powergod1
Silver Member
have the same traps good to know they work well, so far Im using the spike type and its working well
caught my first mole of this year
- Thread starter heehaw
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MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
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- 58,036
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
You know, I joke about opening day of mole season, and Rambo moles, etc...
The fact of the matter is I really dislike killing any wild critter without good reason. Moles are fascinating creatures with great strength and endurance. From what I have read, they have twice the number of red blood cells as humans in the same measure of blood. That allows them to survive in places with less oxygen than humans could tolerate... like underground in the dirt. It is said that if a person were as strong as a mole, they could stand between parked cars in a parking lot and push them apart.
That said, the moles undermined my pool and destroyed it, popping the liner and flooding my garage. The year I started trapping them it was, I believe, August. I killed 29 before winter. The following 3-4 years I started trapping in early spring, at the first sign of activity and I stopped counting at 50 each year! This is on ONE STINKING ACRE of lawn!!! :confused2: That is an infestation of epic proportions.
I finally got them out of the area around the house and pool and now just concentrate on any signs of activity around the perimeter of our lawn and trap them immediately. The count went down to less than 10 per year for the last 4-5 years, and I did not even catch one the last year or two. I have only seen one tunnel this year, and did not see any further activity after that first sign about a month ago.
There are really only two ways to get rid of moles.
The first is to eliminate their food source.... meat. Moles are carnivores. Their primary food source is earth worms, followed by insect larvae, such as grubs. To eliminate earth worms and grubs, you have to use chemicals. What you end up with is a sterile growing medium for grass that then requires the use of fertilizers and more chemicals, etc... it works, but it costs you and the environment in the long run.
The second way is to trap the moles out to a manageable level. That means killing them. And I don't enjoy that. So I make sure to use the most humane traps I can find so the animals don't needlessly suffer.
I have never seen the results of the spiked plunger type traps. Every time they are set off, there is nothing under them. That leads me to believe it wounds the mole and it crawls off somewhere to die.
I have used the Nash choker loop trap. I have seen many moles still alive in that type of trap, and, for that matter, I have come home to find the trap missing, and have located it half way across the lawn with the mole trying to crawl away still in the trap. It does not kill quickly or humanely.
The Victor Out O Sight traps seem to be the best trap for quick, humane kills. As I mentioned, I have rarely found a mole alive in that type of trap with over 250 dead moles to its credit. I have 6 of those traps and recommend them for their ability to kill quickly and humanely.
So, trap them wisely. Use a trap that kills quickly. And keep their population at a reasonable level.
The fact of the matter is I really dislike killing any wild critter without good reason. Moles are fascinating creatures with great strength and endurance. From what I have read, they have twice the number of red blood cells as humans in the same measure of blood. That allows them to survive in places with less oxygen than humans could tolerate... like underground in the dirt. It is said that if a person were as strong as a mole, they could stand between parked cars in a parking lot and push them apart.
That said, the moles undermined my pool and destroyed it, popping the liner and flooding my garage. The year I started trapping them it was, I believe, August. I killed 29 before winter. The following 3-4 years I started trapping in early spring, at the first sign of activity and I stopped counting at 50 each year! This is on ONE STINKING ACRE of lawn!!! :confused2: That is an infestation of epic proportions.
I finally got them out of the area around the house and pool and now just concentrate on any signs of activity around the perimeter of our lawn and trap them immediately. The count went down to less than 10 per year for the last 4-5 years, and I did not even catch one the last year or two. I have only seen one tunnel this year, and did not see any further activity after that first sign about a month ago.
There are really only two ways to get rid of moles.
The first is to eliminate their food source.... meat. Moles are carnivores. Their primary food source is earth worms, followed by insect larvae, such as grubs. To eliminate earth worms and grubs, you have to use chemicals. What you end up with is a sterile growing medium for grass that then requires the use of fertilizers and more chemicals, etc... it works, but it costs you and the environment in the long run.
The second way is to trap the moles out to a manageable level. That means killing them. And I don't enjoy that. So I make sure to use the most humane traps I can find so the animals don't needlessly suffer.
I have never seen the results of the spiked plunger type traps. Every time they are set off, there is nothing under them. That leads me to believe it wounds the mole and it crawls off somewhere to die.
I have used the Nash choker loop trap. I have seen many moles still alive in that type of trap, and, for that matter, I have come home to find the trap missing, and have located it half way across the lawn with the mole trying to crawl away still in the trap. It does not kill quickly or humanely.
The Victor Out O Sight traps seem to be the best trap for quick, humane kills. As I mentioned, I have rarely found a mole alive in that type of trap with over 250 dead moles to its credit. I have 6 of those traps and recommend them for their ability to kill quickly and humanely.
So, trap them wisely. Use a trap that kills quickly. And keep their population at a reasonable level.