A single mole can dig up to 100 feet of tunnels per day. By the time most West Des Moines homeowners notice the raised ridges and volcano-shaped mounds appearing across their lawn, the damage is already significant. Moles are solitary and insectivorous — they’re not after your plants, they’re after the grubs and earthworms in your soil. But the structural damage they do to lawns is real and worsens fast. Miller Pest Solutions uses professional trapping and baiting methods to remove moles from your property.

Signs of a Mole Infestation

  • Raised surface ridges / runways — The most distinctive sign: raised, winding tunnels just below the surface, often visible as elevated lines across the lawn
  • Volcano-shaped mounds — Cone-shaped or rounded mounds of loose dirt pushed up from deeper tunneling activity (different from the flat, horseshoe-shaped mounds of gophers)
  • Soft, spongy turf — The ground feels soft and gives underfoot in areas with active tunneling beneath
  • Dead or dying grass strips — Surface tunnels sever grass roots, causing brown, dying strips following the tunnel path
  • Heaved or disrupted soil near garden beds — Moles tunnel through any soil with good earthworm and grub content, including garden borders

Why Moles Are Common in West Des Moines

Moles follow the food. West Des Moines’s well-watered lawns and Iowa’s fertile soil support dense earthworm and soil insect populations — exactly what moles eat. Rich, loamy soil is easier to tunnel through and harbors more prey. Properties with high organic matter, regular irrigation, or grub problems are especially attractive.

Iowa’s climate is near-ideal for moles. Warm, moist springs and summers keep earthworms near the surface, making surface tunneling productive. Moles are active year-round — they just dig deeper in winter as the frost line drops, and return to the surface when the ground thaws in spring.

Because moles are solitary, having multiple tunnel systems doesn’t necessarily mean multiple moles — one mole can create an extensive network quickly.

Our Mole Control Process

Miller Pest Solutions uses professional trapping and baiting to remove moles. Home remedies — pinwheels, castor oil granules, vibrating stakes — rarely work on established moles and don’t produce reliable results. Professional methods do.

  • Tunnel assessment — We identify active runs versus abandoned tunnels, which is critical to effective trap placement
  • Trapping — Professional-grade traps set in confirmed active tunnels — the most reliable removal method
  • Baiting — Worm-shaped or grub-shaped bait placed in active tunnels can be effective, especially in extensive tunnel systems
  • Follow-up — We check traps and assess activity. Mole control isn’t a one-visit job — we monitor and adjust as needed.

Why Choose Miller Pest Solutions

Miller Pest Solutions has been serving central Iowa since 2001. Joel Miller has been in pest control since 2007 and has handled mole problems across the Des Moines metro and surrounding communities. We’re QualityPro Certified and NPMA members. Free phone bids — no pressure, no surprises on pricing.

Get a Free Phone Bid Today

Don’t let one mole turn your lawn into a tunnel system. Call Miller Pest Solutions at (515) 329-8801 for a free phone bid on mole control in West Des Moines, IA. We serve West Des Moines and surrounding central Iowa communities.

Visit millerthekiller.com to learn more.