Nope, we are not talking about a minor-league baseball team or anything fun like that. We are talking about the extremely destructive pests that nobody in South Portland wants to invite to their property, as they are the cause of many homeowners' lawn problems. Moles are made for life underground, with soft velvet fur that makes it easy for them to go in and out of small spaces, as well as narrow hips that allow them to turn in tight spots. They are superior diggers due to their broad front feet and toes that boast short outward-facing claws. Their eyes are tiny and their muzzles are long and tapering. Each individual mole will have its own burrow, they do not share them.
Moles will eat some vegetation, but will usually stick to earthworms, centipedes, snails, slugs, grubs, and ants. Usually, in the spring they will mate and produce 2-5 young. Their nests consist of matted-down soft vegetation located 5-18” underground. On average a mole will live approximately 5 years.
Like most mammals, moles are capable of biting, but they rarely do, meaning they are not a direct threat to humans. However, moles are a threat to lawns and landscaping and can cause significant damage to the root system of your entire yard, including grass and ornamental plants due to their tunneling and foraging habits.
A sure sign that you have moles on your property is the “tell-tale” molehills. They are a few inches tall and a few inches in diameter as well. There may be raised tunnels or plant and grass damage. If you see any of these signs you should call a professional pest control company right away to prevent serious damage.
You won’t generally “see” any moles, which makes them more difficult to get rid of. Trying to find all of the individual moles' tunnels and entrances can be mind-boggling, let alone the task of trapping them to get them off of your property. A professional can help locate their burrows and take care of them for you.
In order to prevent a mole infestation, you can try installing underground fencing, filling a deep moat with gravel around your fence that moles can’t dig through, removing food sources, keeping a dog or cat to keep moles away, planting garlic and chocolate lilies that irritate moles, collapse existing tunnels, and replace your lawn with stones, gravel or clay. These methods are not very realistic for most homeowners, so if you are faced with a difficult mole infestation in South Portland, just call us at Big Blue Bug Solutions. Don’t let moles take advantage of your healthy lawn, contact us at the first sign of mole activity.
With the Big Blue Bug Solutions wildlife control team, your mole problems will be a thing of the past.