To the professional mole guys.... I’ve been doing moles for 2 years. Usually start getting the calls mid-late may. Well now I’m here starting now. Never done moles this early, how do you decipher what is new and what is not? Usually when I trap the yard has been cut a few times and all the old stuff is smashed down. This time of year it seems their is 4 months of abandon tunnels. Is rolling the yard a good idea? To me it sounds great..Or just go do an evaluation and push all the runs down and mark them to find the active.

Thank you

I have never started this early, I guess I would just knock the mounds down and keep an eye out for any new movement or new mounds or run. I would think rolling the runs down would help. Not a one stop deal this time of the year for sure. Our ground is still frozen this time of year in my area. JMO

Thank you, usually I run a 2-3 day check on moles. May bump it up till I got them figured out

We're still frozen too. That keeps old tunnels looking new, especially in harder soils. Grass roots can't leave you a clue either.

My solution has always been to set more traps. Where 6 might be enough to cover a yard in the runner, you may need 12 in early spring.

To me, the older tunnels have a slick look to them. The new ones are more broken on top. Just what works for me.

I treat every yard this time of year like a new set up...those moles will be back using those tunnels soon if they aren't already...just cause you don't have fresh cracks in the tunnels doesn't mean the moles aren't using them older looking tunnels. We have about 30 mole stops active right now

The only reason there are crack in a tunnel is because the tunnel is to small for the mole going through it. If a large mole starts using the tunnel there will be some crack in the tunnel. If over the winter the tunnel has not been push down there will be NO new cracks. In most cases there will be some small crack in a old run some place. But they maybe small. JMO

I did some mole control in my large lawn a couple weeks ago in a brief warm spell. Caught a bunch in old tunnels and some new obvious runs and mounds. You can usually tell or i should say I can tell if being used by opening a few up to check to see if they shown worn smooth dirt and some claw marks at times. Dead give away. No roots in the run etc.

Lots of good information here thanks guys

I caught my first of the season today. As stated before real fresh surface tunnels will have clean sharp cracks, on deeper tunnels as Bob stated the floor of the tunnel will be smooth and used look whereas it ages the floor will look rougher.

Yes, Bob was right. So they are on the move in NJ. Ground is still has frost in the ground here.

We have just over 75 traps set now...