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Moles and my life

I live an area where moles enjoy just tearing thru my yard and enjoying life. Things have changed in the last two years for the little miners.   Where ever they have tunneled in the yard in the past has died out the following weeks and has made the yard a little unsightly.   I am not the biggest yard nut, but I do like to have a relatively smooth surface that has an even cover of grass.  The moles had become a problem and I needed to act in early 2015. 

I mow over 1.5 acres total and about an acre is subject to mole damage.   I do not want to eliminate the grubs with pesticide so I have to address mole control a little differently. There several old tree root systems in the yard and from trees removed and trees that are still alive.  There are a lot of places for the grubs to survive and the moles know this.   The moles have a lot areas in which to find food and there is a lot of food available.  

Last year I tried the usual baits that you put in the tunnels and some of the high tech worms that go in the tunnels and they are supposed to kill the moles after they are eaten.  I am not sure anything worked.  I also tried a couple of mole traps that would crush their body when the trigger was knocked off.   These traps were worthless.   What is left to control moles??   Death. 

My system has evolved and is getting pretty effective now.   If I see mole activity, I will water that area to make it softer and then roll the ground with my large yard roller and get rid of any bumps or tunnels.  After I get the ground rolled I will check it closely through out the next couple of days.  Normally the tunnels will show up again and at that point I can a good idea where the moles are working. 

Yesterday I watered and rolled and today-- nice new tunnels about 10 feet in total.   I knew with these new tunnels I could get pretty close to this mole.   I filled one end of the tunnels with water--which took at least five minutes.   I then started to work my way outward from the center of the tunnel maze to the outer sections  with the hose.  The dirt got to shaking when the mole was getting more water than it needed and that gives away the location.  At this point, I take a shovel or metal pick and dig the mole out and flip it onto the ground.  Then I will dispatch it quickly, because they can get back underground very quickly.     The entire water process takes from 2 to 10 minutes and is not always effective, but I am getting over a 50% kill ratio now.

Last season I developed this mole control method and killed 6.  I also nailed one with the tiller.  This season I have upped the game and managed to smoke 8 of the little grass killers.  I think I am just as proud as any big game hunter with their trophies.  Sometimes you need to work on them a few days to finally get the kill and getting that mini pelt is a very satisfying.  Plus your yard sure looks better and riding the mower gets a lot easier as well.   

I have a few weeks of warmer weather left, I wonder is I can get to 10 pelts this season???

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