Moles

[Intrepid1]

I have a ranch in the foothills and the hayfields are surrounded by native grass. The moles like the most productive fields and are very thick there. I live in the chinook zones and the soil is very shallow. I use direct seeding and try to avoid deep cultivation or the rocks start growing. If anyone would like to volunteer to trap moles on a quarter section of hay land the help would be much appreciated!!!!!

[Mufferaw]

From what I have seen alfalfa thins out on lighter sandier soil regardless if there are moles or not. On heavier land the alfalfa is far more persistent. Similarly moles like the lighter soils better - easier digging I guess. I have never added N to hayland other than a couple acres this year - alfalfa was always the N source. Best results I have seen for jump start hayland is pig manure. Adds all the macro and mirco nutrients.

[Intrepid1]

What I am considering is just single line (or every 25ft) of the ammonia to be release into the tunnels the moles create as one drives along and reduce their numbers. Wondering how to build or find a machine to do it.

[Mufferaw]

Find used mid row banders and mount on an old cultivator frame mounted with those "mole hill" shovels _ I forget you makes them and you should be ready to roll

[hgb]

Anhydrous may help control moles but is not a solution. We have a small anhydrous tank with hose and wand, and gassed new mounds in a hay field with very limited results. With the results we have seen doing individual holes, I don't think the results from banding will do much to control the moles. This system works great on gophers as there runs are open, doing mole runs is much more difficult as they put up tunnel blocks regularly. Best mole control is trapping very time consuming but worth it to start on new fields as they are put into production.

[grassfarmer]

I trapped moles for a while on our place and it was going quite well, surprising with half a dozen traps moved every day how quickly you can cover the ground. Then we ran into a couple of problems - first a coyote learned there was an easy meal if they dug the trap up so my traps kept being dug up or disappearing - often to turn up later quite a distance away. Second problem was the moles got really established along the riverbanks in terrain where it is much harder to find the mounds and trap. Out on open country I didn't find it that hard to keep ahead of them.

[Mufferaw]

So let's say that one can stay ahead of the moles. What have others done to make the field smother after the fact.

[Intrepid1]

I know there is no simple answer to controlling them. For smoothing fields in spring I rent a land roller.