Creating A More Comfortable Home

Moles are usually easy to notice and identify, leaving behind their characteristic ridges and holes as they tunnel just below the surface of your yard. But while these furry little creatures are fairly obvious, they may be a sign that you have a more subtle pest lurking in your soil. By understanding how moles hunt and the territories they prefer, you can not only improve the overall health of your yard or garden but also discourage moles from taking up residence again in the future.

Understanding the Diet of Moles

Moles are sometimes thought to eat plants, since they are often accompanied by uprooted and dying gardens. In reality, however, the damage they do to plants is mostly the product of their industrious excavation, stripping roots of their soil as the mole digs and searches for insects, grubs, and even small rodents. These tiny carnivores therefore prefer areas with high concentrations of life in the soil, typically grubs or similar insects.

Keeping Your Yard's Ecosystem in Balance

While you have a mole stalking your yard, these underground bugs may not pose much of a problem. But once the moles are gone, their prey will have a chance to flourish and multiply, and they can quickly become even bigger pests than the moles themselves. Grub worms, or Japanese beetle larvae, feast on plant roots and are frequently only discovered after moles have been removed from the area. In order to keep your garden safe, you will need to account for rising population levels of other pests after your mole problem is solved.

Checking for Signs of Other Pests

While you have a pest control company on your property to identify or clear out moles, you should also have a soil test performed to check what the moles are eating. If the bugs are mostly benign, you may not need to take any further action. If you have grub worms or a similarly invasive pest, on the other hand, you will need to also make plans to exterminate them as well. You can manage grub worms and similar insects by introducing certain species of nematodes into your soil to hunt them.

Preventing Future Mole Infestations

The benefit of taking care of both pest problems at the same time is that you will not only protect your plants from a secondary infestation, but you will also create an environment that moles find less appealing. This can significantly lower your chances of finding fresh tunnels in your yard a few months later. Call your pest control company to schedule an initial examination and ensure that your yard or garden is truly pest-free.