Mole Poison

03.29.2011 - "Blargh!", said the above mole as it gasped its last breath before dying.  This mole was murdered.  But how?  BY POISON!  Yes, mole poison killed this mole.  I know, because I poisoned it myself.  I invited this mole to a fancy dinner, but little did he know that I placed cyanide in his wine.  Just a few sips, and he keeled over as I cackled with laughter.  This mole will dig up my yard no more.

Of course the above story is fictitious.  I actually used iocane powder.  Okay, I didn't use poison at all.  There is no such thing as an effective mole poison.  I say effective, because many mole poisons are in fact marketed and sold.  Alas, none of them is remotely effective.

Moles are insectivores.  They tunnel through the dirt and eat a diet that consists almost entirely of live earthworms.  They also eat a few other underground invertebrates, such as grubs, but mostly worms, and all of their diet is living.  So that's the problem with poisons.  A mole won't eat something that's just lying there.  I've seen, for example, poison peanuts for mole control.  A mole would no sooner eat a peanut than an elephant would eat a worm.  It's just not part of their diet.

To combat this problem, some pest control companies have developed fake gummy worms with poison in them.  Alas, the moles simply won't eat these fake worms.  Moles have a very specialized worm detection system - they can sense the earthworms moving in the dirt, and that's what they go after.  The fake worms are nothing like the real, living thing, and moles just won't eat them.

The only way to solve a mole problem is by trapping.  There's no effective repellants - soap and castor oil do not work, and neither do high-pitch sound machines or ground vibrating machines.  Go ahead and waste your time on these gimmicks.  They won't work.  Only trapping will do, and it's an art that requires experience.  Mole traps are hard to use.  If you want to know how to kill moles, you'd either be ready to experiment for a long time with traps.  You'd be best off hiring a pro for mole control.

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Capturing and trapping moles can be a tiresome task! Two of the most common ways of getting rid of moles are through trapping and poison. Deciding which way to go can be very confusing. However, in this article, you will learn why poison is the better choice. You will also learn about the best practices so you can do it effectively.

Why use poison?

Setting up a trap takes a lot of time and effort and we're not even sure if the set trap is effective or not. Oftentimes traps don't do the job because moles are clever animals and they will just breeze through all the well-placed traps. On the other hand, using poison makes sure that the job is done and finished.

Safety warning! Keep in mind that while using poison is an effective way to exterminate moles, handling this substance should be taken very seriously. Make sure to exercise all precautions to avoid any accidental intake by both humans, pets, and other animals that are not the target of this method.

It is imperative to wear your personal protective gear before you handle mole poison. Use gloves, masks, and a long-sleeved shirt to avoid any direct contact on your skin.

There are several types of poison. In order for you to find out which one suits your situation best, let's discuss each of them.

Here are 3 types of mole poisons:

Smoke or gas bombs

Just like the name suggests, this poison is like throwing a grenade and waiting for it to explode on the target! Moles live inside their tunnels and gas or smoke bombs are designed to act both as a choking agent and toxic gas that will suffocate the moles inside their tunnels.

However, it is important to keep in mind that there are cases that a mole's tunnel network is more extensive than others. The reach of the poisonous gas is limited and there is a chance that it will not cover all the tunnels.

Poisoned pellets or briquettes

It is a form of rodenticides and usually comes in different shapes like small blocks of concentrated poison. This poison works perfectly with squirrels because they pretty much devour everything that they see. While it can be a little tricky when it comes to moles, these animals can eat out the poison on the ground when it's digging to create tunnels.

Its main advantage is that because of its compactness, it can easily kill the mole in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, one of its disadvantages is that since moles are clever creatures, these poisons can be easily detected as a threat rather than food. Moles might end up not eating them at all.

Grub baits

These are commonly used to deceive moles in eating poisoned bait. Most people who have tried this method will tell you that it is one of the most effective ways to poison moles! It is made out of synthetic worms and it looks like the real deal.

One undesirable quality of this poison is that it can potentially hinder the growth of your crops.