12/18/15

Moles Vs. Christmas Cheer

Moles Vs. Christmas Cheer

12/18/2015

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Until moles come and dig up your lawn. Have you ever been in such a great mood, laughing, joking, celebrating, and then someone, or something, comes along and completely destroys the joyous atmosphere? That’s what happens when everything seems to be going along swimmingly and you discover your lawn, which you have worked hard to make beautiful, has been invaded by landscape-destroying creatures. We’re talking about moles. In today’s article, we will discuss what these pests are, and more importantly, how to get rid of them.

Identifying Moles

These creatures are dark brown or gray, about 7 inches long, and have long noses and padded, webbed front feet, which are ideal for tunneling. They are insectivores with a primary diet of earthworms. They don’t eat grass, but they damage lawns by digging tunnels and runways in their never-ending search for earthworms. In fact, they can dig tunnels at a rate of about 1 foot per minute! This causes unsightly brown patches and raised tunneling. These creatures are seldom seen because they live and feed under the ground.

Moles are in constant motion, looking for food, since they eat almost their entire body weight each day. On a good day–for the mole, not the property owner–a mole can dig up to 100 feet of new tunnels! One thing that is a positive for a landowner is that moles are antisocial and only seek each other out during mating, so usually there will only be one or two moles destroying a lawn at any given time. Moles typically live 2 to 5 years and will have 2 to 5 babies in each litter.

How To Get Rid Of Moles

There are a lot of strategies out there on the internet that claim to get rid of moles, from the not-so-crazy sounding, to the outright ridiculous. Some of the mole-eradicating ideas you may come across include things like planting chewing gum in a molehill so that the mole will eat the gum and die from intestinal blockage. Yeah. That doesn’t work. You may be told that it is a good idea to electrocute those moles or pour something flammable in the entrance to their hole. We’re pretty sure you know where these two ideas usually lead–that’s right–the hospital. There are all kinds of advice out there on the internet, from gassing, to employing “attack ferrets.” These ideas only lead to frustration and possible medical attention.

If you have discovered moles destroying your lawn, it is time to reach out to the professional pest controllers. Here at Schendel Pest Services, we’ve been in the pest-control business for almost 70 years and we have a successful track record for getting rid of moles. Don’t let these critters ruin your holiday fun. Give us a call and let us take care of that mole problem, so you can get back to enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

 

Moles Vs. Christmas Cheer