Some Iowans spend hundreds of dollars unsuccessfully trying to rid their yards of pesky little rodents with brains the size of a pea. A man known as the Mole Hunter will be in the state this week. Jeff Holper says he’s trapped more than ten-thousand moles in his career as a pest control specialist in St. Louis.
Holper is holding his "Terminator University" class at a home show, underway in Des Moines. Holper says "I’ve developed a system that, if they come and they watch, by the end of it, they’re going to know how they can kill their moles themselves. I use traps and there’s just specific ways of using a trap and using enough of them, once you have the understanding of what to do and how to do it, you can be successful." Some people try all sorts of outlandish means to kill moles, from poisoned peanuts to chewing gum.
Holper says he’s heard lots of good stories, including this one from a man at a recent show. Holper says the man’s neighbor had been peeing in a can for a month and dumping the urine in the mole runs thinking that would scare them away — which had no effect at all on the moles. He says "People are willing to try just about anything to deal with a mole." He says some homeowners will resort trying to flush moles out with water or using expensive sonic wave-emitting speakers — but he says those methods are overkill compared to the simplicity of a mole trap.
Holper says "A lot of times, when they buy a trap, they buy one, have no clue where to put it or how to set it and so even they think a trap isn’t useful. I come in and teach them a system on how to use traps, I suggest having at least six (traps) and you come in and your conquer your mole." The Mole Hunter is appearing at the Des Moines Home and Garden Show Wednesday through Sunday at the Iowa Events Center. For more information, call 800-HOM-SHOW.