How to Get Rid of Ground Moles
Ground moles sometimes referred to as voles, can be a real headache for both the gardener and homeowner. Once they decide to take up residence, they act like they’re the property owners! They can be gotten rid of, although the best answer to the question of how to get rid of ground moles is up for debate.
As with other unwanted pests, there is an abundance of, “I heard somewhere” kind of anecdotal methods for the elimination of this pest. Some claim that they feed on grubs if the grubs are eliminated the ground moles will also be taken care of.
Others claim that “ground moles eat their weight in earthworms every day.” If this is true, it’s bad news for gardeners and homeowners alike. Earthworms keep soil healthy by aerating with their tunnels. Without their help, plant roots have a very difficult time spreading, especially domesticated vegetables and flowers.
“Green” Methods to Get Rid of Ground Moles
Everything today seems to have a green or earth-friendly or humane solution. Ridding the property of ground moles is no different.
One of the highly advocated methods is trapping the little critters and freeing them far from home. Mole traps are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at many garden supply stores or feed supply stores. The average price is about ten dollars.
The trap will have to be baited with the food they enjoy and checked periodically for residents that have checked in.
Is there an animal control center locally? Contact them. In many cases, they will furnish the trap and even pick it up once it has done its job. Also, try the ASPCA.
Things that do NoT Work
Forget the old wife’s tale of sticking the garden hose in the hole and filling it up. That won’t make the ground mole leave; it will just make him relocate a few feet – possibly where some other prized plant or vegetable is.
Poison gas. Please do not try this. It doesn’t work. It will poison your soil and most likely make you ill. Once again, another old wife’s tale.
Ripping up your yard or garden. This one is lunacy. Imagine the cost and work involved. Besides, once the lawn or garden is restored they’ll move right back in.
Home Remedies
The most common and popular home remedy for moles is Castor oil. It seems it’s not just kids that hate it! The reason it’s effective is that it stings the critter. The recipe is one liquid ounce if Castor oil mixed with one cup of Murphy’s Oil Soap, one-quarter cup of cayenne pepper, and three cups of water. Mix well and spray it on the invaded area with a hose sprayer.
Other folks insist that planting skunk lilies in the garden or yard will repel them, along with other pests such as possums and squirrels. The root system of the lilies smells like skunk and is offensive to ground moles.
Keeping Moles at Bay Once They are Gone
Getting rid of ground moles is only half the job. The rest of the work is in keeping them away. This means keeping grubs out of your soil. This involves using pesticides so while it is a good idea on the lawn it should not be used in a vegetable garden.
The solution is to first get rid of the ground moles and then keep the ground around the garden treated, but not so close that it will leach over to your vegetable garden. And it can’t hurt to plant a few skunk lilies.
Garden Pests Moles
Moles are small rodents that live underground that can be very destructive to your garden. The art of garden pest control is as old as gardening itself and there are many ways to go about it. Moles do not do any direct damage to plants. The reason why they are considered pests is that they will dig underground looking for small invertebrates to feed on.
Contrary to popular belief moles do not feed on plants or roots. They are looking for life underground to feed on. Nevertheless, this can be a real problem for any gardener. It is the equivalent of somebody going around and digging up your garden. You do not have to put up with this and there are ways to stop them.
Read More: How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
The first step required in getting rid of moles is to recognize that the problem is indeed moles. Look for large holes and tunnels around the garden area. If there is also any damage to the grass, then most likely you are dealing with a mole problem. The next step is to look for any grubs in the garden area.
Grubs tend to house insects of all types which moles love to eat. In short, they see grubs as a fast food joint, therefore getting rid of grubs is a step in the right direction. Grubs themselves can also be damaging to plants, so getting rid of them will also be good for the plants. There are several methods in the market today to help you do this.
To get rid of the moles themselves you will need 2 things, mole traps, and a garden hose. First, identify where all the holes are and if possible jump on top of it. When you do this the ground should collapse. If the hole reappears after a few days then that means you have found where they live.
This will be proof that their home base is still active. Once you have identified the holes, traps can be set inside them. Sometimes moles will not let themselves get trapped. This is the time when you will need to bring in the heavy artillery also known as the garden hose.
The next step will be to fill up the holes with water. This is sure to work, of course, but there is always the possibility that some of them will drown in the holes. Just remember that if you set traps they need to be frequently emptied otherwise there is the possibility they will get killed. After removing all the moles the next step is to repair the damaged ground. This should be done otherwise there will be uneven ground left behind.
