Smoke fumigation
How it works: Placing smoke cartridges in mole tunnels about every five to 10 feet and plugging holes with damp, wadded newspaper is supposed to flush out moles.
Pros: "Oh, they're fun to use," says Pehling. And the University of Michigan's Department of Horticulture says smoke fumigation can eliminate moles if enough cartridges are used at once.
Cons: Smoke fumigation is difficult, and experts we spoke to said it didn't work well. "Most of that stuff just seeps in the soil particles," says Pehling. It might work if your soil is very saturated with water and therefore sealed, he guessed.
Cost: $7 to $12 for four cartridges.
The ick factor: Minor. Potentially lots of running around and smoke for little effect, however.
Trapping
How it works: A metal spring-loaded trap is pushed down into a mole's active tunnel. The animal trips the device when it passes and is killed by the blades. In order for a trap to be effective, it needs to be set in an active "run," or tunnel. To find them, stomp down some tunnels and see which are immediately pushed back up. Place a trap there and make grooves by setting the trap and springing it, to make sure it works, says Schmidt.
Pros: Effectiveness."My recommendation for how to control a mole: trapping, plain and simple. I've never come off of that. Nobody has ever showed me data otherwise" that anything works better, or even as well, says Rogers. The other experts interviewed all agree that if a mole must go, trapping is the most effective way to do it, bar none. And it's just about the only method that provides clear evidence you got the job done.
Cons: The downside of killing moles is – well – dealing with a dead animal; it’s not for the squeamish. You have to check the traps daily, says Schmidt. And trapping isn't legal in every state; some, like Massachusetts and Washington state, don't permit traps that kill moles.
Cost: $11 to $18.
The ick factor: The highest of the options. Be prepared to deal with a tiny squished mammal. In fact, more than one: As soon as a tunnel system is emptied, another mole will likely sniff it out and want to occupy it. A homeowner has to stay on it and keep trapping, Schmidt says. "It's a vigil; it's a mole watch." Eventually, it will taper off, he says – but not before you have to kill several moles.
War of attrition
How it works: "Every time you push a tunnel down, (the mole will) push it back up, but he'll dig deeper," Schmidt says. Do that long enough and frequently enough, and eventually the tunnels won't show. In other words, you can "live with them," he says. Pehling suggests raking out – not stomping down – molehills, however, so that the mole doesn't feel the need to push it right back up.
Pros: For those who aren't excited about killing moles but who still want a nice lawn, the war-of-attrition approach holds some appeal. It also doesn't involve old wives' tales or poisons.
Cons: Not all experts are convinced this aggressive tamping program works.
Cost: Nothing but your time, and potentially lots of it – walking your lawn daily, tamping down tunnels. Pehling says some homeowners use a roller to smooth their lawns ($100 and up).
The ick factor: None, so long as you don't much mind the occasional lumpy lawn and raking down mole hills.
Make over your yard
How it works: Give grass the heave-ho in favor of native plants that require less watering; less water means fewer moles. And the ones that venture in won't drive you bananas. A change of attitude is the most effective strategy of all, says the Humane Society of the United States.
Pros: You'll spend less time watering and mowing your lawn.
Cons: Potentially a lot of initial labor and costs depending on your plant selection and the size of your yard.
Cost: Potentially high; but smaller water bills over the long run.
The ick factor: None. And without moles to chase, you'll have more time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
