Does Your Garden Have Moles?
by Maura Forsyth | April 29, 2019 | Blog
Moles can be a real nuisance when they set up shop in your garden. At best they are annoying and at worst they can leave your plants struggling for life. Learn how to find these pests and let our network of pest control experts keep them off your lawn.
Don’t Let Moles Do the Gardening
Although moles are known for destroying well-manicured lawns and gardens, they don’t actually eat plants or vegetation. They feed on the earthworms, slugs, and other insects living in the earth around your home. All these creatures flock to healthy soil, so the more time and care you put into your garden or flowerbeds, the more likely you are to attract a mole!
Just because they don’t nibble on the roots of your plants doesn’t make them any less destructive. They travel underground and they’re always looking for food. As they make their way around the root systems formed by vegetation, they leave pockets of nutrient-free air behind, starving your plants of the soil they need to grow and be healthy.
Why Is My Lawn So Squishy?
A sure sign you have attracted a mole is sinking earth beneath your feet. When a mole isn’t searching for food, it is excavating soil and making tunnels. This will cause the lawn to sink or squish when you cross paths with a place the mole has wandered.
Moles like to tunnel deep, often ten inches or more below the surface. But when they are searching for a mate they will dig closer to the top of the soil. This can leave raised ridges along the ground. Many times these ridges can be found along the sides of homes or rock walls, because the mole will often travel along the foundation.
That’s No Anthill
Moles are reclusive by nature, and you are not likely to see one during normal activities. What you will notice instead are the signs the mole leaves behind. If you see mounds of earth in your lawn or garden but cannot find any trace of ants, you could have a mole.
I Think I Have a Mole . . . Now What?
There are many different methods you can use when it comes time to get rid of a mole. Baits and traps are often employed, depending on whether you want to exterminate the pest or simply remove it from the environment. Another solution is to treat the area for grubs, thereby removing one of the mole’s main sources of food.
Dealing with a mole on your own can be time consuming and frustrating. Since they aren’t easy to catch in the act, it can be hard to determine if the creature in your garden is even a mole. Voles leave behind many of the same signs, except they are vegetarians and will treat your garden like a feast. Gophers also travel underground and will make a mess of your lawn and flowerbeds.
Each of these creatures must be dealt with in a different way. It is best to let a professional help you determine which pest is poking around in your domain. Let our network of pest control experts work with you to keep your garden free of unwanted guests throughout the year.
