Title: Moles Management Guidelines--UC IPM
Headings: 
How to Manage Pests
Pests in Gardens and Landscapes
Moles
IDENTIFICATION AND BIOLOGY
LEGAL STATUS
MANAGEMENT
REFERENCES
PUBLICATION INFORMATION

Content: very few traps are effective for both animals. Understanding mole behavior helps improve the efficacy of trapping. To be effective, the trap must be set to catch the mole underground. When a mole's sensitive snout encounters a foreign object in the burrow, the mole is likely to plug off that portion and dig around or under the object. Therefore, traps should be set to straddle or encircle the tunnel or be suspended above it. Moles are undeterred by soil blocks in the tunnel, which occur naturally from cave-ins, and will continue digging through them rather than around them. The upward pressure of the mole's body or the movement of soil against a triggering plate springs the trap. Moles are active throughout the year and can be trapped at any time. Before setting mole traps, determine which runways are currently in use. Moles dig a system of deep tunnels that are more or less permanently used as well as a network of surface runs used for feeding.