MOLES- Backyard Pest!!!

[Lilbutterflie]

We found our very first mole in the backyard a couple months ago; and since then they have been tearing up our backyard- which we just spent $600 on new sod last year!! Now I know where the saying "Mole Hill" comes from- there are little hills all over my fresh new sod.

We have already done 3 rounds of mole repellent following directions to the tee. They seem to be getting worse. I can't do poison because of my dog & the kids. Anyone have any experience getting rid of these darn things??

[SilverSabre25]

Get a cat.

One with a strong hunting instinct and all its claws, and preferably with a definite background of being a mouser.

Let it be indoor-outdoor.

Voila! Mole problem consumed happyface

[Lilbutterflie]

We have an indoor/outdoor cat with all of his claws, but he mostly likes to hunt lizards. He caught a bearded dragon & gave it to me as a little gift a couple weeks ago!!

I don't think he spends a lot of time in our backyard, he mostly likes to walk the neighborhood and visit the other houses! LOL You bring up a good point though, next time I see a mole I'll catch it and introduce my cat to it. That way he will get their scent and hopefully start hunting them.

[Springdaze]

see if you can get a trap and relocate them

[Blackcat31]

see if you can get a trap and relocate them

Where I live, it is illegal to "relocate" any type of wildlife.

We can trap and kill but we can't relocate :confused:

We are over run with chipmunks, red and gray squirrels..... we have two cats but they aren't as interested in the rodents as they are the birds.

The dog, however, is an excellent chipmunk hunter! ::

[SilverSabre25]

We have an indoor/outdoor cat with all of his claws, but he mostly likes to hunt lizards. He caught a bearded dragon & gave it to me as a little gift a couple weeks ago!!

I don't think he spends a lot of time in our backyard, he mostly likes to walk the neighborhood and visit the other houses! LOL You bring up a good point though, next time I see a mole I'll catch it and introduce my cat to it. That way he will get their scent and hopefully start hunting them.

oh okay, that makes sense...cats don't like to do what we want them to! Decide that you want him to kill lizards :P

Or try and find a friendly farmer with an abundance of mousecats and adopt another kitty. One who likes to hunt rodents.

[Lilbutterflie]

Where I live, it is illegal to "relocate" any type of wildlife.

We can trap and kill but we can't relocate :confused:

We are over run with chipmunks, red and gray squirrels..... we have two cats but they aren't as interested in the rodents as they are the birds.

The dog, however, is an excellent chipmunk hunter! ::

Our backyard backs into a greenbelt with a creek, so we get coyotes, squirrels, snakes, armadillos, moles, etc... I feel like we live in a forest! LOL But it sure is beautiful. Here is a pic of a view from our backyard porch:



Your dog must be FAST to catch a chipmunk! My dog loves to TRY to catch the squirrels, but they are WAY too fast for him! They scurry up the tree and then hang upside down just out of his reach and tease him!

[Breezy]

Where I live, it is illegal to "relocate" any type of wildlife.

We can trap and kill but we can't relocate :confused:

We are over run with chipmunks, red and gray squirrels..... we have two cats but they aren't as interested in the rodents as they are the birds.

The dog, however, is an excellent chipmunk hunter! ::

One of my cats died after being bit by a squirrel so its probably for the best they don't go after them!

[SilverSabre25]

Your dog must be FAST to catch a chipmunk! My dog loves to TRY to catch the squirrels, but they are WAY too fast for him! They scurry up the tree and then hang upside down just out of his reach and tease him!

My 20 lb fatso mole hunter (and bringer of live mice ) thinks he can catch squirrels--and the sqiurrels in our yard TEASE him, coming down and waiting juuuust until he's about to pounce and then scurrying away. Then they sit on top of the shed and laugh at him trying to leap his bulk up there. It's quite hilarious.

He caught a bird once but it got away.

[beachgrl]

We have the same issue, hills all over our playground aeea that the toddlers trip over and all over the rest of out yard too, havent tried anything yet but idk what to do about them!

[Willow]

Are they actually striped gophers (above ground with lots of visible holes, look like a long chipmunk) or pocket gophers/moles (where you see the mounds but never any of the actual critters)?

Our striped gophers are eliminated via the cat and bow target practice.

The pocket gophers/moles we have to trap. They destroyed our underground internet and cable lines this spring so we had to take action. At the moment we have about a half dozen traps set around the yard. Basically where ever there is a mound we dig a hole, put the trap down into it and it clamps down onto their head/front legs when they go to run through it again. I don't like it but the sheer damage they were doing to our underground lines AND the drama every time we had to mow (either raking down every mound or just driving over them and messing up our mower blades) necessitated a more serious action.

Since the traps are underground they aren't a risk to our dogs or the kids in my care. I have no clue what they're called but I'd be happy to post pictures of the set ups :P

[justgettingstarted]

Our dog digs them up and eats them whole disgusting but effective!

[Michelle]

we had them really bad here and my dh put a hose in the hole and flooded them out and then smacked them with a shovel! ugggh

[Lilbutterflie]

Are they actually striped gophers (above ground with lots of visible holes, look like a long chipmunk) or pocket gophers/moles (where you see the mounds but never any of the actual critters)?

Our striped gophers are eliminated via the cat and bow target practice.

The pocket gophers/moles we have to trap. They destroyed our underground internet and cable lines this spring so we had to take action. At the moment we have about a half dozen traps set around the yard. Basically where ever there is a mound we dig a hole, put the trap down into it and it clamps down onto their head/front legs when they go to run through it again. I don't like it but the sheer damage they were doing to our underground lines AND the drama every time we had to mow (either raking down every mound or just driving over them and messing up our mower blades) necessitated a more serious action.

Since the traps are underground they aren't a risk to our dogs or the kids in my care. I have no clue what they're called but I'd be happy to post pictures of the set ups :P

They are definitely moles. A sick one surfaced a couple months ago & it was most definitely a mole. They are interesting looking creatures!

I am leaning toward traps, too. I wondered if they would be safe with the kids, I know they trap underground but I wondered what would happen if one of the kids were to pull it up out of the ground?? Have your traps been successful?

[Lilbutterflie]

we had them really bad here and my dh put a hose in the hole and flooded them out and then smacked them with a shovel! ugggh

LOL! ::

I wish I could find their hole! I think I found one on the side of the house, but I'm not positive it's THE mole hole. There is also a small hole in our front yard, but there are no mounds at all in our front yard. Could that be them, too?