What are some different ways to kill nuisance moles?

Moles are known for their extensive and aggressive digging habit. This habit is what makes the mole a pest because mole tunnels can cause extensive damage to plant life, lawns and
landscaping, crops, and agricultural equipment. For this reason, it’s common for moles to be killed or exterminated.

There are lots of commercially available ways to kill moles yourself, but there are also plenty of professional exterminators out there that will do the dirty work for you. If you’re uncomfortable killing these animals or just don’t want to deal with the hassle, seek out a reputable mole extermination service.

Traps

If you’d rather try to exterminate moles yourself, the easiest method is a trap. Mole traps are effective and usually don’t harm other animals on your property. The most common type of mole trap is a spring trap or scissor trap. These traps are placed in or directly next to mole tunnel entrances. When a mole steps on the trap’s trigger, the spring releases and the trap clamps down on the animal with enough force to kill it instantly.

There are also live traps available for removing moles, and they are quite effective. Most are long tubes that close around the mole when the animal runs inside. These are also placed directly inside mole tunnel entrances. These types of traps require the extra step of relocating the animal away from your property.

There are also other types of traps that seek to contain the mole inside its burrow by closing off any exits. These traps are a bit more labor-intensive because you need to watch and wait for the mole to become trapped. Once you see soil moving, you’ll know that the animal is near. You can then either kill the mole or relocate it to another area.

You can also try to trap a mole without special equipment if you have a few shovels lying around. Again, this requires more time spent because you need to watch for a mole moving soil. If you see a mole moving underground, use one shovel to block its nearest tunnel entrance. Then, use the other shovel to plug the next closest exit route. Once the animal is trapped, you can kill or remove it with the method of your choice.

Poisons

There are also multiple commercial poisons available for killing moles. Poisons are known to be effective, but they can have negative side effects too. For one, most mole poisons are also harmful to other animals so you might be accidentally killing harmless creatures. Even worse, domestic pets like dogs and cats can easily ingest these poisons so you need to make sure you keep your pets away from areas where you’ve deployed mole poisons. Some poisons are also harmful to humans, so use caution when placing them.

All of these poisons are known to be effective against moles:

Warafin: Warafin is a well-known rat poison that has been used for years with relative success. It’s actually been used on rats so much that today, many species have developed an immunity to it. That said, it’s still effective against moles. This poison is usually sold as a bait that should be placed directly inside mole tunnels.

Aluminium phosphide: Known commercially by the names Phostoxin and Talunex, this type of poison works by creating phosphine gas which is repellant and toxic to moles. Typically sold in tablet form, this poison should also be placed directly inside mole tunnels. When the tablets are unsealed, they react with moisture in the air to produce toxic gas.

Zinc phosphide: This poison is similar to aluminium phosphide in that it also produces toxic phosphine gas, but it works a bit differently. Instead of tablets, this poison is usually sold as a bait for moles to eat. Once eaten, the zinc phosphide interacts with substances in the mole’s digestive tract to create toxic phosphine gas which ultimately kills the mole.

Bromethalin: This is another common bait-style mole poison, made from a combination of bromine and fluoride. Typical baits will resemble worms and other insects that moles like to eat. Once eaten, this poison will kill a mole relatively quickly.

Calcium carbide: This poison isn’t very common these days because it can be harmful to humans. That said, it is effective against moles. It works by creating acetylene gas, another toxic gas that can easily kill moles.

Nitrogen gas: This gas-style poison is much safer than other methods. Since it contains only nitrogen, it’s relatively safe for the environment. It’s harmless once it dissipates into the air, but be careful around large concentrations of the gas. When this gas is pumped into mole tunnels, it can effectively repel or kill them.

Strychnine: This poison used to be much more common, but today its purchase and use are restricted in many places. It is designed only to be used underground against burrowing animals like moles. When placed inside mole tunnels it is effective. Be very careful with this poison if you have pets because it’s also toxic to many other animals.

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