INDIANAPOLIS — Moles are usually dormant in late February and early March in Indiana. But not this year!
"Moles are already out there because of the mild winter," said Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden. On 13Sunrise, Sullivan provided advice on what works, and what doesn't, to make them go away.
Moles feed on underground insects and worms, so if you get rid of their food source, you'd think the moles would move on. Just putting down a grub control will not work, said Sullivan, because "two-thirds of the diet of moles is earthworms." Getting rid of grubs, "just makes the mole work harder," he said.
"People swear by Juicy Fruit gum," Sullivan said, citing a popular theory that gum placed underground will choke a mole. "I don't think that works, either," he said.
A battery-operating vibrating stake has been successful for some homeowners.
An underground smoke bomb? "They're okay for groundhogs, but not great for moles," Sullivan said.
The best way to stop a mole is to first locate its "active" run by pushing the raised dirt back down by stepping on it, then marking it with a flag or stick. The next day, if the dirt is pushed back up, you know that's an active mole run.
Using a broom handle, stick or dowel, you can poke holes along the mole's trail and drop poisonous bait into the tunnel. The mole will eat the poison and die underground.
Another alternative is to set a spring-loaded trap above ground that the mole will trip as it moves in the tunnel, triggering the trap and impaling the mole with metal spikes.
Watch Sullivan's full segment on 13Sunrise in the video player.