Gardening Tips: Controlling Moles and Voles in the Landscape
Lately, several people have called me with questions regarding moles in their lawn. Moles can be a major nuisance for homeowners, leaving trails and tunnels throughout the lawn and making a mess of the grass. They are active at all times of the year. Control can be difficult, but there are a few options.
The first thing you’ll need to do is determine if your problem is truly moles or if you actually have voles, as this will determine the best method of control. Voles are small rodents that resemble mice. They primarily cause damage by feeding on the stems or roots of perennials and small shrubs in landscapes, while moles primarily feed on earthworms, grubs and other insects that are found in the soil. Only some types of voles will burrow into the ground and leave tunnels, as others prefer to move above ground. However, all voles will crawl through previously established mole tunnels. If tunnels are present, the best way to tell if they are caused by moles or voles is to look for small golfball sized holes near the tunnels. These are the holes left by voles exiting the tunnels. Moles do not leave these kinds of exit holes.
If your problem is moles, the most effective control option is to cut off the food supply. If you have moles in your yard, the chances are good that you have grubs as well. This time of year, grubs are inactive, and are burrowed deep into the soil. As they mature, they will come to the surface of the soil in April and May, before fully maturing into adult form and leaving the soil entirely. Check for grubs in April by digging out a small patch of turf and inspecting the top layer of soil for small, white, wormlike insects. If you find grubs, you can apply Sevin to the soil surface to kill the grubs. Follow all label directions when applying Sevin or any other pesticide. If no grubs are present, the moles are most likely feeding on earthworms, in which case no pesticide would be necessary for control.
Another option for controlling moles is trapping. Because moles are a wild, non-game animal, you must apply for a permit from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Traps are most effective when placed directly in the tunnel. However, the moles will become suspicious of foreign objects in their tunnels, so you should start by stepping down the soil in the tunnels around the trap, to disguise it. If you have not caught anything in the trap after 4 or 5 days, you may want to try placing it in another location.
Because of their protected status with NCWRC, it is also illegal to use poisons or fumigants to kill moles. Some products are commercially available which claim to deter moles, but it is unclear how effective these products are.
Voles are not protected by the NCWRC as they are considered a landscape pest. They can be controlled by trapping without a permit. Because they cause damage to landscape plants, it may be beneficial to use short wire guards or landscape barriers around plants of special value if you suspect you have a vole problem. You can also discourage voles from invading your yard by keeping the grass mowed short and reducing the amount of thatch in the lawn.
Master Gardener classes begin tomorrow at the Halifax County Agricultural Center. You may still sign up by calling the extension office today or Tuesday.
Matthew Stevens is the horticulture extension agent for Halifax County Cooperative Extension. If you have any questions about this article or other aspects of your home gardening, please contact Matthew at 583-5161 or .