How to Catch Lawn Rodents, Moles and Gophers

Moles and gophers can destroy your yard.

If your property becomes infested with gophers or moles, it can be a headache. The animals burrow through your yard, destroying root systems as they go. They can kill grass, or at the least make a mess of it. You could contact a professional exterminator to rid your yard of pest, but hiring someone can be expensive. Another option is to catch them yourself using store-bought or homemade traps.

Things You'll Need

• Pole
• Trowel
• Soap
• Water
• Twine
• Stake
• Cardboard
• Tarp
• Large glass jar
• Board

Instructions

Catching Gophers

1. Locate the gopher's tunnel. Stick a pole into the ground until you find the tunnel. Tunnels will feel different than undisturbed ground since a pole will sink through the soil with little or no resistance.

2. Dig into the ground using a trowel or a shovel until you reach the top of the gopher tunnel. Do not make the hole too large.

3. Clear away any debris or dirt build up on either side of the tunnel.

4. Wash your gopher trap using soap and water to remove your scent before inserting the trap into the hole. Traps can be purchased at home improvement and hardware stores.

5. Tie a piece of twine to each trap inserted into holes. Tie the other end of each piece of twine to a stake set in the ground above the tunnel. Pull the twine to remove traps from the ground once you have caught a gopher or other rodent.

6. Covered the other end of the tunnel with cardboard or tarp. If the hole is not covered, the gopher could abandon the hole and avoid the trap.

7. Check your trap every two to three days. Remove any trapped gophers and release them into the wild.

Catching Moles

1. Locate the mole tunnel or tunnels. Mole tunnels create hollow spaces just under the surface of the lawn, and often grass will not grow on the tunnels.
   Stick a pole into the ground to locate patches of soil that are hollow just under the surface. The soil will offer little resistance to the pole.

2. Dig into the tunnel and create a space large enough for a large jar. Be careful when you are digging not to collapse the tunnel.

3. The mouth of the jar should be even with the mole tunnel floor. Clear away excess debris that leads into the tunnel from any angle. Debris may have built up when you were digging the tunnel or inserting the jar.

4. Cover the hole you dug into the tunnel's roof with a board.

5. Check the trap one to two times a day. Eventually a mole will run through the tunnel, fall into the jar and be unable to climb back out. Once you catch a mole, release it away from your property.

Tips & Warnings

• If a trap does not yield a catch within four to five days, move the trap to another location.

• Using multiple traps will increase your chances of catching a pest.

• For other small rodents, purchase a rodent trap from a home improvement or hardware store and follow the specific instructions. For most small rodents, such as mice and rats, place a trap with bait above ground and the rodent will enter the trap for the bait.

• Use great care when removing traps and releasing animals. Wear protective work gloves to help avoid bites and scratches.

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References

• E Pest Supply: Moles and Gophers