How Do You Trap Moles?

Moles can create havoc in your backyard.  How do you trap moles is a question you may find yourself asking very shortly as the snows melt and spring arrives.  The question of how to determine the type of pest you have and how to get rid of them differs depending on many variables. The type of pest you have, the type of soil you have, your experience at this type of pest management and how do you want to get rid of them will temper the answer to this question.

The first question you need to answer is do you have moles? Determining for certain the type of pest you have is the first vital step in controlling any kind of pest invading your property. Moles often tunnel just below the surface and will create furrows in your lawn as they move about close to top layer of soil.  Mounds about 1 inch in diameter is another common indicator of moles as they displace the earth for their tunnels.  Another indicator of the type of pest you have is the time of year they are active.  Spring and fall are the two seasons when moles are most active. Also in the spring is when they are closer to the surface.

Once you have verified that you do indeed have a mole infestation you need to determine how you want to get rid of the pest. There are theories that say flooding the tunnels with water or putting moth balls in the tunnels may work but these methods have proven ineffective.  If you decide you want to trap the moles, you need to decide if you want to use a trap that will kill them or live capture them for removal.

There are many types of kill traps but the three most popular are the scissor type, the choker loop and the harpoon. The type of kill trap you use will depend on the type of soil you have, how skilled you are in using these traps and how user friendly you want these traps to be.  Some traps are better for sandy or clay type soil and some traps may be difficult to set up. You also need to be able to determine which of the tunnels are active and which are dormant.  To locate an active tunnel, one method is to collapse a portion of the tunnel and see if it is rebuilt.

The question regarding how do you trap moles doesn’t end there.  If you want to live capture the mole you need to determine where to release them.  Some areas don’t let you release moles just anywhere.  If you contact your local animal control they can let you know the regulations in your area.  Or if you contact your local pest control specialist they can even remove them for you; making ridding yourself of these pests quick and easy.