How To Get Rid of Moles in The Garden?
If you see raised ridges on your grass that are 3 to 5 inches high and small volcanoes of soil here and there, there is a mole nearby. These small animals can quickly do a lot of damage because the plants they dig through are destroyed. They destroy roots as they dig, which is why the ridges that show where their burrows are quickly turn brown.
Mole holes are good because they let air into the dirt and eat harmful bugs at the same time. Get rid of moles in your yard before they do a lot of damage, and don’t let them come back.
What Are Moles?
Moles are about 6 to 8 inches long and live in burrows where they eat bugs. They are usually brown to gray, and their snouts are thin and smooth. Their fur hides their small eyes and ears, and their front feet are big and spade-shaped, which helps them dig well.
There are seven kinds of moles in the US. The common or eastern mole, the hairy-tailed mole, the star-nosed mole, and the shrew mole are some of them. The eastern mole eats a lot. Every day, it can eat 70–80% of its body weight in bugs.
Moles aren’t always a bad thing to have around. If you don’t mind their holes, they will eat many bugs and help the dirt breathe. Since they are insectivores, they use their network of tunnels below ground all year, often only going through each one once, to look for earthworms, grubs, and other insects to eat.
It’s clear, though, why moles are a real pain for people who want their lawns to look nice. The moles’ tunnels make slopes and small hills all over the place, which can really mess up the look of your yard.
There is a common myth about moles that they eat plant roots. This is not true, but they can still damage your plants’ roots while they’re hunting for bugs.
Life Cycle of a Mole
Moles live alone and only get along with other animals when it’s time to mate. The breeding season is in the spring, from early February to late March, based on where you live. After being pregnant for 4 to 6 weeks, the single litter typically has 3 to 5 hairless pups. The young can take care of themselves by the middle of summer.
The next growth season is when females become sexually mature.
Are Moles Dangerous?
Moles are usually safe for people because we don’t come into touch with them very often. They do, however, sometimes carry bugs like fleas and ticks, and very rarely, they have also been found to carry rabies.
Why Are Moles A Pest?
Moles can be very annoying and make a lot of mess if they get into your yard or golf course. It takes them no time at all to make a complicated tunnel system that goes to their den because they can dig up to 4 meters an hour.
Moles are a problem because they like to live underground in dry, dark places but hunt where the soil is wet and full of worms and grubs. This means that they upset the surface and leave mounds of soil all over the place.
Top 3 Causes Of Moles
A mole lives and spends its whole life in its tunnel system. Because of this, they look for certain things to make their perfect world. These are what we need to look at:
1. Access To Food
A mole will often eat a lot. As we already said, some moles can eat every day up to 70–80% of their own body weight in bugs. They eat white grubs, beetles, earthworms, and bug larvae, among other things.
Moles are more likely to dig their own holes when there are lots of bugs around to eat.
2. Overwatering
Moles are usually active during the day and like to live in damp dirt because it helps them keep their body temperature stable. So, if you’ve been watering your garden too much, mice might be more interested in it. This is very important if the land around you is dry.
3. Certain Landscaping Elements
The moles’ main paths usually go along fence rows, walks, and other man-made edges in the yard. Moles also dig holes under trees and bushes to get to the bugs that live in the roots of those plants.
3 Signs You Have Moles In Your Yard
Are you afraid you have a mole problem? Moles may cause damage that is similar to that of voles, rats, or mice, but there are some important differences in how they act and what damage they do.
These are the three most important signs that moles are in your yard:
1. Molehills
Seeing molehills is one of the best ways to tell if you have moles. Moles live almost their whole lives in tunnels that they dig themselves. These tunnels can be as shallow as a few inches or as deep as 25 inches or more.
When loose dirt is pushed up a shaft to the surface at the tunnel opening, it makes a molehill.
2. Dead Grass
Have you noticed that some of the grass in your yard is dying? It could be a sign of a mole problem.
This is because when moles dig their tunnels, they often damage the grass roots nearby, killing the plants at the ground level.
