Moles
Moles tend to be very aggressive and will kill and consume voles or mice that
may venture into their tunnels. Numerous studies have been conducted on the food
habits of moles. The mammal will consume about 85% of its body weight in food
daily. A study on eastern moles revealed that the majority of food found in the
stomach contained white grubs and earthworm. Beetles, beetle larvae, and other
larvae were also present. Ants, wasps, flies and other various insects were also
noted. For the most part, moles prefer moist soil with high populations of grubs and
earthworms. That is why moles are often a menace on golf courses and lawns. As
you fertilize and care for grass, this attracts worms and grubs, which in turn
attracts moles and provides a food base for the mammal. Moles are not social animals. The gestation period for moles is about 42 days
and they have an average of 5 young in March to April. Because of their
behavior, moles have few predators. It is a rare occasion to see a mole as it
moves near a tunnel entrance. For the most part, baits have been used to control moles. Most are
ineffective since most of these products contain grain-based material. The food
habits of animals dictate the bait type. We have maintained moles in captivity
by feeding the animals wet cat food. Because of our studies we have been able to
determine which bait additives are best preferred by moles and have incorporated
them into the formula. If you think you have a mole problem in your yard there is a simple technique
to determine if a mole is the menace. Take the end of a broomstick and force it
into the surface tunnel of the mole. Within 1-2 days if a mole is inhabiting the
burrow, the hole will be neatly plugged with fresh dirt. Mark the spot where you
punch the hole into the tunnel so you can be certain to locate where you punched
the hole. Like the early efforts of the Wright Brothers to fly, mole control has a
long, and sometimes comical, history of failures. Homeowners and professionals
have employed sonic chasers, vibrating windmills, and a host of ineffective
repellants, traps and baits to rid lawns of moles. Some, in desperation, have
flooded mole holes with gallons of water or sprinkled them with an array of
irritating materials - everything from broken glass and razor blades to moth
balls and lye. Nothing seemed to work. As a result of this research, TALPIRID is now the ONLY product submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with "laboratory efficacy tests" on moles. At the same time, scientists exhaustively tested the effectiveness of existing bait forms and actives on the market. Applying this knowledge, Bell scientists created a bait that met its standards for palatability and efficacy. TALPIRID mimics the earthworm, the mole's natural food source - a key to bait acceptance. Further, its mode of action is consistent with the mole's biology, critical to effectiveness. With early samples of the bait in hand, scientists put the new product to the final test in the mole's natural environment. Teams of researchers tested the bait's performance in field trials throughout the United States, examining its effectiveness on various moles species, different soil types and baiting conditions. TALPIRID proved to be the most preferred food source for moles after earthworms. In fact, TALPIRID so closely mimics the mole's natural food that mole's respond to the bait in the same way as an earthworm, thus gaining its reputation as "the bottom line in mole control." Black Hole Rids homes, lawns, and gardens of moles, gophers, and rats. Kills by choking rodent with steel cable. Reusable plastic trap. Great instructions on package including types of baits to use with Black Hole. |
There are seven North American mole species: the eastern
mole, hairy-tailed mole, star-nosed mole, broad-footed mole, Townsend's mole,
coast mole, and shrew mole. The most wide-ranging is the eastern mole, which is
found from eastern Texas, north to southern South Dakota and eastward to the
Atlantic Ocean. 
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