CORVALLIS, Ore. — Spring brings buds and blooms, and it also brings moles, voles and gophers.
“How you deal with them depends on what you have. The traps are different and so are the baits you would use.”
These small mammals send gardeners to their knees to peer into tunnels, set traps and try everything from kitty litter to gum. Many people battle the critters before they know what they’re fighting, which can lead to frustration.
“How you deal with them depends on what you have,” said Dana Sanchez, a wildlife specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “The traps are different and so are the baits you would use.”
Moles, voles and gophers all create tunnels and are active underground, but what they eat and the damage they cause varies. They also improve soil by aerating it and mixing nutrients, though their habits can put them at odds with gardeners.
- Gophers favor bulbs and roots.
- Voles go for grass and also gnaw on shrubs and stems near their holes and runways.
- Moles — rarely seen — prefer non-plant food such as worms, grubs and insects.
“People say moles are eating my garden, but moles are adapted for swimming through the soil to hunt prey,” Sanchez said. “They tunnel through looking for worms, grubs and insects.”
Mole tunnels can harm plants when runways create paths around roots, and the mounds of soil frustrate homeowners and interfere with mowing. Gophers — about the size of ground squirrels — will even eat whole plants.
“If you see a plant disappear,” Sanchez said, “it’s a gopher. They’re famous for pulling things below ground.”
Though voles live in small tunnels, they also spend time above ground eating grass and nibbling other plants. The mouse-size voles leave many small holes and connecting runways through the damaged grass they’ve been dining on.
How to tell them apart
The type of mound is a clue:
- Mole mounds are volcanic and rounded.
- Gopher mounds are flatter on top, fan-shaped with the hole off to the side.
“The important part is for people to assess the level of damage with the level of control,” Sanchez said. “Is having a few holes in the lawn enough of a problem that you need to take action?”
Research-based control methods
For those who choose control, Sanchez advised sticking to research-based methods. Gadgets and homemade recipes have not been shown scientifically to work.
- Voles: Mousetraps can be set at the entrance to their tunnels, but high reproduction rates make control difficult.
- Moles: Scissor-jaw traps are recommended.
- Gophers: Two-pronged pincher traps are effective.
Outside Oregon, check regulations first. Some states restrict or prohibit certain traps.
To set traps effectively, find an active tunnel by probing about six inches down near a fresh mound. You can also press down mounds to close them and wait for a fresh one to appear, then set traps in the nearby tunnel.
Prevention and safety tips
In raised beds, deter moles and gophers by installing welded-wire barriers on the bottom. Tilling in rows between crops may also help.
Using baits is an option, Sanchez said, but baits can be dangerous to pets and other animals. As with all pesticides, read the label carefully before use.
More information on voles and gophers is available in the publication Meadow voles and pocket gophers: Management in lawns, gardens, and croplands.
