How To Get Rid Of Moles In Your Lawn The Right Way

If you've ever walked across your lawn only to feel it sink slightly underfoot, or spotted winding ridges of upheaved soil crisscrossing your yard, chances are you're dealing with moles. These underground nuisances can quickly blemish a pristine lawn, leaving behind a mess of molehills and tunneled turf. Homeowners desperate to get rid of moles often turn to grub control, assuming that by removing a mole's food source it will solve the problem. Unfortunately, that's not how mole control works.

In this article, I will break down the best way to eliminate moles, through effective baiting, and explain why grub control won’t eliminate moles or their tunnels. 

If you're tired of guessing and ready to reclaim your lawn, keep reading.


Mounds of dirt in a lawn caused by mole tunneling is a common sight in spring or fall where moles are active.

Understanding the Mole Problem

Before jumping into solutions, let’s talk about what moles actually are and what motivates them. Moles are small, insectivorous mammals that live almost their entire lives underground. They have a highly developed sense of touch in their snouts and poor eyesight. They are not rodents, and contrary to popular belief, they are not eating your plants. They are voracious insect eaters, especially fond of earthworms but also consuming other soil-dwelling insects like beetle larvae (commonly known as grubs).

A single mole can tunnel up to 100 feet per day, not in search of a place to live, but in search of food. Their tunnels are essentially a dining path, and they return to areas with plentiful food repeatedly.

Why Grub Control Doesn’t Work for Mole Removal

Many homeowners are sold the idea that if you kill the grubs, you eliminate the moles. The reality is much more complicated. Here's why grub control fails as a mole control strategy:

1. Grubs Aren’t The Only Food Source For Moles
While moles do eat grubs, they primarily consume earthworms, which make up as much as 70-90% of their diet. Most grub control products do not affect earthworms, meaning your lawn remains an all-you-can-eat buffet for moles.
2. Moles Don’t Leave Immediately
Even if your grub control product reduces grub populations, moles will stick around as long as there are worms or other insects available to eat. Removing grubs doesn’t instantly make your lawn less attractive to moles, it just slightly reduces the snack variety.
3. Grub Control is Preventative, Not Curative
Products like imidacloprid or chlorantraniliprole, commonly found in grub control treatments, are best used before grub populations get out of control. These products work slowly and may take weeks to fully impact the grub population in your lawn. By that time, the moles have already made themselves at home.
4. Misuse Leads to Frustration
Misapplying grub control, or expecting it to work as a mole killer, often leads to wasted time and money. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to use grub products year after year, wondering why they still have mole tunnels.

Bottom line: Grub control does not eliminate moles. 

A grub control product may reduce one part of a moles diet, but it does nothing to directly remove the root cause of your lawn problem, the moles themselves.

The Correct Way to Get Rid of Moles: Baiting

If you want to get rid of moles in your lawn fast and effectively, mole baiting is the most proven and direct method. Unlike deterrents or repellent products, which often have inconsistent results, mole baiting targets the mole directly.

Here’s how to bait moles the right way:

1. Choose the Right Bait
Not all mole baits are created equal. The most effective baits mimic a mole’s natural food, specifically, earthworms. Products such as Talpirid or Tomcat Mole Killer Worms are formulated to resemble real worms in both texture and appearance.
2. Locate Active Tunnels
You don’t want to randomly place a mole bait throughout your yard. You need to find active mole tunnels. Here's how:
• Flatten several tunnel ridges by stepping on them.
• Mark them with small flags or sticks.
• Check back in 24 hours—if the tunnel is raised again, it's active.
Active tunnels are the perfect spot to place your mole bait.
3. Apply Mole Bait Correctly
Once you’ve identified an active tunnel:
• Use a small rod or dowel to poke a hole in the tunnel.
• Drop the bait worm directly into the tunnel.
• Carefully cover the hole with soil or grass to block out light but avoid collapsing the tunnel.
Do not handle bait worms with your bare hands, as human scent can make them less attractive. Use gloves or the tool provided with the product.
4. Monitor and Repeat as Needed
It may take a few days for the mole to find the bait, but once ingested, the mole will typically expire in its tunnel. Continue monitoring your lawn. If new tunnels appear, repeat the process in the new active mole tunnels.


Active mole tunnel killing grass. | Tom Morgan, Owen Tree & Lawn Care


Tips for Long-Term Mole Control

• Don’t fall for home remedies like chewing gum, castor oil sprays, or vibrating stakes. These rarely work and may just drive the mole to a different part of your yard.
• Limit irrigation to avoid overly moist soil, which attracts both moles and their primary food source - earthworms.
• Avoid overusing insecticides as they can harm beneficial insects and earthworms, damaging your soil ecosystem and potentially making things worse.

Conclusion: Bait, Don’t Guess

When it comes to lawn mole removal, stop guessing and start targeting the problem. Baiting moles with earthworm-style poison is the most effective method for quickly and permanently resolving a mole infestation. Don’t be misled by myths because grub control won’t get rid of moles, and it never has. If moles are making a mess of your landscape, it’s time to take the correct approach and tackle the problem directly.

Use this guide as your roadmap to a mole-free lawn and remember: the right method today will save you time, money, and frustration tomorrow. Need a price for a season-long mole control baiting program for your lawn? Call Owen Tree & Lawn Care today!