hmm, they're pale, slimy, not red, hermaphroties, and the adults are about 6-8" long. Baby worms are much shorter and wear little booties on their feet. ;D
Just what we need, a smarta$$. If them are night crawlers, You have a ready market AND they are waaaay easy to harvest. Innerested ???????? ;D ;D
Oh, I guess they are night crawlers. There might be some markets available in the area.
Sure, I'm interested.
OK, getcha a couple of steel rods, better yet, copper, around ¼" or so X 15" long. Take 2 wires, and attach 1 end to each rod. Attach a plug to the 2 wires, so you can plug it into an extension cord. Run an extension out into the yard and push the rods into the ground about 6 feet apart. Plug in the rods and getcher can or bucket ready.
Them worms will zoom to the surface as fast as you can catch them.
Migh jafta adjust the distance between the rods.
I get a 5% commission. ;D ;D :D :D :D :D
8) 8) 8)
Heard of that using a telephone generator but not enough worms to try it.
Curious, anyone ever tried to actually use one a them ole telephone generators to fish with. Was wondering if it was a myth or if it actually worked. Got a couple a them and if you hold the connectors and turn the crank it'll knock the fire outta ya.
CK,
I don't believe you, could you take a video of you getting the fire knocked out of you and post it please.
Thanks in advance,
Yea Gilman :D.....me too :D :D :D :o :o :o :o
Can I turn the crank :D :D :o :o
Remind's me . When we were small my grandmother &granddad had a crank phone when a storm came up they would unhook it outside the house catch it just as they got hold of it then turn that crank ;D I think we the one's got the fire knocked out of :o I still got that phone 8)
:D :D :D
Sorry, ya just gonna have to take my word for it. ;D
Harold,
Do ya unplug the cord before picking up the worms? Is the electric like that dangerous ? :o :o Tom
The electrical night crawler devices work very well with one big draw back. They kill the crawlers. Not right away, but soon after. We used to pick and sell crawlers as a kid. Would pick thousands of dozens on the golf course in gladwin. It was nothing for two of us to pick a 5 gallon pail full to the top in an evening. You have to be able to store that many, either in a celler, or a buried container, or be packaged and refrigerated. Crawlers will keep all summer if taken care of and fed corn meal. We eventually spent the bucks for an electrical crawler catcher for the leaner times during the year, usually anythime after late june. Crawlers taken by that method ALWAYS died.
Figgering if ya gonna 'electrocute' them worms then what ya gotta do is just go ahead and find a market for dead worms ;D
As a service to the FF Community, and Gilman I come up this information on the web. In case ya wondering, I REALLY did. Just what ya need to save the day.
1. Earthworms are one of natures most complete food sources, so much that they are considered to be an excellent food source for special service operatives of various military forces throughout the world.
2. Worms are full of calcium, vitamins, roughage and protein which makes them a complete food.
3. Earthworms have a nice concentration of protein in a little package near 70% percent on a dry weight basis and they are entirely edible and abundant to collect so that's why earthworms are very good meat replacement.
4. A pound of dried earthworm is 50-60% percent cheaper than quality inspected beef and other meat extenders/fillers.
5. Earthworms will grow at a much faster rate than on any other animal and abundant of supply.
6. Earthworms contains chemical substances that makes it addictive.
7. Powdered earthworms when blended with beef makes no difference, unnoticeably likes exactly 100% pure beef.
8. Dried earthworm taste and smells exactly like beef if cooked."
So there ya go Gilman, dead or alive, ya's sitting on a gold mine. :)
Ain't y'all never heard of worm grunting? ??? Ya don't need no generator or wires or old phones, just a wooden stake and an old truck spring. Just drive the stake into the ground and rub the spring over the top of it a few times. It sets up a vibration in the ground that the worms can't abide, and they'll pop right up.
Sopchoppy, Fla. is the "Worm grunting capitol of the World". They have a Worm Grunting Festival every year. Many folks have made their living for years, grunting worms in those woods. :)
You guys are too much, ;D
First it's Okie Noodling, now it's Worm Grunting. What other tricks do you Southerners have up your sleeves?
I don't have a truck spring, what would you guys recommend in exchange?
CK,
Haven't you seen my posts! The last thing I need is something else (especially adictive) to eat on my plate. When Y2K came around and people were worring about stocking up on food, I just thought, "I've been stocking up for 30 years! Bring it on. I know I have at least 6 months in me"
:D :D
.
That "Worm Gruntin" ain't new. I knew about that too. We had another name for it. Can't recollect it, now.
Completely remodeled a BIG house in Ft. Lauderdale, for a couple, and the wife was from Sopchoppy. Sopchop was their car tag. She was a FUNNY lady. Good folks, there. ;) ;) ;D :D
Watch that "Noodlin" all the time on TV. ;D ;D ;D
ck--ya think maybe they is 'extenting' the "burgers" at them fast food joints? Naa --worms is probly tenderer.
Reason Jeff's worms was dyin, is, he wasn't givin 'em CPR. ;D :D :D :D :D
:D :D :D :D
Just found the 'better mousetrap' and I believe it could be souped up a little to work on moles 8)
I was looking at Dixie Gun Works's website (search dixie gun works) to see what I want for Christmas :D :D
Found the mouse killer for only $47.50. I don't know how I've
gotton along without one.