I have heard both views — Yes and no.”, We then asked Bill if he had a lot of thatch. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Poisonous gel-type baits that resemble insects and earthworms can also kill a mole as long as they're placed in an active mole tunnel and eaten by the mole. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others. A nice amount of rain keeps soils moist and workable—the perfect environment to enable mole movement as they “swim” through the soil. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: East Texas Gardening: Moles in the Landscape (Part I) Friend or Foe? The underground tunnels dislodge plants, crops and grass, drying out their roots. Garden Plot: Is it safe to plant summer tomatoes? The latter hasn’t been done in at least 15 years. It can take weeks for him to leave, and the chemicals used on your lawn to eliminate grubs are expensive and form a danger to wildlife, kids, pets and ground-feeding birds. The neighbor is still getting estimates and advice on how to proceed. If the benefits of moles aren't enough for you to want to leave them alone, the best method to deter a mole is by trapping it. Mike McGrath was Editor-in-Chief of ORGANIC GARDENING magazine from 1990 through 1997. You can treat your yard regularly with surface insecticide granules or a spray. prisons, 3 injured in Anne Arundel County shooting, Maryland man pleads guilty in slaying, shooting two detectives, Pentagon reports $5B in improper payments to civilian workforce, Congress, employee groups ramp up pressure to block Schedule F executive order, Air Force ready to begin deploying portions of ABMS next year, State Dept gives thanks to Foreign Service’s 'exceptional' volunteer workforce. ... Skunks in your garden or yard are searching for food in the ground and will eat grubs. They do, however, make an ungodly mess of lawns with their close to the surface tunnels. Does Valerie in Howard County have other options? Although both have long term benefits, they are stressful to the turf, and since you don’t see thatch, there’s no need to remove what isn’t there. This Bt comes in two forms: a spray that kills adult beetles that munch on sprayed plants and a powder that kills grubs feeding in the soil. Then they turn into beetles, which feed on your decorative plants. Home remedies that include using chewing gum, human hair, gasoline, broken glass or mothballs to manage these underground burrowers are ineffective. And my next-door neighbor is also hosting them. Moles can do significant damage to your yard and getting rid of them may take some trial and error on your part. Yes — castor oil preparations. And this is the time of year to try one or more of them, as the grubs are close to the soil surface, feeding on the roots of your lawn and in their least protected position. We’ve lived in our home for 25 years and never had this issue.”. Always have a soil test performed and only add lime if the Ph is low. How to Treat & Repair a Mole-Damaged Lawn, How to Know If You Have Grubs Eating Your Grass. Anyway, Bill should have a core aeration performed to reduce soil compaction, which can work wonders for a tired turf. All are “specific”, meaning they pose no harm to you, your pets, bees, butterflies, toads — the whole nine yards. They even eat fire ants. To prevent moles, get rid of their potential food source by spraying your garden with milky spore disease or beneficial nematodes, available online … Note: Getting rid of grubs greatly reduces a mole’s food supply (and helps your lawn and roses) but it’s no guarantee that the moles will then move on. Copyright © 2020 by WTOP. Along with keeping out moles, this great habit can protect your home … Many people approach the problem of moles by focusing on grubs—that if the grubs are gone, then moles won’t be in the lawn. You drop the sponge into a watering can and then water the nematodes into your lawn where they attack and kill grubs of all species. Unfortunately, traps are often the response that at least temporarily solves the problem. The presence of a mole is noticeable by the volcano-like mounds and surface burrows that suddenly seem to appear and negatively affect the aesthetic appeal of your yard. The solution to getting rid of skunks is to get rid of the grubs … If you have a mole problem in your garden, it is likely that you have a large concentration of grubs, which moles eat. Most often, it’s the best kept yards that have the worst mole … Moles often arrive unannounced and make a terrible mess of your backyard. He mentions that his lawn is fescue, which makes the overseeding an excellent idea, as fescue lawns do best when they get some fresh seed in the fall — which is also the right time for a feeding. Find the product with the highest concentration of active ingredient, apply it heavily now — and especially in the spring — and the moles may choose to move next door. As the soil freezes, moles move from tunneling near the surface to digging deeper in the ground. According to Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, getting rid of a mole's food supply may trigger him to dig even more to look for food, increasing the damage. But lime is never a “necessity.” Lime is recommended when the soil becomes acidic, but can cause problems if the soil if fine. Does Valerie in Howard County have other mole control options? Bill in Fairfax Station writes: “Should a lawn be dethatched? Trying to get all this done by late September.”. Moles must eat 60-100% of their body weight DAILY in order to survive. I always feed and overseed the lawn in the fall. Does Sonic Pulsing Really Get Rid of Moles? Grubs in your lawn can make the ground feel spongy. Unfortunately, if grubs aren't available, moles can resort to eating beetles, centipedes, insect larvae and pupae, spiders and vegetable matter. They actually remain active all winter long, continuing to dig and eat voraciously. BTG is the newest form of “Bt”, a family of naturally-occurring soil organisms, some of which have pest-controlling powers. It also moves subsoil to the surface where it can benefit plant roots. Moles are the underground equivalent of teenage boys; they live in the dark and eat no vegetables. They eat the same things moles do; they just work from the top down. The reason why moles do so much damage is because they have to _constantly_ be actively searching for prey. They feed on roots, which can trigger drought-resembling dead patches. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Moles eat insects like grubs and worms, so one simple preventative measure is to eliminate this food source. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Sold under wonderful names like “Mole-a-tov-cocktail”, concentrated castor oil smells real bad. Moles are omnivores that prefer to feast on grubs, earthworms, and other bugs. Their first reaction is to apply a grub insecticide when mole activity begins in spring. Their dental structure is suited for worms, grubs, and the like. Additionally, the digging that moles do aerates and shifts the soil and allows better incorporation of organic matter. “Milky Spore” is widely available in powdered form. © 2019 WTOP. Bill in Fairfax Station wants to dethatch, feed and overseed his lawn, core aerate and apply lime. You can’t — or shouldn’t — get rid of your earthworms, but you can eliminate the grubs with milky spore, beneficial nematodes and/or “BTG” the newest strain of Bt. You're better off learning about the lifestyle of a mole so you can effectively get rid of him. Moles are not rodents but insectivores subsisting exclusively on bugs, larvae, worms and other invertebrates. All Rights Reserved. Editor’s note: Mike McGrath is on vacation; this week’s Garden Plot was first published on Sept. 7, 2018. This He has been the host of the nationally syndicated Public Radio show “You Bet Your Garden” since 1998 and Garden Editor for WTOP since 1999. Unlike voles (which are sighted and have a shew-like appearance), moles are blind, look really weird, live their life underground and don’t eat plants.

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