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You’ve either got moles – or you’ve got voles – or you’ve got both!

Moles are tiny gray or black mammals that are about the size of a mouse, possibly a tad bigger, ranging from five to eight inches long.  Their tiny eyes are sometimes covered with fur.  Many consider them to be blind because of their tiny eyes and since they live mainly underground they have no real need for good eyesight.  Their powerful front feet are short and they have large digging claws allowing them to dig 12 to 15 feet per hour.  And once their tunnels are dug, they can travel 80 feet per minute through them.   Moles dig deep tunnels to live in during the winter months and they dig shallow tunnels for the warmer weather.  Moles will not eat your plants or bulbs but can kill your plants.  All you need is one or two active moles to ruin your lawn.

Moles are not picky about the soil they live in, as long as it is moist and sandy enough to dig through easily.  You will also find moles living in golf courses, fields, parks, forests, fields, pastures and even cemeteries – as well as residential lawns. 

Moles will eat 70 to 80 percent of their body weight daily, feasting on grubs and worms as well as other insects.  They really don’t harm your property and they can be beneficial for controlling grubs and they aerate your soil by tunneling – but they can leave a very unattractive lawn.  They leave molehills, which are mounds of soil that have been brought to the surface by their tunnel digging.  They also dig to create nesting areas.

If you have moles you will see your lawn dug up in paths.  You can leave them alone or you can get rid of them.

On the other hand, if you have voles – they eat your plants and bulbs.  They also dig tunnels but you’ll most likely see the holes where they enter their tunnels.  And you will notice that your plants and/or bulbs have been eaten with a tunnel from under the plant from which they came.  Voles can do some serious damage to a flower, bulb or vegetable garden.

Shrews can use mole and vole tunnels and voles can also use mole tunnels making it very possible for more than one kind of critter to be living in your yard. 

To get rid of them or not?  And what would be the best way to do it?

Voles are the most destructive of the two.  I don’t think you want them in your yard.  To be sure you have a problem, step down on a section of the tunnel and see if it gets rebuilt the next day.  This will tell you if they are still there or if they have moved on.

Of course there are many types of mole poisons on the market that you can use.  Not only are they dangerous to use but it is cruel and usually these chemicals are not very effective.  Moles are suspicious critters and will stay away from strange baits and traps.  And those gizmos that send out vibrations or ultrasounds are not only expensive but they are ineffective.  After a while the moles return to the scene of the crime.

Using a poison or using chemical can also be harmful to pets, squirrels, and the birds.  For this reason you may want to consider a non-chemical remedy.  But if your choice is to use a mole poison, be sure to read the manufacturer’s directions and follow them as stated on the label.

Going chemical-free would be a much better option. 

Flushing by using your garden hose may work.  But their tunnels can be quite extensive and there is a good chance you won’t get the whole system that they have dug.  And, or course, they will return then.

If trapping is something you want to do, you can purchase lethal traps which are similar to humane traps.  Lethal traps will trap and kill the moles; humane traps will trap them and not harm them.

The best time to set traps is after a rainstorm, especially during spring and fall, when the moles are closer to the surface. You can try the old mouse trap with peanut butter method.  Bait the trap and set in in the path or at the entrance to the hole.  Place a large, tall container (possibly an upside down planter) over the trap and place a weight (a brick or a rock) on top to keep it in place.  This will protect an innocent squirrel or pet from getting caught in the trap.  If you have little ones, traps may not be a good idea!

Check your traps daily and should you catch any, be sure to use disposable gloves!  These critters carry diseases.  And be sure to wash your hands thoroughly even though you’ve used disposable gloves.  NEVER touch one of these critters with your bare hands.

If you want to try to trap and relocate moles, be sure to consult with local wildlife officials and check your local laws.  It may be illegal to trap and/or kill them in your county or state.

You can always get rid of their food supply to get rid of them.  Most likely you have many grubs in your lawn which is keeping them around for meals.  You can always get rid of your grubs which will force the moles to seek food elsewhere (possibly right next door to you!)  By not watering your lawn as much will make a less inviting environment for worms and grubs.

With some effort you can build a deep fence around your garden or around your yard.  You can bury hardware cloth or aluminum sheeting 2 to 3 feet deep to keep moles from tunneling and a raised area of at least 6 inches will keep them from climbing over the barrier.  This may not be to your advantage if you have a large garden or a large yard – there is a lot of work involved in this.  For small areas, this can be done – but there is still a chance that there may be a few moles still inside the area of your barrier that you need to deal with.

Creating an unfriendly environment for your mole population is a great idea!  CASTOR OIL!  Yep!  Castor oil is an excellent repellent for moles.  N order for the castor oil to be affective you need to thoroughly water the area BEFORE you apply the oil.  Using a sprayer that you can purchase at your local lawn or garden center, douse the area with castor oil and then you will have to water your lawn again so that the oil will penetrate the soil.  The castor oil will remain until it rains or from watering it has dissipated – then you will need to re-apply.

Moles and cats do not get along at all.  They are natural enemies.  Dispose of your used kitty litter by pouring it into mole runs and hills.  This will convince them to move on to another area.  Continue to refill them until there are no more signs of moles in your lawn or garden.

You can always plant skunk lilies around your yard.  The horribly strong odor from the bulbs and flowers will keep moles away.  Planting a few bulbs on each side of your garden will do the trick.

Moles don’t like garlic either!  Plant garlic here and there around your property to get rid of moles as well.

And moles do not like the scent of humans!  And they hate the feel of human hair.  Get some hair clippings from your local beauty shop or barber shop and sprinkle the hairs into the molehills and runs. 

Moving on to the vole population you have – mow your lawn.  Keeping your lawn mowed and maintaining the grass-free areas around trees and shrubs will destroy the runways, nests and hiding places.  Place crushed rock or gravel under the drip line to reduce habitat areas.  Keep mulch around woody plants to a minimum.  Remove the weeds and growth along fences, roadsides and ditches to help control the vole population.

Voles are attracted to dense vegetation; not only for a food source but also as protection against predators.  Graze or mow fields from October through the early part of December to minimize the vole population.

If you want to trap voles, use a wooden-base snap trap baited with peanut butter, oatmeal or apple slices.  It may not be cost effective depending on the number of traps needed.

As with moles, you can use a chemical repellent to get rid of voles.  The downside to this is – when food is scarce voles may even eat repellent-treated bark.  Repellents can be used short-term or in combination with other procedures, such as spot baiting.

Many commercial repellents contain the ingredient thiram which is a fungicide.  It will repel animals quite effectively and as with all chemicals remember to read the directions on the label and follow them carefully for best results.  You may find repellents that are made from capsaicin (hot sauce) or other active ingredients.  Repellents should be applied in the late fall and again in winter (weather permitting) to best effectiveness.

Remember that a lush green lawn is not only attractive to you, but also attractive to moles.  Over-watering your lawn brings earthworms and moles feast on them.  If you convert more of your lawn to a garden or a low-water landscape, you will save money, provide a habitat for birds and discourage moles from settling there.