Moles are non-rodent insectivores that primarily feed on earthworms and other invertebrates beneath the soil, not on plant roots. While foraging, they create extensive networks of underground tunnels, resulting in characteristic raised ridges and soil mounds that disrupt lawns and gardens. The goal of humane trapping is to remove the animal from the property without causing harm, requiring a specific, step-by-step approach. Successfully trapping a mole depends on locating the correct tunnels and using proper equipment designed for live capture and safe release.
Identifying Active Tunnels and Choosing Live Traps
Before setting a trap, distinguish between temporary feeding tunnels and active, primary runways. Feeding tunnels are shallow, winding, and abandoned quickly, while main runways are deeper, straighter paths used repeatedly for travel and maintenance. The most effective way to find a primary runway is by performing a “flattening test” on the visible surface ridges.
Gently flatten a section of the raised tunnel with your foot, ensuring you do not completely collapse the path below the surface. After flattening a few sections, check them again within 12 to 24 hours. A mole actively using a runway will quickly repair the collapsed section, pushing the soil back up to re-establish the passage. This repaired section indicates the precise location for trap placement, as setting a trap in an inactive tunnel guarantees failure.
The most appropriate devices for live capture are specialized, one-way tunnel traps, often made of plastic or metal cylinders. These tube-style traps are inserted directly into the runway and feature doors at both ends that swing inward but cannot be pushed open from the inside. This design allows the mole to enter the trap from either direction but prevents its escape, securing it unharmed until you can relocate it. Lethal traps, such as scissor or harpoon types, must be avoided.
Setting and Monitoring the Humane Trap
Once an active runway is identified, prepare the site for trap installation. Use a trowel or small spade to carefully open the tunnel roof at the point of repair, creating an access hole large enough for the trap. Rub your hands with soil beforehand to minimize transferring human scent, as moles possess a keen sense of smell that can cause them to bypass the area.
Position the trap securely inside the runway, ensuring it sits flush with the tunnel floor so the mole travels straight into the device. Center the trap within the run, and immediately seal the surrounding edges to prevent light or air from entering. Cover the access hole completely with loose dirt or sod, creating a dark, natural environment that encourages the mole to travel through the device. Any sign of a disturbance, such as a draft or light, may cause the mole to reroute its path and dig around the trap instead of through it.
Due to the mole’s high metabolism and subterranean environment, frequent monitoring is a serious matter of welfare. A captured mole is deprived of its continuous food source (earthworms) and is susceptible to stress, dehydration, and starvation. Therefore, the trap must be checked at least every few hours, particularly in warm weather, to ensure the animal is not trapped for an extended period. Immediate action is necessary upon capture to preserve the animal’s health and ensure the humane nature of the process.
Safe Handling, Relocation, and Future Deterrents
Once captured, cover the trap with a dark towel or cloth to shield the animal from light and reduce stress during transport. Relocate the mole as quickly as possible to a suitable habitat far from your property. Before release, check local ordinances regarding wildlife relocation, as regulations often prohibit moving animals across property lines or into protected areas without a permit.
The ideal release location is a non-residential, natural area with moist, rich soil that supports a healthy earthworm population. To minimize the chance of the mole immediately returning, transport the animal at least five miles from the capture site. When releasing the mole, open the trap in a secluded spot, allowing the animal to immediately burrow into the soil and quickly re-establish itself.
To discourage future moles from colonizing your yard, non-lethal deterrents should be employed as a long-term strategy. Castor oil treatments are effective because they do not harm the mole but instead taint the taste of its primary food source, earthworms, making the area unappealing. Apply commercial castor oil granules or a liquid mixture directly to the soil, ensuring it is thoroughly watered in to saturate the ground. Solar-powered sonic or vibration devices also find success, as they emit low-frequency sounds or vibrations into the soil that irritate the mole’s sensitive hearing and encourage it to move elsewhere.