{"id":1682,"date":"2018-02-14T14:51:52","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T19:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sg2.bluekeylabs.com\/wordpress\/greatbiggreenhouse.com\/?p=1682"},"modified":"2025-04-28T09:33:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T13:33:11","slug":"moles-why-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/moles-why-now\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rid of Ground Moles in Your Yard"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is only mid-February and many customers have come into the garden center or called the store with concerns about seeing their lawns being torn up with mole tunnels. \u00a0\u00a0The customers are wondering, why now?\u00a0 With the cold winter we are having, aren\u2019t the grub worms still down deep in our soil?<\/p>\n

A COMMON QUESTION\u00a0 –\u00a0 So, if the moles are not after white grub worms just yet then what is going on? \u00a0The main reason for recent mole activity in our lawns is because February is one month that they are mating and are very active \u2013 a reason for seeing active tunneling this time of year.\u00a0 After their mating season, the mole becomes more solitary where they like to be by themselves.<\/p>\n

Since you have evidence of moles in your lawn., you may be asking what can be done to eradicate moles to stop any further lawn damage.\u00a0 Bottom line, it is not an easy task.\u00a0 Like any other situation, the best defense is education and understanding your opponent.\u00a0 In this case \u2013 the mole.<\/p>\n

Moles are burrowing mammals and are members of the scientific order, Insectivora.\u00a0 Moles live underground.\u00a0 They are not rodents like a lot of people may refer to them as being. Here are just a few more educational facts on moles:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0There are three species of moles that are native to Virginia, the eastern mole, the star-nosed mole, and the hairy-tailed mole.\u00a0 The eastern mole is the most common.<\/li>\n
  2. Did you know that it is against the law in Virginia to transport and liberate any wild animal captured on your property and take it to another property unless you have a permit to do so.<\/li>\n
  3. They construct two types of tunnels \u2013 those at or near the ground surface and those deep (maybe a foot deep) underground.\u00a0 These deeper tunnels are the highways that lead the mole between feeding areas.<\/li>\n
  4. Moles are not root eaters ( Voles are root eaters ).\u00a0 The main food source for a mole is earthworms, along with slugs, grub worms, and snails.<\/li>\n
  5. They are most active in the early morning and late evening.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I now understand that this is the mating season for moles and this is the main reason for seeing activity.\u00a0 But how can I stop moles from doing any further damage to my lawn?\u00a0 Where do I start?\u00a0 The reality of the situation is that getting rid of moles out of your lawn is not an easy task.
    \nMy advice\u00a0 –\u00a0 do everything possible to make their residency as unpleasant as possible in your yard.<\/p>\n