Mole control in Randburg starts with identifying the digger. Golden moles leave raised ridges just under the lawn as they hunt grubs and worms; mole-rats push up heaps of soil and eat bulbs and roots. We work out which one you have, treat the active tunnels and show you how to make the garden less attractive.
Why Randburg gardens attract them
The older suburbs in Randburg have deep, established gardens: thick kikuyu lawns, flowerbeds that have been composted for decades, and irrigation that keeps the soil soft through the dry months. Soft, moist, well-fed soil full of earthworms and beetle larvae is exactly what a golden mole looks for. The newer estates and complexes around Northriding and Olivedale, with their big irrigated common lawns laid over former veld, see plenty of activity as well, because the animals were already living in that ground before it was landscaped.
Golden mole or mole-rat?
People call both of them moles, but they live very differently and the damage looks different.
- Golden moles are small insect-eaters. They tunnel just below the surface, lifting the turf into long, soft ridges that you can press flat with your foot. They're after earthworms and grubs, not your plants, but the ridges dry out the grass roots and make the lawn bumpy and patchy.
- Mole-rats are rodents that feed on roots, bulbs and tubers. They dig deeper and push the soil up into round heaps rather than ridges. If your bulbs disappear, a shrub suddenly wilts for no obvious reason, or vegetables are pulled down from below, a mole-rat is the likely culprit.
Getting this right is the whole job. Methods aimed at a root-eating mole-rat do nothing to an insect-eating golden mole, and the other way round.
When the digging happens
Activity tends to jump after the first summer rains, when soil softens and earthworms come up closer to the surface, and again in any season where irrigation keeps one patch of lawn wetter than the rest. In a dry Highveld winter, a well-watered garden in a street of brown lawns can attract animals from neighbouring properties. That's why many Randburg owners notice the problem in the one part of the garden they look after best.
How we handle it
- Inspection. We walk the lawn and beds to find fresh ridges and heaps, and test which tunnels are in active use.
- Identification. Ridges or heaps, damage to roots or not, depth of the tunnels. This tells us which animal we're dealing with.
- Targeted treatment of the active runs. We concentrate on the tunnels being used now, not the old ones, and choose a method that suits the animal and the property, with children and pets in mind.
- Garden advice. For golden moles, less food in the soil means fewer visits, so we talk you through what's feeding them. For mole-rats, we suggest ways to protect bulb beds and vegetable gardens.
- Follow-up where needed. New activity from a neighbour's garden is common, so we check back if fresh ridges or heaps appear.
What people get wrong
The usual home remedies are flooding the tunnels with a hosepipe, pushing car exhaust or smoke bombs into the holes, or planting a row of something said to repel them. Flooding often just softens the soil and makes digging easier. Smoke and fumes leak through the tunnel system and rarely reach the animal. Repellent plants, sonic spikes and pinwheels might move activity a few metres along the lawn. It's also easy to mistake old tunnels for active ones and spend weeks treating empty runs.
Mole damage or termites?
Bare lawn patches in winter aren't always moles. Harvester termites cut the grass and leave small holes with loose soil around them rather than ridges or big mounds. If your lawn is thinning without any raised ridges, read our page on harvester and subterranean termites in Randburg before treating for moles.
A Randburg tip
Water deeply and less often rather than a light sprinkle every evening. Constantly damp topsoil pulls earthworms up to just under the grass, which is exactly where golden moles hunt. Deeper, less frequent watering keeps the lawn healthy through winter without turning the top few centimetres into a feeding ground.
What mole control costs, and why
The price depends on the size of the garden, how many active runs there are, which animal it is and whether follow-up visits are needed when neighbours' gardens keep supplying new animals. A single run across a small lawn is a short job; a large estate common area with activity in several places takes more time. Check our Johannesburg price guide for where mole work starts; the guide "from" price is shown here too. If you've seen one ridge after a storm and nothing since, it may be worth waiting a week to see whether it's a passing visitor.
For more on how these animals behave across the city, see mole control in Johannesburg. We deal with the same problem in Fourways estates and gardens, and the complexes covered on our Northriding pest control page see it regularly. For everything else we treat in the area, visit Randburg pest control.
Combat Pest Control has been run by owner Jason van Heerden for 25 years. We're SAPCA registered, registered with the Department of Agriculture, and offer service within 24 hours. Send us a photo of the ridges or heaps on WhatsApp, or call 084 200 2700, and we'll tell you which digger you've got.
Questions we get asked
How much does mole control cost?
It depends on the size of the garden, the number of active runs and which animal it is. A small lawn with one run costs less than a large common area with activity in several spots. We give you a price once we've seen it.
Are moles eating my plants?
Golden moles don't; they eat earthworms and grubs, although their tunnels damage grass roots. Mole-rats do eat bulbs, roots and tubers, so wilting plants and missing bulbs point to a mole-rat.
Is the treatment safe for my dogs?
We choose methods with pets and children in mind and work in the active tunnels rather than on open lawn. We'll tell you if any area needs to be kept clear for a while.
Will the moles come back?
They can, especially if a neighbouring garden has activity. Changing how you water and protecting bulb beds reduces the chance, and we check back if fresh activity appears.
Do sonic spikes or castor oil plants work?
Rarely for long. At best they push activity a few metres away. Identifying the animal and treating the active runs works far better.
When is the best time to deal with moles?
As soon as you see fresh ridges or heaps, because active tunnels are easiest to treat. Waiting lets the tunnel system spread across more of the lawn.