SEATTLE — Molehills can be an unsightly nuisance in your lawn or garden, but ousting the pesky little critters can be quite the task. While moles can benefit the landscapes and ecosystems they inhabit with their tunneling and diet of pests, you might not want them within your fence line.
While moles are unclassified, meaning that people may trap or kill them on their own property when they are causing damage to crops, domestic animals, or property, traditionally used mole traps are illegal in Washington State due to their body-gripping design. However, there are other methods that can get the job done, including mole bait, gas cartridges, and flooding. It is best to focus your efforts in the late winter and early spring before moles give birth for ideal, yet humane, results.
Chris Anderson, a wildlife biologist for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, shares more about moles and explains how you can manage their presence responsibly.
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