The following tips are based on Randy’s 20 years of experience and are presented here only as a homeowners guide.
Nature First Pest Control does limited mole trapping for our regular customers, with a varieth of trapping methods. There are five different species of moles in Oregon. The most common and troublesome species in the Willamette Valley and Beaverton is the Townsend Mole.
Mole Facts:
The Townsend mole is the largest and most common species found in this area.
Moles are very territorial and defend large territories. You usually do not have as many as you think in the Beaverton and Tigard areas.
Moles follow and eat earthworms. Worms go up and down in the soil based on the moisture supply. When the worms go deep in the late summer due to lack of rain, we see many more mounds than in the spring. The moles have a much harder time digging in the deeper soil and must move more dirt up to the surface to make their tunnels. You can bring the moles up to the surface (thereby causing them to make fewer mounds) by watering the lawn. This watering will also attract more moles. Trapping moles is much easier when they are working just under the surface.
Moles are not rodents. There are in a separate classification of mammals.
Moles live on earth worms and grubs, they do not eat plants.
If you have a dead lawn with no insect life (no worms), you will not have moles. Many companies offer this toxic solution, however we do not offer chemical lawn treatments.
Moles can run in their tunnels faster than you can walk.
Mole skin is unusual because the hair has no ‘set or grain”. It can be brushed in any direction with equal smoothness. This fur has been used for centuries to cushion injuries caused by rubbing and friction, such as a blister on your foot.
Moles have ‘Main’ tunnels and ‘feeding’ tunnels, and you need to be able to tell the difference to catch them.
Moles make sounds when courting.
Moles can hear you talking and walking.
Moles have a large amount of hemoglobin in their blood. This makes them very susceptible to bleeding to death from a small injury. On the other hand, they can breath when advancing through the dirt. This ability allows them to avoid most attempts to gas them in their holes.
Moles have good eyesight and will travel above ground at night.
Nature First Pest Control believes that the Organic, ecologically friendly and natural way to control moles is with traps.