Mailbag: How to solve a mole problem

Moles and voles -- do you have any sure way to rid a lawn of these monsters? The Internet has many types of traps, but tried several -- none work. Tried biweekly applications of grub killers and this also did nothing. They were not too bad until six weeks ago and now they have ruined large sections of lawn. The tunnels start from the edges and work inward the inside of the lawn. My entire property is surrounded by woods which I spray for grubs to attempt to starve them out. What's is my next move? -- Brian

Hi, Brian. Getting rid of moles and voles depends on accurately determining which you have. Moles spend most of their time underground and out of sight, but they burrow into the lawn, leaving cone-shaped mounds of soil in their wake. You say your lawn is ruined, but you don't mention mounds at tunnel entries/exits, but I suspect that's what's going on. Typically, the one positive thing moles bring to the table is grub control, so it's interesting that your strategy has been to attempt to eliminate the grubs. Are you sure you even have a grub problem?

If you're sure you have moles, the best way to deal with them would be to trap them. It's easier than you think because, unlike voles, which reproduce like rabbits, moles are loners. At most, there will be two or three in a whole acre of land. Catch one in a small garden and you've likely solved the problem.

You might have been using the wrong traps. It pains me to say this, but scissor-jaw and harpoon traps are the best way to end a mole problem. Like their names imply, though, they aren't exactly humane.

I don't believe voles are your problem, but since you asked: Voles spend most of their short lives reproducing, and the whole family sticks around to eat grasses, seeds, bark, sedges, potatoes, beets and some insects. Some types of voles even eat bulbs, tubers and roots. They can girdle the trunks and roots of some trees and can kill plants by disturbing their roots. The best way to catch them is with regular, snapping mouse traps baited with apple chunks and placed at the site of activity.