Seeing a mole in your garden is hardly good news. Even though these arguably sweet furry things are known to be beneficial to the soil, they can destroy your flower bed or vegetable patch in no time unless you take action. Read this quick guide to find out how to keep moles out of garden in a humane way. Below, you’ll find information on mole deterrent plants
and other helpful tips. The FAQ section will hopefully answer your questions about mole infestations, if any.
A Guide on How to Get Rid of Garden Moles
- Make sure you don’t have anything in the garden that moles would want to eat, such as grubs.
- Use strong-smelling plants to keep moles at bay.
- Try using a repeller in severe cases.
- Additionally, consider digging some trenches as a barrier.
- Keep your garden tidy and uncluttered to avoid attracting moles in the future.
Moles: friend or foe?
A member of the Talpidae family that also includes desmans, the mole is notorious because of its insatiable appetite. Unlike their counterparts, voles, moles’ diet mostly consists of insects such as grubs, which are the larvae of a variety of beetle species.
There’s a common misconception that moles eat our plants. However, it’s very rarely the case; the reason they cause so much havoc is that they need to make tunnels in the ground with their clawed hands while hunting their prey. Such tunnels disrupt the root system of grass and other plants, causing withering and dead-looking patches.
Signs that you have moles
Visual inspection is usually enough to determine whether you need to get rid of moles in garden. You won’t see plants disappear literally underground, which is pretty much what happens if you are unlucky enough to have gophers. However, a close look at your property might reveal one or more of the following signs:
- Molehills, which look like piles of dirt set widely apart. A relatively considerable distance between individual molehills is a telltale sign because gophers make mounts, except they put them together tightly.
- Poor turf health and damaged-looking plants especially the foundation plants.
- Chunks of dirt scattered around like someone has been digging away (which they probably have).
You should not count on seeing a mole even if you are pretty sure it’s there because they are unlikely to go through their tunnels. Seeing these signs should be enough to ask yourself the next question: what brought it here?
What attracts moles to your garden
It’s never a good idea to think about it before thinking of ways to keep moles out of garden. Generally, there are three main mole attractions:
- insects, such as grubs and worms,
- cool temperatures, and
- landscaping elements such as fences, along which they like to make tunnels.
How to keep moles out of your yard
The first step should be to make the property unwelcoming to moles by removing sources of food and shade.
- Treat whatever pest you have that moles can find tasty.
- Make sure your plants are getting a lot of sunlight.
- Introduce plants that repel moles, such as garlic, marigolds, daffodils, and other common pungent-smelling titles.
- Keep the place clean and free of clutter unless you want them to come back.
There are products that are marketed as mole repellents, often based on castor oil, which is a viable solution when the infestation is severe and on the condition that you follow the steps above.
Moles in the Garden: FAQ
Here are some questions people often ask in the context of keeping moles away from a garden. Feel free to add your own insights or share your experience in the comments.
Do coffee grounds keep moles away?
They do, at least for some time. The effect of coffee grounds is based on their strong smell, but it won’t last as long as in plants.
How long will moles live in a garden?
Each mole lives for about three years on average, but the group will stay there as long as there’s food.
What smell repels moles?
Most strong herbal smells do. It includes garlic, castor oil, marigolds, cayenne pepper, and more.
What do moles hate the most?
They are averse tostrong, spicy smells and tar. Like most animals, they also avoid direct sunlight and food scarcity.
Protect your Garden Naturally
Not every pest will leave your property because it doesn’t like how it smells, but moles will, which is another benefit of these furry worm-eaters. Take advantage of their sensitive noses and plant some marigolds in your garden, or add home-grown garlic to your diet. If this does not help, there are commercial repellents and humane mole traps that largely rely on the same mechanism, a humane and easy way of getting rid of moles.
Do you have any experience with moles? If you are dealing with them right now, how did you spot them? Share your observations.
