GRRR! Moles!

Published on April 11, 2005 By dharmagrl In Home & Family

I have a mole in my yard.

He's burrowing all over the place. It seems like there's a new molehill every morning.

I don't want to kill him, I just don't want him in my yard. Unfortunately, there aren't many effective deterrents for moles. Castor oil, dried fox pee, cayenne pepper, mothballs...all old wives tales, apparently.

So, the base entomologist is coming out today to set a trap for him. I'm asking for a live trap, so they can just re-locate him.....but I think that they have a different idea and are coming out with something like a rat/mouse trap.

That bothers me. I can't kill it .....I can't ask that it be killed for me either. The thought of going out there in the morning and seeing a little mole-y corpse in the trap makes me want to cry. Yes, it's nothing better than a blind rat, and yes, it's tearing up my yard....but I don't want the thing dead, I just don't want it here.

I wish there was a way that I could live in harmony with this mole, but if I want to preserve any semblance of a lawn in my back yard, that mole has gots to go.

Somewhere. Anywhere....but here.

Comments (Page 1)

Cordelia

on Apr 11, 2005

We had moles in our backyard in California. They would dig up the yard, and then the dogs would see them and dig up the yard more...not good.

If you try to relocate them, they will come back. They will. But I understand your torment.

However, it cost me $1500 to fix that yard when we sold it. It wasn't all mole and dog damage, but a lot of it was.

Good luck. Sorry I can't offer anything helpful!

greywar

on Apr 11, 2005

.22LR would account for him... but it would be a permanent type solution. There is a reason that they call them vermin though.

dharmagrl

on Apr 11, 2005

They would dig up the yard, and then the dogs would see them and dig up the yard more...not good.

Yeah, my dachshund likes to dig as it is, but he can smell where the moles have been and goes in after them. I have a couple of nice sized craters in my yard now...

.22LR would account for him... but it would be a permanent type solution.

I have one. The kids have a little Henry Arms bolt action single shot, and I have a Marlin .22 LR. However, there are houses across the creek from us, and we live in base housing, so I can't shoot it. Besides, I can't kill it.....

The entomologist said I have to put pesticide down on the lawn and water it in. If I kill the grub worms, I kill the mole's food source, and it will bugger off elsewhere in seach of sustenance. That's going to take a couple of weeks though, so until then I'll have to live with mole-y and hope he doesn't wreak too much havoc.

Dr Guy

on Apr 11, 2005

Aren't you making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Seriously, get some cats! We get 'presents' almost weekly from ours. Cute little buggers but I dont need a lawsuit if someone trips on one of their holes.

dharmagrl

on Apr 11, 2005

Seriously, get some cats!

You know, I've been looking to get a cat for a while now.....this is the PERFECT excuse to get one! Hahahahaha!

Wait 'til my husband hears this......"but baby, we HAVE to have a cat, or else our yard will be destroyed by moles!"

Spc Nobody Special

on Apr 11, 2005

I've used those electric sub-sonic stakes you bury in the yard on pocket gophers and ground squirrels in the past with some success. Sadly they work a lot better in conjunction with strychnine poisons.

There's also (if you're willing to blow the cash on it), a bizarre machine that some pest control places would use to literally vaccuum the gophers out of the ground, then release them elsewhere.

However, nothing gets rid of these kinds of pests very well, except for regularly killing them off, because even if you get rid of the ones that are there, more move into their tunnels and take their place almost immediately.

Feel your pain, fought those damned gophers for two years in Monterey. They destroy everything if not stopped.

dynamaso

on Apr 11, 2005

Hey, I have problems even killing cockroaches, so I understand your dilemma. Just the thought of killing anything, be it animal, bird or insect makes me feel pretty poorly. I hope the entomologist's traps work for you (though I have to ask what an entomologist is doing trapping mammals - isn't he an insect man?) If it were me, I would be getting a cat, though.

dharmagrl

on Apr 11, 2005

though I have to ask what an entomologist is doing trapping mammals - isn't he an insect man?) If it were me, I would be getting a cat, though.

Around here it's called 'pest control'.

The universe doesnt want me to kill moles, Maso. When I was setting a trap earlier it sprung on my thumb.

So, no more trapping. And yes, I'm getting a cat.....if I can ever find one. Usually this time of year sees a ton of 'free kitten' ads in the paper, and as yet I've seen maybe 2.....and they were all gone by the time I called to enquire about them.

I can't play guitar, it hurts too much!

Spc Nobody Special

on Apr 11, 2005

I can't play guitar, it hurts too much

Maybe upside down and left handed, like Hendrix?

Look on the bright side, at least you're getting a kitten!

island_gurl12

on Apr 11, 2005

Oh! A kitten! purrfect idea!

(i want one too, but not for the same reasons!)

dynamaso

on Apr 11, 2005

I can't play guitar

This would really annoy me... I hope your thumb is feeling better soon.

Dr Guy

on Apr 12, 2005

Oh! A kitten! purrfect idea!

(i want one too, but not for the same reasons!)

Oouch! I just realized I recommended cats twice in the past 2 weeks! And I am a dog person! But Cats have their place, and I love all of ours.

Cats are not good for everything. But they do have their place.

JillUser

on Apr 13, 2005

've used those electric sub-sonic stakes you bury in the yard on pocket gophers and ground squirrels in the past with some success.

I used those in our last house for moles and it was very successful. It just required D batterries too. You can get them at most hardware stores. It is worth a try if you don't want to kill them.

Good luck!

Dynosoar

on Apr 13, 2005

DIE MOLEY MOLEY !!!!

You can't bring yourself to exterminate the mole, yet you're willing to take on an assassin as a pet?

The cat will stink up your house, poo in your shoes, ignore your request for affection, and generally become more of a nusance than the mole was to start with....This calls for drastic action! It's time for chemical warfare before your yard resembles a mini battlefield, or worse yet, you wind up with 40 offspring of the assassin purring and howling at your back door.

SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE - KILL THE MOLE AND FORGET THE CAT !!

Most people are genetically predetermined as to their like or dislike for cats, if hubby has an aversion to the felines, no ammount of cuddliy cuteness will alter that opinion.

HIRE A HITMAN BUT DON'T ADOPT AN ASSASSIN.....

dynamaso

on Apr 13, 2005

yet you're willing to take on an assassin as a pet?

The cat is not an assassin as it is only responding to it's inherent instincts, just as a dog or, for that matter, any animal does. My cat has never killed anything except rats and sparrows. She has not ever pooed in my shoes or anywhere else in the house, with the exception of where she is supposed to poo. She is as affectionate as the mood takes her, sure, but aren't we all, and she is certainly not a nuisance. She is quiet, peaceful and great to have around. I've lived with people who have worse social graces and manners than her.

As for being genetically predetermined as to our like or dislike, I couldn't disagree more. I consider myself an animal lover and have owned my fair share of dogs and cats over the years. Dogs are also wonderful animals, just different to cats, is all.

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