Picture this: you're tending to your garden under the warm summer sun, crouched over a beautiful patch of newly planted flowers. You straighten up for just a moment to wipe your brow, and you notice a tiny mound of dirt piled near the small vegetable garden you just planted last week. You look closer and notice a few others and see that one of your new plants already looks unhealthy. Could it be? Moles.
Moles dig tunnels through soil, searching for invertebrates to eat, and destroying root systems as they go. The insectivores dig two types of tunnels: some close to the surface, which are used for hunting, and others deeper in the soil they use when they're hiding from predators. They are a smaller mammal, with tiny ears and eyes. They have powerful front limbs and large paws that are designed for the sole purpose of digging. What makes them unique is each paw is equipped with an extra thumb. These creatures have been clocked traveling a foot a minute, up to 300 feet a day in Missouri. Each tunnel a mole digs can be a death sentence for your garden or lawn, and if you have a couple of them hanging out together, your beautiful landscaping can be done for if you don't act fast.
At-home remedies are ineffective on moles. For instance, the University of Missouri found that putting down insecticide to cut off the animals' food supply does more harm than good because that can lead to digging more tunnels around your property in search of grub. Some folks have tried repellants, but the University found that even some products that are federally registered as anti-mole protectants don't work. A traditional solution, toxic baits, has proven unreliable. The baits are typically introduced through grains and nuts, foods that moles don't tend to eat. Some companies swear their fumigants help. However, due to the length of the tunnels, and the soil's porousness, this method is typically not recommended.
The Missouri Department of Conservation also explains that, while some people hope that they can capture and relocate the moles, there are problems with that. Thus, just about every agency agrees, trapping is the most humane and most effective method for taking care of moles. That being said, the MDOC warns that mole traps can be hazardous if you aren't familiar with them and are best handled by professionals. The breeding season for moles is typically February through May. Broods of 3-5 young are primarily born in March and April. Now is the time to act.
At Veteran's Pride Wildlife Control, our team of professionals understands the urgency you face when you have moles around your property. A family of veterans owns our company, and we promise to get rid of that nuisance in a surgical strike. We even offer 24-hour service, so the second you suspect you have moles, we can get someone out to you right away to check for evidence and come up with a plan of attack.