The 5 Most Effective Ways to Get Rid of Moles in Your Yard

To get rid of moles in your yard or fields, it takes a concerted and relentless effort. Once they stake claim to an area, they take over quickly. Between March and May is mole breeding season and, within the space of two and a half months, a single female mole will birth two to seven moles, the females of which are ready to breed.

If you’ve ever seen the destructive power of moles, it’s quite a sight. They are capable of decimating a crop (especially peanuts) or lawn in short order and leaving you feeling out of options and full of frustration. Fortunately, there are some ways to get rid of them, as long as you’re willing to put in the work.

Mole damage is instantly recognizable. Like the Wack-a-Mole game, they pop out of their self-created holes, creating mounds of dirt in their wake. If you see these little mounds of soil throughout your lawn, you have a mole problem. Now, how to deal with them and get your lawn, garden, or field back in working order?

What Attracts Moles?

Moles want the same things that all animals want. They want food, shelter, and water. A well-nourished lawn, garden vegetables, or crops in a field are all attractants for moles. If you work hard on your lawn, the odds are good that your soil is rich, which attracts earthworms and other, underground creatures.

Moles love these underground, living delicacies so a rich soil environment is as helpful to you as it is destructive (there’s always a cause-and-effect balance, unfortunately). The same is true where crops and vegetables are concerned. Both require rich soil to grow and produce. Not to mention the food they provide, if the mole can get to it.

Rich soil is also moist soil, which helps provide moles with the water they need as well. As far as shelter goes, what better place than to live directly under your extremely healthy grass, vegetables, or crops? To get rid of moles, you essentially have to remove them, remove the source of attraction, or remove their ability to get into your area.

How to Get Rid of Moles

Most people will call a professional, especially if they simply lack the time to deploy the various methods necessary to get rid of moles. Don’t feel bad. We all have busy lives and sometimes, hiring a professional exterminator is the simplest option.

However, for you DIY enthusiasts out there, we have several effective methods for chasing those tunnel-digging, grass-destroying, vegetable-eating creatures off of and out of your real estate for good. Moles are kind of cute but their destructive power is fearsome to behold. Getting rid of them will restore some sanity to your life and get your lawn back to its pinnacle.

1. Grub Control

Since moles require food, water, and shelter, removing any one of them is enough to drive moles away, seeking sustenance elsewhere. Food is the target here. If there are grubs in your yard, the moles will soon follow, if they haven’t already. To get rid of moles using this method, you get rid of the grubs first.

After that, the moles will self-deport. It’s not just grubs, however, as moles also love to eat beetles and caterpillars. If your lawn is rich and abundant, it will attract just about every food source a mole prefers. Besides, getting rid of these things is beneficial to your lawn anyway, so you get double the benefit.

Now, you can go the pesticide route, which is simple enough and is likely the method professional exterminators use. Or, you can go the natural route, which means attracting an entirely different animal to your space. Birds are just like moles when it comes to dietary needs.

Start setting up birdhouses all over the place. Provide sources of food and water among these houses as well. Maybe even throw in a nice bird bath. Hang up some feeders. The point is, the birds will wipe out the little worms and bugs crawling and slithering around your lawn, leaving the poor moles with nothing to eat.

2. Create a Perimeter Trench

Another effective way to get rid of moles is to stop them dead in their tracks before they can reach your yard. This method takes a lot of work so you may want to rent a trencher. It’s also a good idea to find out where all of the water pipes, electrical wires, and any other cables are running so you don’t plow through them while you’re trenching.

Moles are capable of digging as deep as 40″ below the surface, so you’ll need to go deep. However, feel free to keep it narrow (6″) because the next part may be a little expensive. Once you’ve trenched the perimeter of your area, you need to fill that trench with rocks to the top.

You can also fill the trench with wire mesh or even clean, slick metal panels. The point is, the little mole will dig along and abruptly run into your impenetrable barrier. The mole gives up and goes home or digs into your neighbor’s yard. Then you can let your neighbor borrow your trencher.

