Moles! How to find the runs?

[Pilot]

Haven't had much luck trapping moles. Last time I caught 2 & thought I had it figured out, but no joy since then.
Have tried probing with a long screwdriver near mounds, but I find resistance for about 6", then it eases up, but all I have really found is the depth of compacted soil, no a tunnel. Moles around here travel too deep to show any evidence of a tunnel on the surface. All we get are mounds.

So how do you find the runs without digging up your lawn?

 

[bigdeano]

I use a bent piece of rebar. I push the mound aside and push the rebar down the hole and poke around until I find which direction the tunnel runs. We aren't allowed to trap them in WA so lately I've been using the burning sulfur method. Seems to work ok so far from my limited experience.

 

[bcp]

Moles aren't protected, but certain traps are illegal.

How do I get rid of moles on my property? | WDFW Help

Bruce

 

[oosik]

So far this year I've trapped 13 pocket gophers. Actually I caught all 13 in the month of August and then zilch from about beginning of September on. I dig around the mound until I find the run and jam the set trap down the run. This year my lawn looks like a bombed out field from WW11. The more I catch - the more move in from the outlying areas. I catch them - pile them up on the edge of the lawn - coyotes come by night and eat them.

 

[teejk]

Haven't had much luck trapping moles. Last time I caught 2 & thought I had it figured out, but no joy since then.
Have tried probing with a long screwdriver near mounds, but I find resistance for about 6", then it eases up, but all I have really found is the depth of compacted soil, no a tunnel. Moles around here travel too deep to show any evidence of a tunnel on the surface. All we get are mounds.

So how do you find the runs without digging up your lawn?

Unusual year around here for moles...they are running "deep" (I read that they can go as deep as 3'). As a result there are few visible tunnels and the mounds are huge. We had virtually no June bugs (white grubs grown up) this year for whatever reason which probably explains part of it. I don't think conventional trapping has a chance. Poisons maybe but that is playing "whack a mole" in real life.

 

[oldballs]

Over the years, I have trapped over 100-200 moles. Am up to over 40 for the past 18 months....sometimes even in mild winters. My experience is that you look for new active surface runs. Set 4- 12 traps and check them every day. I usually get one in the first 24 hours......after that they usually move on to new places. After an area gets thinned out, it is just a matter of watching out for the new comers.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Egon]

Gasoline engine exhaust directed into the holes.

 

[teejk]

Gasoline engine exhaust directed into the holes.

Kinda hit or miss isn't it? I knew a guy that was so obsessed that he got some type of gas (cyanide?...was used on bees) from out of state (wasn't legal here).

 

[Mace Canute]

I used to trap moles when they started to make mounds in the lawn when I was a kid on the farm. I'd dig up a fresh mound until the hole was slightly below the level of the tunnel, set a trap in it and then put a piece of plywood over the hole and seal it up with the dirt i had just dug up. I always ended up with a mole in the trap.

 

[Slackdaddy]

There is only ONE way to deal with em:

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