The Mighty Mole!

The first signs are the obvious dirt piles, called molehills, that pop up in your lawn. These piles of dirt will look like little volcanic eruptions and can be anywhere from a couple inches to a foot in height!

The first thing you'll want to do is check if the mounds are fresh. If the mounds are eroded, have growing plants, or are collapsing in on themselves, then it's likely that they're older.

Sometimes moles can be present even without molehills! You'll know if this is the case because of the ground. If the ground has a squishy or uneven feel to it, this is caused by active tunnels that get pushed up a few days after being tamped down.

Moles are insectivores, meaning they primarily eat earthworms, grubs, and other insect larvae. Many people think moles eat plants, but this isn't true. Moles do not eat bulbs, roots, or grains. However, their tunnel systems can damage plant roots. Many small rodents, including herbivores, will take advantage of mole tunnels to feed on the roots.

This is a hard question to answer accurately. Some sources will tell you to expect one mole per acre, but that's not quite right. The reality of it is that there are a LOT of factors, but a trained eye's look over the property can give you a strong idea. Here are the questions we ask ourselves when assessing a property: 

1. How much activity do you have? Is it in one area, or in several smaller spots? If left untreated, or if a particularly active mole moves in, molehills can pop up quickly. Fortunately, they'll usually be in one area per mole. If mole activity is popping up on opposite sides of a larger yard, or looks to be coming in from different directions, it's likely different moles.
2. How's your lawn? Is it lush, green, well-cared for, with softer soil? If so, then you probably have a good feeding ground for moles and your lawn could be luring them in.
3. What's around you? Living next to mole breeding grounds can be quite common in the Pacific Northwest. If you live next to a green belt, a forest, a stream, or a wetland, you're likely dealing with invasive moles. Unfortunately, that means you’ll be dealing with moles on your property a lot more often.

We've tried everything out there (and keep trying the new stuff as it shows up)! So far we've only found one actual tried and true solution; underground devices stop moles in their tracks. Effective mole exterminators like Mole Masters use these underground devices, although that's not all there is to know about moles...

1. Poisons are lies! There are many types of pests that poisons can help with, like insects, spiders, rats, or mice, but moles aren't one of them. Moles have an incredibly keen sense of smell, and can usually avoid poisons without issue unless potentially dangerously excessive amounts are applied. More often than not, the poisons are only effective when they taint the local ecosystem, making the mole’s food source undesirable. Keep in mind that this impacts other animals. Birds, rodents, pets, and even people can potentially be exposed to tainted worms, bugs, or grubs (and other things affected by the poison). If at all possible, it's wise to avoid poisons when dealing with moles.
2. Live traps are cruel. For those considering live traps, don't. In above ground animals, these are understandable and viable options. For moles, they're monstrous. If you can even catch one in a live trap, it’ll only starve to death due to the mole’s high metabolism.
3. Well, what am I supposed to use? Simple! Use the old-fashioned devices found in most hardware and garden stores. They're tried, true, tested over years in the field, and they don't have the negative effects of its competition. If you're not comfortable setting a device like these, then there's probably a company like ours nearby that can do it for you!