It happens when you're not looking. Mounds of dirt. Volcanoes of soil. Your once-pristine lawn now wrecked and ravaged. It's painfully obvious that something's been digging in your yard, ruining your grass, and uprooting your plants. The likely invader? Mr. or Mrs. Mole, tunneling for food and leaving behind a crisscrossed web of molehills and surface tunnels.

When it comes to dealing with moles and the havoc they wreak in the lawn, it can feel like war. And, in a way, it is. That's because moles are among the most difficult nuisance animals to find.

Their tunnel systems are complex, consisting of both active and abandoned ones.

· They're insectivores that are constantly on the move in search of food, especially their favorites: earthworms and grubs.

Obviously the first key to getting rid of a mole is to locate it, which is much easier said than done. Don't get discouraged, though, because you have a secret weapon: Mole bait.a

For best results when using mole bait, follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Mole Bait

Here are 3 options from Tomcat® that are scientifically designed and tested to control moles. Each is easy to use—you just apply the bait into active tunnels and wait—and contains a lethal dose of the active ingredient. (Whichever bait you choose, be sure to follow all package directions.) Moles usually die in their tunnels, not in your yard.

• Got grubs: If your lawn has grubs, there's a good chance a mole is making a meal of them. Use ready-to-use Tomcat® Mole Killer Grubs, which mimic the appearance of actual grubs.
• Want worms: Each dose of Tomcat® Mole Killer is similar in shape and feel to a real earthworm. Just one worm per opening is all it takes!
• Easy-peasy:The unique shape of the bottle makes applying the pelleted bait in Tomcat® Mole & Gopher Bait a cinch.

Step 2: Locate Active Tunnels

Look for tunnel activity on the surface of your yard. Then, using a 1/2-inch stick or wooden dowel, poke holes in the tunnels, taking care not to collapse them. Use a plastic spoon, craft stick, or lawn flag to mark the places you've poked holes. Check the marked areas the next day. If the holes are still there, the tunnel isn't active. If the hole is plugged up, that means a mole's been at work and you've found an active tunnel.

Step 3: Bait the Active Tunnels

Use a stick or dowel to poke another hole into the active tunnel. Apply the mole bait directly into the tunnel, then carefully cover the hole with soil. Repeat with other active tunnels.

Step 4: Monitor the Baited Tunnels

Wait 5 to 7 days, then look for signs of new tunnel development and further lawn damage. If you find some, repeat steps 2 and 3. If there isn't any, the bait was effective.  

Step 5: Reap the Rewards of Your Not-So-Hard Work

Enough said.