How to Tell If Moles Are in Your Lawn

Why a mound does not always mean a mole

Most people notice moles only after a patch of lawn has been turned into a scatter of soil heaps overnight. That is usually a fair guess, but earthworm casts, ant hills and the spoil from other burrowing animals can all leave small piles on grass. Before you decide anything, it helps to look closely at the shape of the soil and the pattern it makes across the garden. A calm, careful look now saves time and avoids treating the wrong problem later on.

The signs that point to a mole

A molehill is a rounded cone of fine, crumbly soil, often with no visible hole at the top because the animal plugs the shaft behind it. The soil is usually clean, with few stones or roots, because it has been pushed up from deeper down. Mounds tend to be dotted along the line of a hidden tunnel, so the pattern across the lawn tells you a lot.

• Rounded mounds of loose, finely broken soil, often appearing overnight
• Mounds that sit in a loose line or wander across the lawn
• Raised, spongy ridges where a tunnel runs just under the turf
• Turf that sounds hollow or feels soft underfoot
• Fresh mounds after rain, when the soil is easy to dig

What else it could be

Earthworm casts are small, tight coils of soil and are far smaller than a molehill. Ant nests leave fine, sandy heaps with a visible entrance. Rabbits and voles tend to leave open holes rather than soil cones, and rats usually dig a clear round burrow entrance beside walls or under sheds. If you see open holes with no mound, you are probably not dealing with a mole at all. Looking at the shape, the soil texture and whether there is an open hole usually settles the question within a minute or two.

Where moles tend to turn up in Essex

Moles favour soft, damp ground with plenty of worms. In Essex that includes lawns backing onto farmland and field margins, gardens near the Epping Forest edge, and plots on the lower, damper land around the estuary and rivers. They also appear in new-build estates where turf was laid over disturbed ground, and in older gardens with mature lawns.

Activity is often most obvious in autumn and spring, when the soil is moist and easy to work. In a long dry spell the animal may dig deeper and mounds can become less frequent, which can make people think the problem has gone when it has only gone out of sight. Fresh soil after a wet night is a particularly reliable clue.

What you can safely do yourself

Start by watching rather than acting. Make a note of where fresh mounds appear over a week or two, and take a few photos so the pattern is clear. Look for tunnels by gently pressing along a raised ridge, which will often collapse and show whether it is reopened the next day. Flatten fresh mounds with a rake so you can tell which are new, and keep children and pets away from soft, undermined ground until you know how far the tunnels run.

What not to do

Please avoid home remedies sold as quick fixes, and do not pour anything into tunnels or put anything harmful into the soil. These tend to be unreliable and can harm pets, wildlife and your lawn. Digging up the turf to hunt for the animal rarely works and often makes the damage worse. If you are unsure what you are dealing with, it is better to ask than to guess.

When to call a professional

If the mounds keep appearing, if tunnels are spreading towards a patio, vegetable bed or sports lawn, or if you cannot tell whether it is a mole, we can identify the cause and deal with it properly. A visit lets us confirm the species, trace the tunnel runs and use the right method for your garden. We cover homes and commercial grounds across Essex.