Moles
in the Lawn
By: Sandy Feather
©2006
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
Q: Since
last fall, moles have been destroying our yard. Are there any
products that work? My back yard looks like a mini-explosion
occurred!
A:
Controlling moles can be a real challenge, so it is helpful to
understand a little about their biology. For starters, they are
insectivores; their diet is almost completely composed of
soil-dwelling insects such as earthworms, grubs, centipedes and
spiders.
It is often
said that mole activity in turfgrass indicates a problem with white
grubs, but that is not necessarily true. They favor white grubs when
they can find them, but earthworms make up roughly 75 percent of a
mole's diet. Of course, earthworm activity aerifies soil, brings
nutrients up to plants' roots where they can easily be absorbed and
are good indicators of soil health. You do not want to get rid of
your earthworms, despite the fact that moles are attracted to them.
C-shaped white grub
You would have
noticed patches of lawn dying late last summer if a damaging
population of grubs were present. White grubs feed on turfgrass
roots, so affected areas of turf can be lifted easily and rolled
back like a throw rug. In the summertime, you can lift the turf and
plainly see the C-shaped white grubs. You will not see them right
now, though, because they migrate deep into the soil for the winter.
They will migrate back up to the surface as the soil temperature
warms in the spring.
If you do not
have grubs in your lawn, insecticide applications are a waste of
time and money and needlessly place pesticides into the environment
without stopping the mole damage.
Moles prefer
moist, friable soil with a large insect population. Mulched
landscape beds create the perfect habitat for mole activity, and our
earlier snow cover was also ideal for their activity. They are
solitary creatures, and it is not unusual for one mole to damage
several lawns in its search for food. Moles expend a lot of energy
digging and must eat 70 percent to 100 percent of their body weight
daily to survive.
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