The short version
Moles are usually one to three animals. Find an active tunnel, then trap it. Repellents and sonic stakes rarely work.
- Usually one to three moles.
- Find an active runway first.
- Traps work best; repellents rarely do.
- Moles eat earthworms, not plants.
- Fix the lawn after trapping.
Anyone in Portsmouth watching their lawn get dug up.
What to look for
Moles don't eat plants. They hunt earthworms and grubs. Their tunnels lift turf, dry out roots and trip people up. Moles around Portsmouth are busiest in spring and fall. They tunnel near the surface after rain. One mole can dig a lot of tunnel.
- 1Raised ridges across the lawn.
- 2Round, volcano-shaped dirt mounds.
- 3Spongy patches underfoot.
- 4Tunnels along walkways and beds.
- 5Fresh mounds after rain.
- 6Dead turf strips over tunnels.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Tunnels spread across the lawn.
- Mounds make mowing harder.
- Ridges become trip hazards.
- New moles move into empty tunnels.
Treatment options and typical costs
Runway Identification and Activity Survey
$75–$200
Not every ridge is active. Moles abandon many feeding tunnels after one pass. The survey finds the main runways connecting nests to feeding areas. Those straight, long-used tunnels are where control in Portsmouth works best.
- Time
- 45–90 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; trapping fails without it
Lawn, Moisture, and Bed Exclusion Work
$150–$450 depending on scope
A pro may suggest aerating and fixing wet spots. Drier, firmer soil holds fewer worms near the surface. That makes the yard a poorer feeding ground.
- Time
- 1–4 hours
- Best for
- Repeat problems; protecting beds and small areas
Mole-Labeled Baits
$100–$300 per application
Ask any Portsmouth provider what product they use and to confirm it is labeled for moles. Label directions are legally binding, and off-label use is not acceptable. Used correctly, baits give Portsmouth yards a second tool alongside traps.
- Time
- 30–45 minutes
- Best for
- Large or hard-to-trap areas; used exactly as labeled
Active-Runway Trapping
$150–$400 per visit; multi-visit plans $300–$900
Because a single mole can cover a large area, one yard in Portsmouth often holds only one or two animals. Trapping removes them one by one and confirms success. Most Portsmouth providers plan on several rechecks before calling a job finished.
- Time
- 30–60 minutes per visit, over several visits
- Best for
- Most yards; the most reliable method
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Round, volcano-shaped mounds come from deeper mole tunnels. Gopher mounds are crescent-shaped with a plugged hole.Which moles live around Portsmouth.
Hairy-tailed moles prefer woods. Moles are insectivores, not rodents. They eat earthworms and grubs, not roots. The eastern mole is the one digging up lawns around Portsmouth. It's gray, about six inches long, with big spade-like front feet. Star-nosed moles favor wet spots here.
When they tunnel.
Frozen ground in winter sends them deeper. Summer heat and drought also push them down.
Raised ridges are feeding tunnels just under the turf. Many are used once and abandoned.Finding an active tunnel.
If it's raised again, it's active. Main runways often follow edges: walks, fences and beds. Lawns from Portsmouth out to Dover and Rochester show the same pattern. Look for fresh ridges and mounds after rain. Step down a short stretch of tunnel and mark it. Check it in a day or two.
A year of moles in Portsmouth.
- Fall: a second burst near the surface. - Winter: lows near 16°F in Portsmouth. Ground freezes; moles go deep. - Spring: peak tunneling. Best time to trap. - Summer: highs near 80°F in Portsmouth push moles deeper.
Mole, gopher or vole?
- Vole: surface runways and small holes in the grass. - Damage: moles don’t eat plants; gophers and voles do. - Mole: raised ridges and round, volcano-like mounds. - Gopher: crescent-shaped mounds with a plugged hole.
What works, and what doesn’t.
- Rarely: castor oil, sonic stakes, gum or flooding. - Rarely alone: grub control, since they mostly eat earthworms. - Works: traps set in active runways. - Sometimes: labeled baits, used deep in tunnels.
Protecting garden beds.
Bury quarter-inch hardware cloth around beds, about two feet deep. Bend the bottom edge outward. Raised beds can get a mesh floor before you fill them. It's work up front, but it lasts for years.
Lawn care that helps.
Water deeply but less often. Constantly wet lawns draw earthworms, and moles follow. Healthy turf recovers from tunnels faster. Grub control alone rarely moves moles on.
Signs the problem is over.
- Traps stay untouched for several checks. - New ridges? Another mole may have moved in. - No new mounds for two weeks. - Stepped-down runways stay flat.
Choosing a trap.
- Tunnel traps: sit inside a dug-out runway. - Placement: main runways beat fresh feeding ridges. - Rules: check what your state allows first. - Scissor traps: set straddling an active runway. - Harpoon traps: set on top of a pressed-down ridge.
Mole myths.
- Moles eat bulbs: no, voles using their tunnels do. - Many mounds, many moles: usually it’s one or two. - Flooding tunnels: they just dig new ones. - Chewing gum in tunnels: no evidence it works. - Castor oil: may move them briefly, not away.
Moles aren’t all bad.
Moles loosen and aerate soil. They eat grubs and other insect larvae. A mole in a field may be fine to leave. In a front lawn or garden, most people want them gone.
