How to Get Rid of Moles

Ever experience this? You’re strolling across your beautiful lawn when you notice something isn’t right. Strange, raised trails zigzag across the grass, and with your next step, your foot sinks into the ground. You may have moles, little animals that live underground and feast on grubs, earthworms and insects. Unless you learn how to get rid of them, they can destroy your well-maintained lawn. In today’s article, HGTV helps us learn how to get rid of moles before they ruin our landscape.

What are moles? Moles belong to the shrew family. They’re roughly seven inches long from their snouts to their tails and weigh two to four ounces. Many people think they eat plants, but they’re really voracious insectivores, gobbling up 90 percent of their weight in bugs, worms and other creatures every day. They have tiny eyes, so they can’t see well, and ears under their thick fur, which is usually brown, black or gray. They dig with the big claws on their paddle-shaped front feet. Their tunnels, which are usually about ten inches below ground, can scar your lawn and damage the roots of your grass and cultivated plants.

One sure sign is the presence of molehills, volcano-shaped mounds of loose soil they make at the entrances to their tunnels. Moles can dig those underground tunnels at speeds of up to 18 feet per hour.

Apply castor oil. This multi-purpose vegetable oil is often effective in eliminating moles because it makes the soil smell bad to them (you may notice a faint odor). Castor oil doesn’t kill moles, but it does upset their digestive systems. 

Tidy up. Moles like to hide, so keep your grass mowed and your beds manicured. Don’t use thick layers of mulch, which you should never pile up against tree trunks or plant stems anyway, as it can attract insect pests and cause decay. 

Grow protective plants. Some plants help deter moles. Put them around the perimeter of your lawn for a natural, effective and attractive mole repellent. Try marigolds, alliums, daffodils, garlic, and shallots. Castor bean plant also works, but it’s poisonous and should not be used anywhere around pets or children.

Cut back on watering. Excess water draws worms and grubs to the soil’s surface, attracting hungry moles. Continue to water your lawn; just don’t overwater.

Encourage predators. Owls and hawks eat moles and voles, so invite them to your yard by installing a post 10 to 15 feet high. Add a one or two-inch diameter perch to give them a place to land and survey their surroundings. Foxes and snakes are other natural predators that may show up. If you have a cat or dog, your pet may dig up moles or voles and kill them.

Get rid of their food source. Make moles go hungry — and go somewhere else — by eliminating their favorite foods. Applying a chemical to kill grubs in the lawn will help.

Try a sonic device. Some gardeners say the high-frequency sound waves will drive moles away. There’s not a lot of scientific evidence that they work and some frequencies can be heard by dogs, so research the product you’re interested in before you buy.

When other methods fail, trapping is the most effective method of treating the problem. Here’s how:

1. Find the active run. This is typically a straight tunnel that comes from a deeper area where the mole resides in a nest. You can find the active run by looking for raised areas on the ground where the mole’s tunneling has raised the earth. These are often areas with moisture problems.
2. Flatten the raised turf with your foot or a shovel. Because the runs are often used daily, check back every few hours to see if the turf has been pushed back up.
3. When you’ve found the active run, dig a hole in the bottom, or floor of the tunnel, deep enough so that the lip of a three-pound coffee can is even with the floor of the tunnel.
4. Insert the can into the hole and cover the hole with a piece of plywood or a metal cover. When the mole pushes off the cover and tries to go back through the run, it will fall into the can.

Next week: Voles and how to control them.

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.