Three dead moles... Why are they dead, and how to keep them out.

[Scooter&Suzie]

So recently I found a dead mole in the chicken run I removed it, thinking nothing of it. Two days later I find another dead one. In the coop! A few days later (today) I found another dead mole in the coop. There are two or.. four?.. Tiny cracks in the bottom (it has a tray that you can pull out to clean, but the tray isn't straight) of the coop. Is my best bet to hammer some wood over the cracks? Ever since I got my chicken coop mole holes have been springing up all around my coop. We have always had a ton, though. I went out, and I can see 3, maybe 4, mole holes. One is just under the coop, one is a foot away, one is two feet away, and another hole I think is a mole hole is a little less than a foot away. I don't mind the moles being there, as much as they are going into my coop... dead. I'm trying to find out how they are dying, too. I have access to all 3 bodies if I need to look at them. I didn't find any blood, or any sign that the chickens killed them. The chickens showed no interest in the dead bodies. The one I found in the run had a long dent in its back. It looked like a chicken stepped on that one.


So in short: How do I keep them out of my coop, and why are they dying (just wondering).


Also... is there a chance the moles will get my chickens sick?

 

[Shireshome]

Well moles pose no threat to your chickens and most likely it is the chickens that are killing them. Other wise it is probably starvation since it is winter and moles can only go about a day without food before they die. As far as how to keep them out, you might try blood meal down the holes, or traps. But like I said there are no deceases they can pass to the chickens and can't harm them in anyway. Their only food source is grubs and worms.

ETA: After rereading your post it occurred to me that perhaps the heat from the chickens is creating warm soil under the coup which is cause the worms to concentrate in that area thus bringing the moles into this area however there probably isn't a large enough food source to handle that many moles so they are either starving or are just easier to catch by your chickens due to a weakend state.

Oh yeah and Jan-Feb is their breeding season.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Well moles pose no threat to your chickens and most likely it is the chickens that are killing them. Other wise it is probably starvation since it is winter and moles can only go about a day without food before they die. As far as how to keep them out, you might try blood meal down the holes, or traps. But like I said there are no deceases they can pass to the chickens and can't harm them in anyway. Their only food source is grubs and worms.

ETA: After rereading your post it occurred to me that perhaps the heat from the chickens is creating warm soil under the coup which is cause the worms to concentrate in that area thus bringing the moles into this area however there probably isn't a large enough food source to handle that many moles so they are either starving or are just easier to catch by your chickens due to a weakend state.

Oh yeah and Jan-Feb is their breeding season.

-Makes sense. As long as they don't pose a threat to my chickens, I guess I don't have too much to worry about. I will probably board up the cracks anyway, no point in killing off all the moles. A few thin strips of wood would probably work. I don't think I will put the blood meal (not to sure what it is though) down the hole. I almost brought in the mole I found in the run inside, just in case it froze, but was still alive. I honestly don't have the heart to kill an animal (mosquitoes are the only exception and ants if they are in the house) expecally moles since they are so cute. Thanks for the help, I was afraid maybe my chickens would get sick from the moles.

 

[Barbie42]

I have a dead mole under the foundation of my brick house. (We put out some rat poison) can see the hole right at the edge of house. Is there anything I can put in the hole to remove odor??? The odor is coming into house and is bad.

Thanks, Barbie42

 

[snowflake]

might try lime, good oder killer, hoever moles are small and I am surprised the oder is that strong, you may have managed to kill something a bit larger