Getting Rid of Ground Moles with Vinegar
Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and spray it on mole holes. White distilled vinegar has a powerful smell that might deter ground moles. Just mix distilled vinegar with water, pour it into a spray bottle, and spray the solution in and around mole holes. Reapply the solution to the area every few days. White vinegar can also repel insects, a mole’s main food source, which might help drive the critters away from your yard. Try to avoid spraying the solution directly on plants—it can burn and damage grasses and leaves.
Soak sponges or rags in vinegar and set them out in bowls. For areas where spraying the ground might damage your lawn or other plants, try dipping sponges or rags in full-strength white distilled vinegar. Place them in bowls and put them near mole holes or anywhere moles have been before. Re-soak the sponges or rags every day, especially after it rains. Apple cider vinegar is a popular alternative that can also repel ants, spiders, and mosquitos.
Other Natural Solutions for Repelling Ground Moles
Spread nematodes in your yard to limit the mole’s food source. Garden nematodes, or roundworms, are harmless parasites that can eat a variety of insects that moles love to eat. Not only do they help limit a mole’s food source, driving them from your garden, but they can also feed on other insect pests that may be damaging your garden. Make sure to choose a variety of roundworms that won’t damage your plants. Some grubs, like earthworms, are beneficial to your garden. Nematodes are a great choice because they tend to leave these grubs alone and feed on other insects.
Sprinkle milky spore powder on grub-infested areas. Milky spore powder can control Japanese beetle grubs and other grubs that moles like to feed on, which can drive the small mammals away from your garden. Sprinkle the powder on grub-infested soil and around mole holes, then water the top. Milky spore powder can survive underneath your lawn for 15 to 20 years, making it a great long-term solution for pest control. If you’ve tried natural methods to remove the mole’s food source and it’s still invading your yard, consider hiring a pest control company to treat for grubs and beetles.
Install a solar-powered or ultrasonic mole repeller. Some store-bought mole repellers emit a low-frequency vibration through the soil that mimics the digging of predators and encourages moles to dig elsewhere. Other repellers emit a high-pitched frequency or include strobe lights that drive away moles, rodents, snakes, and insects. Some of these repellers can be irritating to pets, but others emit a frequency that can’t be heard by cats or dogs. Make sure to look for one labeled “pet-safe.”
Mix castor oil with dish soap and water and spray it on mole holes. Castor oil is toxic to moles and can upset their stomachs, encouraging them to find food elsewhere. Mix 3 parts castor oil with 1 part dish soap and 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water in a spray bottle. Spray the repellent in areas where you’ve seen mole activity. Castor oil is generally cheap and environmentally safe. However, experts aren’t sure whether it’s truly effective, and castor oil may harm earthworms and other helpful garden insects. Optionally, mix cayenne pepper into the castor oil to increase its repelling power.
Plant marigolds, alliums, and daffodils to repel moles. Unlike castor bean plants, which can be poisonous to other animals, flowers like marigolds, alliums, and daffodils are non-toxic and produce a smell that moles don’t like. Plant these flowers in your garden or around your lawn to deter moles from digging holes in your yard. Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) is another plant that may repel moles. Just make sure to remove the flower heads before they seed or they might invade the rest of your garden.
Put up a feeder to attract grub-eating birds to your yard. Hang or stake a bird feeder in your yard where moles dig holes to draw birds into your garden. The birds can then eat the grubs, worms, and other insects that moles feed on, encouraging the moles to find a better place to look for food.
Bury metal mesh hardware cloth under specific sections of your garden. To get rid of moles, pest management professional Wilson Christner says to “install underground barriers made of mesh or hardware cloth around specific areas you want to protect, such as garden beds or vulnerable plant roots. Bury the barrier at least 1 foot (0.30 m) deep to prevent moles from tunneling under it.” Make sure the cloth curves around your plants and shows 6 inches (15 cm) above ground. Moles tend to tunnel up close to the ground during the spring, so curving the cloth up and around your plants can help protect them from all sides.
Dig a trench around your yard and fill it with rocks. Make the trench 2 feet (0.61 m) deep to prevent the moles from burrowing beneath it. Then, fill the trench with rocks or dense, clay-like soil. To make the trench more aesthetically pleasing, cover it with dirt and plant grass on top so it looks like the rest of your lawn.
Place jalapeno peppers less than 4 inches (10 cm) from the mole’s holes. Because of their strong, spicy scent, jalapeno peppers might be an effective way to deter moles from invading your garden. Place the peppers within 4 inches (10 cm) away from their holes or near areas of mole activity. Some sources also say that mothballs are effective mole deterrents, but they might force the moles to dig alternative tunnels or harm the plants in your garden.
Scatter coffee grounds near mole holes to keep them away. The strong smell of coffee might keep moles and other pests away from your garden. Sprinkle ground fresh or used coffee grounds around their tunnels or in your plants to repel moles naturally. However, coffee grounds are not proven to be an effective repellent. They might also cause the moles to dig deeper into the ground, making them harder to eradicate. When mixed into your garden’s soil, coffee grounds can also provide some nitrogen, promote good soil structure, and improve drainage.
Removing Ground Moles
Contact a wildlife or pest control company to relocate the mole. The best way to get rid of ground moles humanely (other than taking away their food source) is to trap and remove them from your yard. If you don’t feel comfortable trapping these mammals yourself, hire a professional to do it for you. The cost to hire a pro to remove a mole varies, but generally costs from $100 to $550.
Catch and release the mole 5 miles (8.0 km) away from your garden. Because moles rarely come to the surface, determine which hole a mole is using by poking holes near the top of the tunnel. If the holes are repaired within a few days, the hole is active. Place a live mole trap near the base of the tunnel and release the critter at least 5 miles (8.0 km) from your yard. Alternatively, pour a 5 US gal (19 L) bucket of water into the tunnel to force the mole out of its hole and into a live trap. Some states have laws about where you can relocate moles and other wildlife, so make sure to check with the officials in your area first.
Use a lethal trap as a last resort when humane methods are not effective. Place scissor traps inside deep mole holes and harpoon traps in tunnels near the surface. Follow the instructions on the package to set your specific trap. If you’re not comfortable setting out a lethal trap, hire a professional to do it for you. Once you set a trap, check it often. Reset the trap over and over until the moles are gone. Check your local regulations before putting out a trap. Some states or areas may ban lethal mole trapping. Poison baits can also be used to kill moles. However, they can harm pets, children, and other animals. Check with your local officials to see if mole baits are legal.
Identifying Ground Moles
Moles have a hairless snout, webbed toes, and short tails. Moles are meat-eaters that are about 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm) long with paddle-shaped feet, small eyes, and no ears. Moles are often mistaken for voles, which are vegetarians that snack on the roots of plants and look like field mice with small eyes and hidden ears. Pocket gophers are also mistaken for moles. Unlike moles, pocket gophers are short-legged rodents with exposed yellowish teeth and cheek pouches to carry their food in. Moles don’t eat plants—instead, they eat insects found beneath the soil, and their digging to find them can damage plant roots.
Moles create volcano-shaped hills and dig deep underground. Moles dig tunnels at a rate of 18 feet (5.5 m) per hour and are most active in the early morning and late evening on cloudy days during the spring and autumn. Other creatures’ holes can be easily mistaken for mole holes. Voles dig golf-ball-sized holes inside mole holes, while pocket gophers create fan-shaped mounds. Although moles can leave unappealing holes in your yard, they can also aerate your soil, provide free fertilizer, and eat beetle grubs that can chew on your plants.
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