Purdue Extension - Elkhart County

For release the week of Monday, Sept. 27, 2004

 

            Last week many people were asking questions about moles and grubs.  Everyone wants to know the secret to ridding your lawn of these pests.

            Moles are a mammal, just like dogs, cows and people.  They feed on insects that live under the ground.  Their feeding tears up the lawn.  Many people believe that to rid your lawns of moles, you simply need to use an insecticide, which in theory will cause them to move along due to the lack of food.  In truth, using an insecticide does not work, and often increases the level of damage in a lawn, because the mole must push its way through more grass roots to find enough insects to fill its belly.

            The best way to rid your lawn of moles is to use traps.  Many people tell me they have had little success with traps, but I counter the secret is in knowing how to use traps properly.  The animal control companies use traps very effectively.  The secret is to place the traps in the correct location, keeping the traps clean and free of human scents, and moving the traps frequently to assure the traps are being used on the most recent feeding runs.  Professional mole trappers often mark the active runs with flags, and visit the site once a day to check on the progress of the trapping.  New mounds and runs are flagged, the traps are moved, and the process begins again.  More information about moles can be found at Purdue’s wildlife control website at www.entm.purdue.edu/wildlife/wild.htm or by contacting the Purdue Extension Office in your county. 

            White grub damage is showing up in many lawns in the county. Some of the damage caused by grubs is still reversible if the grubs are treated soon and the turfgrass is pampered with irrigation and fertilizer during these last few weeks of fall growth.  Dylox is the best product to apply at this late date for grub control. Most other chemicals do not work well on large grubs. Be sure to water it in thoroughly if possible.  Keep in mind that Dylox sometimes requires 7-10 days to kill the grubs after application so don't be in too big of a hurry to apply a second application thinking the first didn't work.  More information on grub control can be found at Purdue’s entomology website, www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/ext/index.htm.