Fixing the lawn afterward.
Wait until the mole is caught. Rake mounds flat and step ridges down. Water to settle the soil. Overseed bare spots in spring or fall.
Moles, kids and pets.
Moles don't bite unless handled. Keep kids and pets away from traps. Baits must go deep in tunnels, exactly as the label says. Digging dogs can wreck a lawn faster than moles.
What a mole visit looks like.
The tech walks the lawn and maps the tunnels. They test which runways are active. Traps go into the main runways. They check traps every day or two.
Moles, voles or gophers?
- Gophers: crescent-shaped mounds with a plugged hole. - Chipmunks: small clean holes with no soil around them. - Moles: raised ridges and round, volcano-shaped mounds. - Voles: narrow surface runways through the grass.
Watering and moles.
Moles follow moist soil, where worms rise near the surface. Water deeply and less often instead of a little every day. Fix leaky sprinklers that leave soggy corners.
Flower beds and borders.
Moles tunnel under beds looking for worms, not to eat plants. Plants wilt when their roots are left hanging in air pockets. Press tunnels down firmly and water to settle the soil.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- How often will you check traps? - What if another mole moves in? - Is lawn repair included? - Is it a mole, gopher or vole? - Which method will you use?
Moles by the numbers.
For Portsmouth homes, because moles are solitary, several fresh ridges usually mean more than one animal. For Portsmouth homes, before you hire, walk the yard and flatten a few ridges with your foot, then check back the next day — the ones that are raised again are the active runs a plan should target. For Portsmouth homes, moles do not eat plants; they tunnel for earthworms, grubs, and soil insects, and the ridges they leave behind are what most people notice. For Portsmouth homes, tunnels often run just under the surface, with deeper nesting chambers below, and a single mole can maintain an extensive system across a yard.
What affects the price
- Irrigation and drainage corrections.
- Buried barriers for raised beds or gardens.
- Provider type: wildlife operator versus lawn company.
- Soil type: rocky or clay ground slows trap sets.
- Single visit versus a multi-visit trapping plan.
- Mole-labeled bait applications added to trapping.
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What bothers you most about moles?
When to call for help
if you can't find an active runway. A pro can usually catch the mole within a few visits. Call if new mounds keep appearing for more than a week.
What you can do yourself
Skip sonic stakes, gum and flooding. Trapping yourself can work. Set the trap exactly as the instructions say.
Moles in Portsmouth
For Portsmouth homes, parks, ballfields and watered yards see the most tunneling. For Portsmouth homes, the humid continental climate means moles activity tends to follow spring and fall; active year-round in mild soil, so scheduling the visit before the busy stretch usually means a faster response and a cleaner quote. With about 48 inches of rain a year, Portsmouth keeps soil soft and full of earthworms, which moles love. Winter lows near 16°F in Portsmouth freeze the ground, so moles go deeper until spring.
Local research
Moles in Portsmouth, NH: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which moles actually live in New Hampshire, when they are busiest around Portsmouth, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Mole species recorded in New Hampshire
- Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) — Northeast and Great Lakes; wet soils; up to 7 young.
- Hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri) — Northeastern uplands.
When moles are busiest around Portsmouth
Moles remain active all year; mounds appear right after snowmelt and activity subsides as the ground dries in late spring.
UNH Extension recommends trapping in an active runway as the only practical control, and says peaceful coexistence is often the best strategy since mole activity subsides as soil dries.
Rules that apply in New Hampshire
Sources: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Family, Home & Garden Education Center; Moles; Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep moles away
- Edge beds with buried hardware cloth.
- Check for fresh mounds after rain.
- Act early in spring.
- Fix tunnels only after trapping.
- Skip sonic stakes and castor oil.
Ask what the quote covers if another mole moves in after the first one is caught.Did you know?
Moles can tunnel quickly through soft soil in soft soil
Mole mounds have no hole; gopher mounds do
Questions people ask
What kind of traps do professionals use?
Usually scissor or harpoon traps set in active runways. They're the most reliable method.
Do I need a permit to trap moles?
Rules vary by state. Ask a local company what's allowed in New Hampshire.
Are mole baits safe around pets and children?
Use them only as the label directs, deep in tunnels. Traps are often the safer choice.
What is the difference between mole and gopher damage?
Moles push up round, volcano-like mounds and raised ridges. Gophers leave crescent-shaped mounds with a plugged hole to one side.
Can I just flood the tunnels or fill them in?
It rarely works. Moles dig new tunnels or move a few feet away.
Does chewing gum get rid of moles?
Moles feed on earthworms and grubs, not gum. For Portsmouth homes, time spent on folk remedies is better spent setting traps in the active runs. No. For Portsmouth homes, there is no evidence that chewing gum kills or repels moles, and this folk remedy keeps showing up despite having no basis in how moles actually eat.
Do mole exterminators charge per mole?
For Portsmouth homes, per-animal pricing means the bill scales with how many are caught, while a flat-rate program covers the whole job regardless. For Portsmouth homes, ask which structure the provider uses, since the two can produce very different totals. Some do.
When are moles most active in Portsmouth?
Spring and fall, especially after rain. Frozen winter ground sends them deep.
Are moles common in Portsmouth?
Yes.
Nearby cities
Related guides
Sources (5)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Mole Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides