How can I get moles to leave my yard in a way that will not poison my dog? He digs them even deeper?
Question:I am finding holes all over the yard, think they are moles or voles. My dog is sniffing them and digging so I want to rid the yard without hurting him. Any ideas out there?
Answers:
step 1 :walk over every mole tunnel to push gress back into place so it can take root and grow again
step 2: when you find an open mole hole drop a piece of unwrapped juicy fruit chewing gum and a clove of garlic that has been partially crushed.
step 3:note all areas where you suspect that moles have been carying on and over spray the spots with this mole tonic
1 1/2 tbsp. of hot sauce
1 tbsp of liquid dish soap
1 tsp. of chili powder
1 qt of water
mix all together and pour a little of the mix into mole runways . this should make them run right away.
If it is moles, they love to wreck yards looking for their favorite meal, grubs.
I know you mentioned not poisoning your dog. I have three dogs in the back yard and I have never had a problem with my dogs getting sick (poisoned) by using the insecticide listed in the next paragraph. I do keep my pets off of the lawn area for several hours until the chemical has dried. Of course your dog's reaction may be different to the insecticide. I do have two other possible solutions listed below that may solve your mole problem.
I use products such as Spectracide's "Traizicide" applied to your lawn area based on product recommendations will eventually eliminate their meal source of grubs. It is not a quick solution to the immediate problem but you have to eliminate the grubs in the long run.
You can try to use the other methods below to try to rid your backyard of the pesky critters on a periodic basis. They'll be back eventually to get to your over abundance of grub worms.
But I know you want relief now due to their damaging your lawn with what sounds like a major tunnel network leading back to their adobe (main living quarters).
What is Out There To Help You?
There are inexpensive and expensive traps on the market to actually trap the moles. You'll have the dig a hole to place the traps into the tunnel. Don't want to buy a trap: See the free way below.
Another product on the market called the Underground Exterminator found at http://www.undergroundexterm.com/descrip... is designed to be connected to your car's tail pipe. The device will send carbon monoxide silently into the mole's burrows to kill the pesky damaging rascals. While their natural survival skills make many moles be wary of the traps, chemicals and other products used; like humans they are not aware of the carbon monoxide until it too late to escape. Note: Don't try to just hook a hose to your exhaust without using the device designed to work without hurting your vehicle. Follow the supplier's recommendation.
Okay, you don't want to deal with chemicals, purchased traps or the carbon monoxide method.
The Freebie Method:
THE CHEAP MOLE TRAP
One cheap organic method consists of embedding a deep flower pot, deep plastic pail, or a deep coffee can in one of the main tunnels of the animal, and carefully replacing the soil above. You may have to put a small piece of wood over the top of the smooth tunnel to be able to recover the tunnel. The mole in traversing his burrow falls into the pit and is effectually captured.
How Do You Know Which Tunnel to Set the Trap?
The mole hills are not the main tunnels.
The ordinary mole hills present nothing particularly worthy of notice. They are merely the shafts through which the mole ejects the material which it has scooped out, as it drives its many tunnels through the soil, and if they are carefully opened after the rain has consolidated the heap of loose material, nothing more will be discovered than a simple hole
leading into the tunnel. You can sometimes see from above ground which way the tunnels go by looking for the raised grass covering the top side of the tunnel.
Where are the main tunnels going?
They lead to the real abode of the animal.
The hill under which this domicile is hidden, is of considerable size, but is not very conspicuous, being always placed under the shelter of a tree, shrub, or a suitable bank, and would scarcely be discovered but by a practiced eye. The subterranean abode will resemble a remarkable maze of tunnels.
The central apartment, or "keep," if we so term it, is a nearly spherical chamber, the roof of which is almost on a level with the earth around the hill, and therefore situated at a considerable depth from the apex of the heap.
Around this keep are driven two circular passages or galleries, one just level with the ceiling and the other at some height above. Five short descending passages connect the galleries with each other, but the only entrance into the keep is from the upper gallery, out of which three passages lead into the ceiling of the keep.
It will be seen that when the mole enters the house from one of its tunnels, it has first to get into the lower gallery to ascend thence into the upper gallery, and so descend into the central chamber.
There is, however, another entrance into the keep
from below. A passage dips downward from the centre of the chamber, and then, taking a curve upwards, opens into one of the larger burrows or high roads, as they may be fitly termed. It is a noteworthy fact that the high roads, of which there are several radiating in different directions, never open into the gallery opposite one of the entrances into the upper gallery.
The mole therefore is obliged to go to the right or left as soon as it enters the domicile before it can find a passage to the upper gallery.
By tracking a tunnel back to the main adobe and placing your freebie trap or a purchased trap, you will increase your odds of getting all of the voracious little boogers tearing up your lawn.
Keep in mind that mole activity increases about the middle of June because the moles begin to mate which means more tunnels and more moles to create even more damage to your lawn.
You have three battle plans to select from to win the war.
Good Luck with Your Battle!
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