RID-A-MOLE

Grub Control

Some have been led to believe that if you eliminate the grubs from your lawn that this will eliminate the moles. Moles do eat grubs when they are available but grubs are only a portion of the moles diet which also includes earthworms, ants, beetles, slugs, centipedes and other insects found in the soil. This is exactly why moles may still be present in grub-free lawns. The repeated application of pesticides to kill grubs may also kill off the earthworms and other insects that are beneficial to your lawn's health and may be more detrimental to your lawn than the moles themselves. In some cases the moles will create even more damage while working harder to replace the missing food source. Likewise, when you treat the lawn or introduce a foreign substance into a mole tunnel in an attempt to kill the moles (such as poison worms or peanuts) the moles may block that tunnel, push the item out to the surface or temporarily move out of the treated area and come back later. Moles create a home range and continue to expand that home range intersecting with other tunnel systems when doing so and this is another reason why you may find moles in one yard and not another. If the moles are not trapped and physically removed from your lawn they may continue to live and breed in the area for several more years only to return when the food source has built back up. However, if we discover an abundant grub population while trapping we will suggest a grub treatment before you sustain even further lawn damage. This will also help deter digging or "grubbing" in your lawn by skunks, raccoons, and armadillos looking for these tasty morsels.

I have included a link below that includes information on grubs and other turf pests that that can create substantial damage if not addressed.

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G7200