We know how a feeling of dread washes over you when you look out your window to discover that your lawn and landscaping are covered in tunnels and mounds from garden pests like moles and gophers. The moment you see the damage, you pull out your phone and search the internet for how to get rid of moles in your yard.
If you’re lucky, you’ll stumble upon this article teaching you everything you need to know about getting rid of moles in your yard. It takes a lot of dedication to get rid of ground moles in the garden. While many people call animal control, there are some DIY home remedies to implement ground mole control in yard and garden areas.
If you are homeowners who are sick and tired of seeing molehills and mole tunnels popping up all over your property, keep reading to learn more about these critters and how to prevent them from making future appearances.
What are Moles?
Moles are small animals found worldwide. They are considered garden pests because they spend their time tunneling underground with their front feet and leaving mounds all over your yard.
Most garden moles are small, round animals with a pointed, hairless snout and little eyes. They typically only reach seven inches in length and weigh around four ounces.
Moles are commonly mistaken for voles and gophers. While they are all small rodents, each is different and causes extensive damage.
Moles are on every continent except South America and Antarctica. They are insectivores and survive mainly on a food source of earthworms, grubs, and insect larvae, but they also eat plants’ roots, causing extensive damage to our flowerbeds.
Moles range in color; some are gray, black, brown, orange, and white. Although they aren’t blind, they have poor vision and rely on their scent sensors on their nose to find prey.
If you want to trap moles in your backyard or get rid of ground moles in the garden, knowing how to identify them is one of the most critical pieces of knowledge.
How to Get Rid of Moles in Your Yard
There are several stances for you to take when getting rid of moles in your yard. Creating a mole trap is your first option and is a humane way to catch and release them.
There are lots of recipes for ground mole repellent that work at keeping them away from your property. For more permanent solutions, utilizing a natural mole killer may be what works best for you.
No matter which method you take, teaching yourself how to get rid of moles in your yard is a great skill to have.
Getting Rid of Moles in Your Yard
Knowing how to get rid of moles in your yard and making home remedies to kill mice starts with making your yard less desirable for them. Moles tend to enjoy soft, moist earth because that’s where their primary food source lives.
Keeping your yard on the dry side is one of the easiest ways to prevent them from entering your property because you have to do less work. Healthy lawns require about one inch of water every week, so be careful that you’re not overwatering.
Remove Their Food Source
If your yard is full of tasty treats, then it’s no wonder that moles are making their way into your garden. If you want to deter moles permanently, eliminate their food source. Get rid of grubs in the garden and lawn and you won’t have a problem with moles.
Applying grub control and insecticides to your lawn is a great way to keep their numbers under control so that it’s less inviting for rodents.
Spray Castor Oil
One of our favorite repellents is a homemade castor oil spray. The castor bean is a go-to ingredient in commercial mole repellents and is easy and cheap to make at home.
Although castor oil doesn’t kill moles, it upsets their digestive system and makes your lawn less appealing than others. This mixture is also a great recipe to get rid of ground moles with Dawn soap.
Mix about three-parts castor oil with one-part dish soap in a small bowl. Add four tablespoons of the soap and oil mixture to a gallon of water.
Add the solution to a garden sprayer and soak the entrances to all tunnels and mole hills to start the eviction process.
Use Mole Traps
Learning how to get rid of moles usually involves some version of a trap. Small rodent traps are available at most outdoor or garden stores. These traps generally involve setting out mole bait.
Once the moles enter the trap, the door closes behind them and prevents them from escaping. After that, getting rid of the mole requires taking the critter a few miles away to a field and releasing it so it can make a new home.
Get Rid of Ground Moles in the Garden
Of all the beautiful plants in the world, only a few dissuade moles from making a home in your flower beds.
Planting a border of flowers like marigolds, daffodils, and alliums is a natural and beautiful way to deter moles. This method is also safe for pets and children, unlike chemical-based solutions.
Build an Underground Trench
If you’re willing to put in some more labor, building an underground wall is a surefire strategy to keep moles out of your yard. Dig a trench that is roughly two feet deep around the perimeter of your home.
Line the trench with wire mesh or fill it with rocks. Cover the channel with dirt and grass seed, so you’re not able to tell that you dug. The stones prevent the moles from burrowing into your yard so easily.
Deter Moles with Coffee Grounds
Many homeowners have reported that coffee grounds tend to keep critters away. Walk around your property with a bucket of coffee grounds. Whenever you find an entrance to a tunnel, drop the granules into the hole and cover it with dirt.
The coffee grounds irritate the moles’ noses and make your home less appealing. If you don’t have coffee grounds, try spreading cayenne pepper around the areas instead.
Add Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are worm-like parasites that are added to lawns to combat pests. The beneficial nematodes don’t attack the mole itself.
Instead, they attack the insects that the moles eat. Without a food source, moles move on to a new territory in search of food. When working with nematodes, make sure to follow all directions on the packaging.
Using Mothballs to Get Rid of Moles
Mothballs are frequently used as a pesticide around homes. In addition to repelling moths, they also work to deter moles, chipmunks, voles, and other rodents that lead to an infestation.
They are some of the most effective ways to get rid of snakes in your yard. Spread the mothballs around your yard, garden, and flower beds.
Place some in the entrances to the moles’ tunnels. The mothballs release a pesticide that irritates the rodents and may make them sick. It will sometimes kill moles in lawn and yard but often encourages them to go elsewhere.
Purchasing Store-Bought Repellent
The great thing about modern society is that hundreds of products fit the needs of what you’re looking for. Some of the most popular mole and rodent repellents are granular pest control, like Repellex.
These deterrents are formulated to absorb into the soil and make their primary food sources less tasty. The product typically lasts from four to six weeks before having to be reapplied.
Better yet, the ingredients are non-toxic and safe to use in your yard. It contains things like castor oil, garlic, cinnamon, and pepper. To apply granular repellent, start by reading all instructions on the packaging.
Pour the product into a spreader and disperse it around your yard or further if possible. Water your yard twice within the next two days to help activate all the ingredients and watch your home become free from rodents like moles and groundhogs for at least a month.
Call the Exterminator
Some people don’t enjoy putting in the work required for getting rid of moles in your yard, and we don’t blame you. Sometimes pest control knows best, and it’s more manageable to let the professionals handle it.
If you’re willing to call an exterminator to avoid the work, or because they keep coming back, don’t be afraid to do it.
Trying to get rid of moles in the garden doesn’t always have to be a daunting task. They may be small and travel quickly underground, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to deter.
Homeowners make their own choices by informing themselves about what steps they can take. Whether you decide to trap them, repel them, or kill them, the decision is ultimately up to you and what time demands work for your lifestyle.
If learning how to get rid of moles in your yard saved you from hours worth of yard work, share these tips for getting rid of moles in your yard on Facebook and Pinterest.