With colder weather setting in, certain pests—like moles—are hunkering down for winter. This could mean deeper damage to your lawn. Learn to recognize the signs and adopt winter mole control techniques.

Signs of Moles in Your Yard

Moles already live underground, but they dig deeper tunnels to stay warm in the winter. While you may not see them or the extent of their damage until the spring, there are some telltale signs of their presence.

1. Molehills: Volcano-shaped mounds of dirt in your yard could be their tunnel entrance. Even though they’re not as active in the cold, you can still try to fill in the hole. If you notice it’s been reopened, you’ll know they’re in there.
2. Tunnels: Raised ridges across your yard are tunnels used for foraging. However, you won’t see the deeper tunnels they use for nesting, but it can still damage plant roots.
3. Pests: In the off-chance you do catch mole activity, you can identify them by their pointed muzzle and hairless snout. They use their large front feet to dig a network of underground tunnels.

Moles are more active in the spring and fall when the ground is moist and easier to dig. While they don’t hibernate in the winter, they’re busy digging below the frost line where the soil is still soft and accessible. They’re looking for food, like grubs and earthworms, even if it means ripping through plant roots to get them—unless you do something to stop them.

Winter Mole Control

You can help prevent and treat moles who’ve made your yard their winter home. Whether you’ve seen the signs of a mole or want to proactively save your plants, there are some ways of repelling and trapping these pests.

1. Limit their food supply. Moles dine on earthworms and grubs. If you didn’t already know you had a grub problem, a mole in your yard is another sign. There are products that treat your lawn for grubs, but you can also maintain a healthy lawn by aerating and fertilizing in the fall.
2. Invite natural predators. If owls, hawks, and snakes are also common in your area, you’re less likely to have a mole problem. You can attract owls to your yard by installing a specially designed owl box to provide them with shelter.
3. Repellents. Help drive moles away from your yard with preventative products. There are electronic devices that create a noise and/or ground disturbance to help scare and deter moles. You can also try flooding the tunnel with a garden hose, spraying a castor oil solution, or other another commercial product around molehills and tunnels.
4. Barriers. Bury hardware cloth or metal batteries at least two feet deep around the perimeter of your yard. Now that your garden is dormant for the winter, line the area with wire mesh to prevent moles from tunneling through.
5. Traps and baits. There are several trap designs that can be placed at the main tunnel to capture or kill the mole. Bait products mimic worms and grubs but are laced with poison. These traps should be used with caution, especially if you have pets.

While using any of these control methods, it’s important to regularly monitor for activity to determine if it’s working. If you’re still having issues after trying these techniques, your next option is to call a professional pest control company.

Contact Cardinal Pest for Mole Control

If moles have made your lawn their winter hideaway, Cardinal Pest can help. We have the experience to target and treat moles more effectively without doing further damage to your yard. Minimize the mole problem with our tested solutions and help prevent their return. Call 614-808-4446 today.