First off, congrats on the stalking of the mole. I've killed well over 300 in our yard, but only one was by stalking. The rest were by trapping.
Second... moles don't kill plants. They don't eat plants. They eat meat. Worm meat. Bug meat. Slug meat. But never plants.
You'd never see plant damage above ground from moles because they don't eat plants, and you'd never see root damage from moles because they don't eat plants.
If you're seeing above ground plant damage, its not from a mole. If you're seeing root damage in mole tunnels, its from some other animal using the mole tunnel to get to the roots... most likely Voles. If you see mole tunnels with holes in them, usually about the size of a nickel, its most likely Voles. Voles eat plant roots, like onions, carrots, potatoes, flower bulbs, etc...
Moles are actually good for gardens as they aerate the soil and allow air and water to penetrate the soil better.
But they can cause damage to lawns (and that's O.K. if you don't want a show lawn), and they can undermine sidewalks, driveways, swimming pools (that's why I had to start killing them, they popped our above ground pool), and make paths for water to get next to your house foundation.
The best trap I have found by far, is the Victor Out O Sight mole trap. It can be set at any depth, in any soil conditions, and it kills the moles fairly quickly, so its the most humane one I've tried. I tried Nash choker loop traps, but the are not fast, and therefore, inhumane. I've tried the plunger type traps with spikes, but I've never seen a dead body, so, again, I think the animal has to crawl off and die, and therefore, its not humane.
Anyhow, there's lots of good reading at this guy's site,
Mole control, biology and trapping help, 1986, professional, author, tom schmidt | The Mole Man. He's a professional mole trapper. I learned what I know from his pages. :laughing:
