Moles are carnivorous mammals that prefer to live underground. These little creatures can quickly cause extensive damage if they choose to hunt or live in your garden. And it is definitely very painful when you notice your garden is damaged because of this critter. However, moles can make a horrible mess of your garden. So, it is very important to control them at the first sign of damage in order to save your yard. In this post, I have added a step by step guide on How to Trap a Mole in the Yard. Hopefully, you can set up a mole trap properly by following these steps.
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Signs of Moles in the Yard or Garden
The most undeniable sign would be if you really saw a mole in your garden with your own eyes. Moles are strange looking tiny creatures with sharp muzzles, tiny eyes and body shapes about the size of a potato. These little creatures actually swim along underground, using their wide flippers to part the soil as they go. Additionally, they like wet and loamy soil and spend most of their time underground. So, most of the people do not actually see moles in their garden. That’s why it’s important to know the actual signs of moles for sure what kind of critter is damaging your yard.
However, the most common and identifiable sign of a mole is underground tunneling visible on the surface. They can dig up to 18’ within an hour. They make a tunnel to catch grubs and insects as their meal. These surface tunnels can be a great sign of moles in your lawn. Another recognizable sign of moles in your garden are the molehills. Since molehills are much less common than mole tunnels, they can still be found. Molehills are typically less than 6 inches and are often shaped like a volcano or a football.
How to Trap a Mole in the Yard | Most Effective Ways
There is a step by step guideline to trap the mole in the yard/garden. You can catch the moles easily by following these steps.
- Setting a trap to catch the Mole in Your Yard
Mole trap is one of the most useful ways to get rid of moles easily and safely. There are the steps to catch the moles by using mole trap.
- Find Out an Activate Mole Tunnel
First of all, search for a tunnel in the yard that is active. To select an active mole tunnel cover the nearest molehill for around one or two days. After that time, if you find the molehill uncovered, there’s a good chance that the mole is actively using it.
- Set-up a Mole Specific Trap
Mole traps are considered to be the most effective process to get rid of moles from Yard. These traps are available in the market as well as online. You can get them easily from the online store or nearest local shop. There are some most common types of mole traps below. Take a look into these popular types of mole traps.
Scissor Loop Trap
Scissor Loop Trap: This type of mole trap is an easy and quick one to set up. Place the trap firmly in the middle of a tunnel. No need to dig anything up but instead, push it into a tunnel using your shoe.
Harpoon Mole Trap: To get best the result, set this trap over the runway of the mole tunnel. Push both legs of the trap down into the ground on each side of the tunnel. Place the trap gently, positioning the trigger (the flat and square piece of metal) above the soil. Pull up the setting tee of the trap to set it.
Choker Loop Trap: The choker loop trap probably requires most work. You will need to dig a hole into an active tunnel from the top. It’s necessary to dig the hole a bit deeper than the actual depth of the tunnel but the same width of the tunnel. Set up the trap into the tunnel in a way that the choker loop is ready to catch unwanted moles.
- Cover the Trap with a Large Bucket
After setting the trap in the garden cover it with some sort of large bucket. This step is important to protect your kids and pets from coming near the area of the mole trap. Moreover, this will also help to block out any light which will let the mole continue digging.
- Check and Remove the Trap
Check the trap frequently to see whether you’ve caught a mole or not. If the mole has caught in the trap remove the trap and mole as soon as possible. If you’ve not caught any mole after two days, set the trap to a new area.
- Dispose of the Mole that you have Caught
If you have caught a mole in the trap grab it with a plastic bag around your hand. Turn the bag inside out as you go to catch the mole. After that let the mole fall into the inside of the bag. Now tie the bag carefully, and place the mole in with your trash.
Check: How to Get Rid of Mice Easily and Quickly
Additional Tips to Get Rid of Moles in Yard Fast
There are some more effective tips for you, which will help you to get rid of the moles easily from your yard or garden.
- There are some plats like daffodils, alliums, marigolds, and fritillaries can deter the moles from staying in your garden.
- If you have kids and pets in your home and afraid to apply poison or set a trap, you can apply homemade repellents. Castor oil works great as a natural repellent to control the moles. Mix 6 ounces of Castrol oil with two tablespoons of the dishwasher in one gallon of water. Apply the mixture periodically to your yard and be sure to reapply after it rains.
- You can use poison to kill worms and other mole food in the soil. But it is recommended to avoid this option as it may actually cause more harm than good.
- You can use a mouse trap for catching a mole in your garden. As you know, moles and mice are about the same size. So it would be effective for you if you don’t have any specific mole trap. However, you need to prepare a piece of bait when setting a mouse trap to catch a mole.
Last Thought
In the end, it can take a bit of effort to prevent the moles in the yard, but not impossible. If you know How to Trap a Mole in the Yard properly, you can protect it from this mammal. Even though, moles can be good to aerate the lawn and kill the insects. That does not mean they are not dangerous for your garden. They can even destroy your entire garden by digging the soil. So, it’s time to take proper action against these tiny creatures.
