 | There’s nothing more annoying when Spring finally melts all that snow, than to find your lawn has been decorated with heaps of dirt shoved up by burrowing rodents. Guess what? You have a mole problem, and we’re going to give you some tips on the latest and favorite ways of dealing with the pesky things.
Moles are a true rodent. They live underground, which accounts for their poor eyesight, but in compensation, they have extra-sensitive hearing. This can be the key to the success of some devices. A mole burrows almost constantly, usually napping in 3-4 hour stretches, then going back at it. As small as they are, a mole can move its own body weight in dirt, in just 30 seconds. That’s a lot of dirt during a day of digging.
Most homeowners are reluctant to use poisons, for fear that it can affect your own or your neighbors’ pets. This is entirely possible, even if it is poured down a hole. A mole may get it on their body, or ingest it, emerge, and be eaten by your cat and even dogs. Normally cats don’t eat moles, but in killing and playing with it, they can get the toxin into their systems.
There are commercial repellants on the market that claim to be non-poisonous and environmentally friendly, but general reports from consumers don’t indicate that they have had any significant impact. Many of them are based on formula that carries the “odor” of a mole’s natural enemies, like foxes. Remember though, that anything sprayed on the surface, or even into holes, is going to be diluted and washed away by rains.
Some of the “home” remedies include pouring bleach down the holes, plugging the holes with scoopable kitty litter (which after being wet, turns almost as hard as cement), using lime on your lawn, and practicing control of the other pests that are food to the moles. Trapping enjoys some degree of success, but you have to be vigilant about the baiting and removal, and plugging up the holes as you remove the occupant, doesn’t hurt, either.
One of the most popular “devices” on the market, are sonic sound wave units that upset the animals’ sensitive hearing. In general, the units come in a stake shape that will hold common batteries. The head screws off for battery replacement, which can be every 4-6 months, depending on the quality of the batteries. The units are waterproof, and most of them can be set right into your lawn so that you are able to mow over top, but still locate the unit to see if it’s still working.
Sonar devices emit sound waves at a rate of 300Mhz or more, vibrating through the earth, and disturbing the mole’s habitual sleep and burrowing patterns. They don’t however, work immediately. Think of it as “harassing” the little beasts, which seems only fair when you consider what they’ve done to the lawn. After a while, the pre-set vibrations (usually in a cycle of 2-5 seconds on, every 8-15 seconds) will annoy the moles to the point where they move elsewhere.
Be aware though, that a single unit has a limited range, usually somewhere from 9,000-11,000 sq. feet, or around ¼ of an acre. You may need several of these to adequately cover your yard. And if you have a hard ground, such as clay, it may require more powerful units. They also come in solar-powered models that can work as long as seven days on a full charge, so you might try a combination of these and the battery units.
They’re pet-friendly, and will put off your pests in an environmentally safe way.
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