How to Get Rid of Moles???

Updated on June 27, 2011
C.W. asks from Union Hall, VA
14 answers

Hi All!

I am not much of a gardener...Last year we perhaps got 'a salad' from my garden...lol But I DID dig up some 'tough' clay soil and make a wonderful walkway garden coming into the front of the house. I planted hosta, columbine, daisies and black eyed susans...and MUCH to my SHOCK...they all came back!

I then, as a border this year, alternated red and white wax begonias....Looked SO pretty! (*note the past tense*)

Anyway...these VILE critters began by 'sucking' the begonias INTO their hole! I got some replacements...and sporadically the same darn thing!

Then I got (please do not laugh) a "Mole Chaser"...It said it would emit 'sonic waves' at a pitch that would annoy the moles and they would RUN away! I had visions of 'flocks' of moles...little front paws over their little ears scurrying to points far from my garden!!

So far it is only annoying to ME...and perhaps the neighbors dogs who seem to bark MORE (is that possible?? MY dogs, allbiet bigger...pay no notice...I hate little yappy dogs...lol)

Anyway, today a hosta was 'leaning over'...when I took a look, the ROOTS had been gnawed off...and sucked down the hole...*sigh*

Now it is personal...NOW I AM PI$$ED!!!

A gun? A flame thrower? A 'flute' to play to follow me away?

Please help...I could not 'feed' my family from last year's garden...was hoping beauty would linger...

**sigh...heavy sigh**

Michele/cat

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So What Happened?

YES...I have had the MEN in the house peeing in cups...and 'sprinkling' for me...lol...it had become a 'contest' of sorts...so I asked them to back off...LOL

I have greatly appreciated ALL responses...

Will keep you posted!

Many thanks...

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S.R.

answers from El Paso on

we've used some bait-type things before. It's a cone-shaped "tube" that you stick in the ground & they eat it and die... You could also try flooding their tunnels. Find a hole, stick a hose in it, & flood the whole system. Good luck!! They're definitely stubborn little guys!

1 mom found this helpful

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

There's actually a repellent made from castor oil that can be very effective if applied regularly and watered in. It works for moles, voles, and gophers. Unfortunately, for my large rural yard, it became too expensive. But you can google "gopher repellent castor oil" and get commercial sources plus at least one home-made recipe.

Moles dine exclusively on worms and grubs. You probably have gophers, which eat plant roots, bulbs and tubers.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Detroit on

Treat your lawn for grubs. That's what the moles are after. If you take away their food source, the moles will move on (unfortunately, they will move on to your neighbor's lawn!).

1 mom found this helpful

M.R.

answers from Rochester on

My dad used to put a garden hose in one hole and turn it on. He waited at another with a shotgun until he saw the dirt moving. It seemed effective enough.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Did you see Caddyshack?

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L.M.

answers from Washington DC on

My solution to this problem was to finally allow my cat to go outside. She is an amazing hunter and got rid of every vole and mole in the yard. We did have to go through presents on our dooorstep each day for a week or two. But it was worth it!

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Not the kindest solution, but Molex works.

:(

You could try the coffee grounds and/or cayenne pepper around the roots after it rains every time.

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K.W.

answers from Seattle on

Go through daily and open their holes. Recruit neighbor kids for this if you like: it's lots of fun for the 7-12 year old set.

Me and my friends accidentally cleared a very large field of moles just doing this for fun!! :)

J.C.

answers from Columbus on

Okay, you may think I'm a little 'off' but I say pour human urine on their holes. When my oldest son was younger, we lived out in the country and peeing on the mole entrances was one of the jobs he LOVED to do, lol! They don't like it, and they move...can you blame them? I'd probably move too if a giant kept coming and peeing all over my house, lol!

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Try sprinkling garlic powder and or moth balls. Cat litter might help. I put my used cat litter (remove the poo) around my flowers to keep the bunnies from feeding on them.
They are probably gophers not moles look it up on some online gardening sites.

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J.J.

answers from Washington DC on

If you are not opposed to killing them, try putting unwrapped Juicyfruit gum pieces in their tunnels; they love it and supposedly it can't be digested by them. This worked for my parents years ago; I know some think it is just an old wives tale, but it's cheap to try!

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L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

We too have a major mole problem. And have tried everything except the human urine! :) My lawn guys SWEAR I don't have grubs but humored me and have treated for them anyway.

My brother lives in Nashville and his next door neighbor is an 86 year old woman who he swears was the inspiration for the "Whack A Mole" game! He said she just sits on her porch waits for them to pop and whacks them with a shovel! I don't have time to sit and watch the earth move though.

Thanks for asking the question. I'll check back to see if there's anything else we can try!

D.M.

answers from Chicago on

Laughing right now (even though I know it is far from funny) because we tried the sonic vibrating thing too. And the stupid things would circle it! We tried the cone shaped thing that makes holes and then you stick the poison peanuts...it did work, BUT then we had coyotes that came to our yard to dig up the dead moles in the ground...haha its never ending. We tried just trying to stomp down their mounds so that they would dig deeper and deeper...no luck. I think we are going to go back to the poison because we seem to have more now and I'm hoping the coyotes have moved on. Good luck...they are STUBBORN! They do make a mole trap..you put it in an active tunnel and when they walk through, the trap stabs a steak through them...although I think it would be the same as poison in our case...some other animal would smell them dead and come dig.

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S.H.

answers from Richmond on

I'll loan you my cat - crazy thing doesn't even have claws but she has captured and presented (lucky me) 3 voles!

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