Every summer, moles wreck my yard. What do I do?—Shane V., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Moles burrow after insects in the ground, but eliminating their food source isn't the best approach. You'll end up killing near-surface insects and larvae, some of which—earthworms, for instance—are beneficial. Plus, you'll cause the moles to dig deeper. It's not a bad idea to selectively apply an insecticide to kill turf-destroying insects like grubs. But it won't do much to solve the mole problem.
Now, killing near-surface insects and driving the moles deeper does have advantages. You will no longer see mole tunnels and the critters won't kill off big chunks of your lawn by chewing through grass roots. But as soon as the ground thaws and the near-surface insect population increases, they'll be back.
The ugly truth is that traps work best. Just know that killing one or two isn't enough to eliminate the problem. Chances are you'll need to work through the summer and into the fall when they start their deep tunneling. You kill enough of them, you'll have peace—at least for a while.
Email your home and yard questions to askroy@popularmechanics.com and watch for Roy's answer in an upcoming column.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
