Dec 5, 2016 | Lawn Care, Wildlife
Moles, a year-round pest nuisance, can cause significant damage to your lawn by burrowing into the ground to create tunnels underneath – usually indicated by above-ground dirt mounds (shown below) – to provide shelter and search for food. Although they’re rarely seen, you can identify them by their gray to brown color, webbed front feet, and long nose. Their front feet are so large that they’re able to dig about a foot per minute – that’s a lot of lawn damage in a short amount of time! Moles eat insects – mostly earthworms & grubs – in large amounts each day and search for meals by tunneling underground, which is what creates the dirt mounds all over your yard, a result of soil being pushed up to the surface.
If moles are causing damage to your lawn, there are a few things you can do to prevent and get rid of them – including the use of repellents, baiting, trapping, and grub control.
Mole repellents can be purchased from your local garden store or, for a more DIY approach, made at home using a caster oil mixture. This method can be effective if the entire yard is treated with the repellent, but will only work for a short amount of time. Once the repellent’s scent diminishes, the moles may return.
Mole baits can be effective if applied properly, but are not usually recommended since the products can be harmful to other animals that come in contact with them.
The most effective method of getting rid of moles is usually trapping, preferably by a trained wildlife control specialist. Professional mole control includes identifying mole tunnels, monitoring activity, and then setting traps.
You can also help to prevent a mole invasion by limiting their food supply – grubs – with lawn care treatments. As an added bonus, you’ll be reducing the amount of grubs feeding on your lawn!
May 23, 2012 | Wildlife
There’s nothing like jumping in the pool on a hot summer day (well, a day that feels like summer anyways)! So that is exactly what my family and I did on Saturday. We went to my in-laws’ house and jumped right in the pool. We had just begun to cool off and enjoy the water when we noticed we weren’t alone. There was a mole in the pool!!!
The mole was quickly removed without incident and the fun continued but of course my mother-in-law had lots of questions about what it was doing in her yard, how did it get there, what is was looking for, and how does she get rid of them. So mother in law…this is for you!
Moles are mammals that live underground and occasionally come to the surface. Above ground, they breathe in oxygen and are able to re-use it to survive in low-oxygen environments such as underground burrows. When they surface, they cause damage. Mole damage is divided into two types: burrows and mounds. Burrows occur when moles search for food near the surface, causing soil to be raised in ridges. Mounds are created when moles burrow deep or tunnel under solid objects such as tree roots or sidewalks and push the soil to the surface.
Mole's runway system
Moles’ bodies and front claws are ideal for digging. Their hands are quite large for their bodies and include an extra thumb and multiple joints in other fingers. There are situations where mole damage is mostly visual, but in other situations they can destroy root systems in your yard, eventually killing the grass.
Damage caused by moles:
- Interference of mowing and planting
- Create weed invasion
- Damage plants
- Damage drainage systems and watercourses
The best way to get rid of a mole is by trapping or baiting the runs. The trick to mole extermination is to find the feeding tunnels vs. the travel tunnels. A professional animal removal service provider can distinguish between the two and can humanely remove the moles from your yard. Call Northwest Exterminating for mole removal.
What is the craziest thing you ever jumped in next to?
May 23, 2012 | Wildlife
There’s nothing like jumping in the pool on a hot summer day (well, a day that feels like summer anyways)! So that is exactly what my family and I did on Saturday. We went to my in-laws’ house and jumped right in the pool. We had just begun to cool off and enjoy the water when we noticed we weren’t alone. There was a mole in the pool!!!
The mole was quickly removed without incident and the fun continued but of course my mother-in-law had lots of questions about what it was doing in her yard, how did it get there, what is was looking for, and how does she get rid of them. So mother in law…this is for you!
Moles are mammals that live underground and occasionally come to the surface. Above ground, they breathe in oxygen and are able to re-use it to survive in low-oxygen environments such as underground burrows. When they surface, they cause damage. Mole damage is divided into two types: burrows and mounds. Burrows occur when moles search for food near the surface, causing soil to be raised in ridges. Mounds are created when moles burrow deep or tunnel under solid objects such as tree roots or sidewalks and push the soil to the surface.
Mole's runway system
Moles’ bodies and front claws are ideal for digging. Their hands are quite large for their bodies and include an extra thumb and multiple joints in other fingers. There are situations where mole damage is mostly visual, but in other situations they can destroy root systems in your yard, eventually killing the grass.
Damage caused by moles:
- Interference of mowing and planting
- Create weed invasion
- Damage plants
- Damage drainage systems and watercourses
The best way to get rid of a mole is by trapping or baiting the runs. The trick to mole extermination is to find the feeding tunnels vs. the travel tunnels. A professional animal removal service provider can distinguish between the two and can humanely remove the moles from your yard. Call Northwest Exterminating for mole removal.
What is the craziest thing you ever jumped in next to?
