Help! There Are Mole Mounds Everywhere!
Last week there were sub-zero temperatures and everything was frozen solid and blanketed with snow.
But we live in Ohio; so we wait an hour and the temperature goes to 50ºF and it rains all weekend. The snow melts and…what are all those little dirt mounds in my yard!?
Melting Snow Reveals Mole Activity
These pictures are good examples of what we mean. Under a blanket of snow on January 6, a homeowner is unaware that a mole has been hard at work eating. But once the snow is gone on January 14, the story of what’s been happening in the worm/mole world is revealed.
Northeast Ohio moles make mounds and tunnels as they follow the worms through your yard. Moles don’t hibernate so they need to keep eating. As the worms come closer to the surface during warm-ups and wet periods, the moles follow them. Once the bitter cold returns and the top layer of earth freezes again, the worms (and subsequently the moles) move to deeper, warmer habitat. Sometimes the moles will be working toward the surface. Sometimes they are deeper underground and not really effecting the look of your yard. It is a cycle that goes on all year long as the worms move.
Mole Calls Spike
When the snow melts in the winter months, like it did this past weekend, we get a spike in calls for mole control and trapping. We really appreciate the business and want to help you with your mole problem. Keep the calls coming, for sure!
But, we also want to let potential customers know that we generally will not start mole jobs at this time of year even though there is a perceived need by customers that the problem exists NOW.
Mole sign is undeniable and we agree a mole problem exists now, but we have come to realize that we can more effectively do the job if we wait until the weather has stabilized (usually March). Once the weather has stabilized, we can expect the top layer of the ground to remain unfrozen. This is a must for trap placement (digging) and trap operation. We have struggled in the past, setting mole traps on a nice day only to have traps frozen-in and blanketed by snow the next.
For results-oriented customers, this advisement to wait is sometimes difficult to swallow. But, know we do want your business and will do the job well once things have mostly thawed out. Call now and get on our list, we’ll be out when the time is right.
Do It Yourself Mole Trapping
If you fancy yourself a do-it-yourselfer, good news, this gives you a little more time to research mole traps and mole control methods. Learn from our experience, you don’t need to trap the moles in a parka.
If you’d like us to educate you and get you all geared up for Spring mole trapping, we can do that too. We’ll be happy to get you outfitted and trained so that you can minimize the learning curve when it comes to mole trapping. Follow this link for more Information.
More About Northeast Ohio Moles
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