3. Use a Post-Hole Digger

This method is slow but kind of fun. It starts simply enough. Find one of the mole’s mounds of dirt where you’ll also find the hole that provides it with a means of ingress and egress. Use your foot or a flat shovel to knock the soil mound into the hole.

Now, you have to go into “hunt mode.” This means you go away from the hole a little ways and sit down to wait. What you’re waiting for is the irritated mole to come back and reform the hole you just buried you meanie. Of course, if the mole can hear or smell you, it won’t come, so make sure the hole is not downwind of you and you aren’t stomping around.

Have your post-hole digger handy while you wait. It’s also a good idea to have a cardboard box or Tupperware container nearby. When you visibly detect the mole repairing the hole, leap up from your sitting position, run to the newly forming hole (the mole will try to dig away but it’s too late), and jam your post-hole digger down around the original hole.

This is supposed to be a humane method to get rid of moles but, if you miss, you do run the risk of mangling the poor mole. Be sure to have wide post-hole diggers or use two shovels. Anyway, hold the earth together and dump it in your waiting box or container, hopefully with a profoundly flummoxed mole, along with all the dirt.

4. Use Plant Deterrents

Moles are just like people when it comes to loving some things and having a profound distaste for others. As it happens, moles hate daffodils, marigolds, garlic, and many flower species with powerful aromas. Since so many of them are beautiful to look at, they will spruce up your garden and your lawn’s overall appeal.

It will get rid of moles before they take action, which is a big bonus. Plant them as you would a shield by forming a flower or garlic barrier around the areas or areas you want to protect. It’s a good idea to transplant rather than use seeds.

Waiting for the seeds to germinate and grow allows moles to move in and engage in their destructive behavior long before the plant is large enough to become an impediment.

5. Trapping

It’s not the humane method, however, if you are willing to do just about anything to get rid of moles in your yard, trapping is a popular, go-to way to get the job done. There are a wide variety of mole trap options on the market, some of which embrace humane methods and some that do not.

The above-pictured trap is a Scissor Mole Trap but the most popular mole trap is probably the Gopher Trap. If you’d prefer not to be up close and personal with the moles in your backyard, traps are probably not the best way to go.

Since there is rarely only a single mole in your yard (where you see one, there are likely ten more), you’ll need to set these traps at every hole you find. Once the trap catches one, remove the mole and set the trap over that same hole again.

When you go for quite a long time without any of the traps triggering, you’re most likely in the clear.

Methods That Don’t Work

There’s a bit of push and pull on the plant deterrent topic so it’s worth mentioning. Some farmers and lawn and garden specialists swear by plants with strong aromas and some point to the fact that there is little scientific evidence proving its efficacy.

It’s one of those deals where, if it works for you, go for it. Also, you’re free to choose some of the best-looking flowers out there with strong aromas. If nothing else, it will add some beauty and a sense of the exotic to your lawn or garden.

Avoid Ultrasonic Devices

Ultrasonic devices are very popular on the market but a mole is as likely to eat its meal directly underneath the device as it is to be affected by it. While there is little in the way of scientific evidence supporting the use of ultrasonic devices to get rid of moles, some people try them anyway.

It usually ends up being a waste of money and most exterminators will tell you the same thing.

Electromagnetism

This, like the ultrasonic devices above, shows little to zero efficacy in getting rid of moles, especially if the infestation is severe. It’s a good idea to spend your money elsewhere if you want to eliminate moles with natural or humane methods.

Recap of Methods to Get Rid of Moles

Final Thoughts

Getting rid of moles in your yard, lawn, or field, takes time, patience, and effort. Or, you could call in a professional to do the job for you. If you decide to DIY, just be prepared for some frustrations and expenses, especially if you decide to go with a perimeter trench.

Also, it’s important to understand the distinction between prevention and elimination. Prevention methods keep the moles out, while elimination gets rid of moles that have already set up shop on your real estate.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Tramper2