Lawns with moles means that your lawn is healthy so seeing those mole tunnels does have an upside. However, moles burrow tunnels making your lawn unstable. When you walk across your yard you will find mounds of raised lawn as well as spots where your foot sinks. Moles are attracted to lawns where grubs and earthworms are plentiful which happens to be in lawns with great nutrients and fertile soil. How can you have a healthy lawn and prevent moles? If your lawn has attracted moles, use this guide to fix your lawn!

Step 1: Get rid of the Moles

The first thing you must do to fix lawn with moles is to get rid of the pesky little creatures. In many states hunting them with poison, weapons, and loop traps is illegal. More humane options include trapping and creating a soil environment that does not encourage the moles to make your lawn their home. If you have outdoor dogs or cats, these pets also help to get rid of moles, although that may not be the most pleasant way to get rid of a mole infestation.

If you are having trouble getting rid of moles, try contacting your local animal control or wildlife experts for tips or help. Some cities have companies that provide wildlife relief such as removing moles, raccoons, possums, snakes, turtles and other creatures from people’s homes and property.

Once you feel like you have gotten rid of most of the moles, use your foot or a shovel to collapse the tunnels.

Step 2: Moisture Control

Once you have trapped and relocated the moles to somewhere like a forest or field far from town you need to focus on moisture control in your lawn. Over watering your lawn brings the worms and grubs to the surface which attracts moles. These soil organisms are the staple of a mole’s diet. Make sure that your lawn is not getting more than 1 inch of water each week. You can measure using a rain gauge or by putting containers throughout your lawn that will collect any water falling on the lawn.

Another way to control the moisture in your yard is to only water early in the morning. This way the water will soak the ground but dry on the surface as the sun rises higher. Water just 2-3 times per week when there is no precipitation. You want to make sure that you water deeply, less frequently.

Step 3: Plant a Garden

Some neighborhoods are plentiful with moles and trying to get rid of them can be a lifelong struggle. Instead, discourage moles from coming into your yard by planting border gardens. Moles are detracted by the scent of marigolds, daffodils, garlic, shallots, onions, castor bean plants, and other types of flowers and weeds. Castor beans should not be panted where children or outdoor pets can get into them because it is considered poisonous. Castor oil is a non-lethal method of mole-eradication however.

Step 4: Role the Yard

Your yard will need to be evenly flattened after you get rid of the moles and have moisture levels under control. Yard rollers are available that allow you to fill water inside the machine to adjust the weight. The tunnels and mole hills will be collapsed completely, and air pockets will be closed so that your lawn does not dry out and go dormant.

Step 5: Topdressing

After your yard is leveled using the yard roller you may still have some spots that are lower than others. You can fill in these spots with topdressing. This is a topsoil that is made using 1/3 sand, 1/3 compost, 1/3 loamy soil. You can also purchase topsoil premixed at garden centers.

Topdressing helps fill in spots up to 2 inches and provides rich nutrients for the soil underneath. If you are worried about the moles coming back, you can leave out the compost as it will attract worms and grubs to the surface and use peat instead.

Step 6: Seeding

After you have a completely level yard again you will most likely have patches and lines throughout your yard where no grass is growing. Saturate the lawn with water after this is done to help with settling of any topsoil that you put down. Next, you are ready to lay seed.

First you must choose the right kind of seed for your lawn. There are grass species that grow better in shade while others require more sunlight throughout the day. Some grasses are temperature sensitive or naturally more drought resistant. You should also make sure that you choose a grass seed that is native to your region. You can ask a lawn care expert about the right kinds of grass for your region or ask the staff at your local environmental protection offices.

Follow these 6 steps to fix your lawn with moles and you will have a healthy, green, lush lawn again in no time!