At first glance one might even think lawn moles are cute little creatures. They are small and furry and probably soft, although it isn't advisable to try to touch one, because they not only bite, they can carry diseases. They do play an important role in the ecological balance of a lawn or garden, because they eat destructive grub worms and other garden and lawn pests. However, they also multiply very quickly, and if not kept in check, they can literally destroy an entire garden or lawn in a matter of weeks.
Lawn moles cause unsightly and hazardous depressions in a lawn or garden. More than one person has fallen and sustained injuries because of walking over the tunnel system of a lawn mole. The entrance and exit holes for their tunnels are just the right size to catch someone's heel as they stroll across a lawn or through a garden. In the course of their work the lawn moles push dirt up to the surface of the earth and it isn't very pretty to look at, among the bright green grass of a well-cared-for lawn. Not only that, but rodents are often attracted to the abandoned tunnels of lawn moles, so with every lawn mole infestation comes the danger of a rodent infestation as well.
The tunnels produced by the lawn mole, come in two varieties. The first, commonly referred to as a "runway," travels just below the surface of the earth. These are used by the lawn moles as feeding tunnels and are the ones that leave those unsightly ridges that run across a lawn or garden. The second type of tunnel is much deeper. This is the type that allows the lawn moles to connect their feeding tunnels to form a complex network interchange not unlike a human freeway system. When these tunnels are excavated, homeowners will find mounds of earth piled up in one place.
A precautionary measure should go into place at this point. It is not uncommon for the homeowner to mistake the tunnel systems of some other type of mammal with those of lawn moles. Lawn moles are not, by far, the only animals that dig runways. Among other mammals, the pocket gopher and the vole also do this. Since moles rarely surface and are, therefore, rarely seen, it is important to pay attention to the type of tell-tale signs that they leave behind. For example, the aforementioned piles of dirt are peaked, not unlike tiny volcanoes. Pocket moles also leave behind piles of dirt, but theirs are flat. Proper identification is crucial to determining which method of control to use.
The most practical and effective thing a homeowner or gardener can do is hire a professional service that is educated about how to handle these problems. The professionally trained control expert will not only be able to properly identify which tunnels, if any, belong to lawn moles, he or she can help control them.
Lawn moles cause unsightly and hazardous depressions in a lawn or garden. More than one person has fallen and sustained injuries because of walking over the tunnel system of a lawn mole. The entrance and exit holes for their tunnels are just the right size to catch someone's heel as they stroll across a lawn or through a garden. In the course of their work the lawn moles push dirt up to the surface of the earth and it isn't very pretty to look at, among the bright green grass of a well-cared-for lawn. Not only that, but rodents are often attracted to the abandoned tunnels of lawn moles, so with every lawn mole infestation comes the danger of a rodent infestation as well.
The tunnels produced by the lawn mole, come in two varieties. The first, commonly referred to as a "runway," travels just below the surface of the earth. These are used by the lawn moles as feeding tunnels and are the ones that leave those unsightly ridges that run across a lawn or garden. The second type of tunnel is much deeper. This is the type that allows the lawn moles to connect their feeding tunnels to form a complex network interchange not unlike a human freeway system. When these tunnels are excavated, homeowners will find mounds of earth piled up in one place.
A precautionary measure should go into place at this point. It is not uncommon for the homeowner to mistake the tunnel systems of some other type of mammal with those of lawn moles. Lawn moles are not, by far, the only animals that dig runways. Among other mammals, the pocket gopher and the vole also do this. Since moles rarely surface and are, therefore, rarely seen, it is important to pay attention to the type of tell-tale signs that they leave behind. For example, the aforementioned piles of dirt are peaked, not unlike tiny volcanoes. Pocket moles also leave behind piles of dirt, but theirs are flat. Proper identification is crucial to determining which method of control to use.
The most practical and effective thing a homeowner or gardener can do is hire a professional service that is educated about how to handle these problems. The professionally trained control expert will not only be able to properly identify which tunnels, if any, belong to lawn moles, he or she can help control them.
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