How to Get Rid of Moles in the Yard
Moles are small, insectivorous mammals that live almost entirely below ground, tunneling in pursuit of grubs, earthworms, and soil insects. They do not eat grass or plant roots, lawn damage from moles is indirect, caused by the raised tunnels and disturbed soil that uproot grass and create vole habitat. A single mole can produce an impressive amount of surface disruption and is capable of excavating up to 100 feet of new tunnel per day in soft, moist soil.
Understanding the mole’s biology and feeding habits is the starting point for effective control. Strategies that attempt to target the mole directly (trapping, lethal baits) are more reliable than strategies that attempt to make the environment unwelcoming (repellents, vibration devices).
Confirming the Cause Is Moles, Not Voles
Moles and voles cause different types of lawn damage and require different control approaches. Confirm which animal is responsible before investing in control methods.
Mole signs: Raised, ridge-like tunnels 2 to 3 inches above grade running in irregular paths across the lawn. Conical volcano-shaped mounds of loose soil (molehills), 4 to 8 inches in diameter, marking where the mole has excavated downward to a deeper tunnel level. The mole itself is rarely seen above ground.
Vole signs: Surface runways, flattened, grass-free paths approximately 1 to 2 inches wide running through the turf. Small entrance holes at intervals along the runways, typically about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Voles do eat plant roots and can cause significant grass death along their runway systems.
The Grub Connection
Moles are attracted to lawns with high populations of soil insects, particularly white grubs. A lawn that has a significant grub infestation provides an abundant food source that draws and sustains moles in the area. Treating for grubs, reducing the food supply, is the single most effective long-term mole management strategy for lawns where grubs are present.
Apply a grub control product at the appropriate time of year: imidacloprid or chlorantraniliprole applied in May to June when grubs are newly hatched and small (most vulnerable to treatment) provides season-long control. The complete grub identification and treatment guide is in our lawn grubs guide.
Eliminating grubs does not produce instant mole departure, moles will continue to explore existing tunnel systems and earthworm populations for several weeks after grub treatment. However, reducing the food source makes the area less attractive and moles will eventually shift activity to areas with more abundant prey.
Note that earthworms are also a primary mole food source. Lawns with healthy soil biology and abundant earthworm populations will always be attractive to moles regardless of grub levels. This does not mean eliminating earthworms, earthworms are highly beneficial to soil health. It means that grub reduction alone may not fully resolve mole activity in earthworm-rich soils.
Trapping: The Most Reliable Control Method
Trapping is the most reliably effective method for removing an active mole from a specific area. Three main trap types are used for residential mole control: harpoon traps, pincer (scissor-jaw) traps, and tunnel traps.
Setting the trap. Identify an active tunnel by pressing a section of raised ridge down with your foot. Check the same location 24 hours later. If the tunnel has been re-raised, it is an active hunting tunnel and the correct location for a trap. Set the trap directly in the active tunnel according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cover the trap location with a bucket or dark cloth to reduce light in the tunnel, moles avoid bright, open sections.
Checking traps. Check traps every 12 to 24 hours. Leaving a trap unchecked for longer risks scavengers disturbing the trap and reduces effectiveness. Reset and relocate traps that have not produced a capture within 48 hours, the mole may have altered its routing.
Repellents: Limited Effectiveness
Several repellent products are marketed for mole control, including castor oil-based granules and liquid repellents, vibration stakes, and sonic deterrents.
Castor oil-based repellents are the most studied of the available repellent options. Research results are mixed, some field trials show meaningful reduction in mole activity in treated areas, others show no significant effect. The most plausible mechanism is that castor oil makes the soil organisms (particularly earthworms) that moles are hunting taste unpleasant, temporarily reducing the reward for tunneling in treated areas. Castor oil repellents are safe for use around children and pets, non-toxic to the mole, and represent a reasonable first-line option before moving to trapping.
Vibration stakes and sonic repellers have consistently poor results in controlled studies. Moles habituate rapidly to vibration and sound stimuli and resume normal tunneling activity within days of the stimulus being introduced.
Home remedies (chewing gum, broken glass, rose canes, human hair in tunnels) are not supported by evidence and are not recommended.
Repairing Mole Damage to the Lawn
After active moles have been removed or have moved on, the raised tunnel ridges and molehills require repair.
Use your foot or a lawn roller to press the raised tunnel ridges back down to grade. Firm the soil by rolling rather than compacting with heavy equipment. For tunnel areas where the grass has died or thinned, remove any dead material, add a thin layer of topsoil if the surface is uneven, and overseed with the appropriate grass variety. Water consistently until the overseeded areas establish.
Molehills can be leveled with a flat spade or spread with a rake. Break up the conical mound of soil and distribute it evenly across the area before overseeding.