3. Mounds That Are Far Apart
You can spot moles by their mounds, but gophers do the same thing. One big difference is that molehills are usually six feet apart, while gopher mounds are generally only three feet apart.
9 Best Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Moles
If moles are bothering you, there are many things you can do at home that will help. These are what we need to look at:
1. Trapping
Most people agree that this is the best and most reliable way to get rid of moles that are a bother. Mole traps should be set up in the early spring, when tunnels are first seen, or after the first rains of fall.
Find out which paths are being used before you set traps. You can find these by leveling the run, marking the spot, and waiting a day or two to see if the tunnel rises again.
Mole traps work well because they take advantage of the mole’s natural urge to clear out a hole that is blocked.
2. Baiting
Use of poison to kill moles while they are in their dens is another way to get rid of them. To get rid of moles, people often use baits that look like worms or grubs. Mole rats are drawn to it, and they die 12 to 24 hours after eating them.
This isn’t a good way to use often because your pets could get sick if they eat them by accident. Also, it’s not safe for kids.
3. Eliminating Their Food Source
Moles eat a lot of insects that live in the ground, like Japanese beetle grubs, when they are in fields. You can get rid of these pests with Milky Spore and/or beneficial nematodes, which will usually make them less active when they’re tunneling or eating.
If your soil is healthy, moles may still eat earthworms after the grubs are gone. To keep these bugs from eating your food, use a variety of ways to keep them away.
4. Applying Repellents
Animals that like to dig will stay away from lawns, gardens, and other planting places that contain natural castor oil. Because the castor oil will make their stomachs upset, they won’t want to live in your yard as much.
For this reason, use castor oil when caves or cone-shaped mounds show up in the ground from early spring to late fall.
You can also use tobacco, coffee grounds, red pepper, cayenne pepper, or other natural ingredients to keep moles away.
5. Digging A Trench For A Barrier
Make a hole that is about two feet deep and six inches wide. Burrowing pests won’t be able to get into yard areas if you fill it with rocks or line it with wire.
While this choice will take some time, it will keep other ones from digging their way into your yard.
6. Using Plants As Barriers
Moles don’t like the strong smells of flowers, marigolds, and other allium plants.
Planting these species along the edges of your yard will make a natural wall, or you can put them in raised beds to protect their roots.
7. Using Ultrasonic Devices
The Sonic Mole Chaser doesn’t play music. Instead, it sends out a sound pulse that goes deep into the ground and drives mice crazy.
Pets will be fine, but moles find the noise annoying and leave for areas with less noise. It’s like playing “Heavy Metal” for your grandma who loves Lawrence Welk.
8. Stimulating Drought Conditions
Mole prefers soft, wet ground. To make your yard less appealing to moles, don’t water it too much. That’s not true. A lot of people think that our lawns need a lot of water to stay nice and green.
Your plants only need an inch of water a week to stay healthy and look good. But that would make the moles feel like they are in a “drought,” which would make your lawn less appealing to them.
It will also stop earthworms from moving around, which will help control their food source at the same time. The only problem is that this is a long-term fix that won’t help with any moles you may already have.
9. Keeping Your Lawn Tidy
Because moles feel safer when they’re hidden, if you keep your yard clean, they won’t have as many places to hide.
Keep your lawn mowed and flower beds well-kept to do this. Get rid of any stacks of wood or trash you may have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Moles Eventually Leave On Their Own?
Moles will only go on their own when they can’t find any more food. It’s likely that they’ll stay unless the homeowner does something.
What’S The Best Way To Repair Mole Damage To Your Yard?
You can use a yard roller or your feet to flatten the tunnels moles dig in the ground if you still have them. You can also dig their burrows out. Once they are gone, fill the holes with dirt and plant seeds or sod to make new grass grow.
Do Home Remedies Like Vinegar Work To Get Rid Of Moles?
Some people have had success by spraying the holes and tubes with a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts water. They do this every few days. When you use vinegar, be careful because it can kill plants nearby.
Is It Ok To Leave Moles In Your Yard?
They leave ugly holes and weak spots in the yard, but they also do some good things. Bugs, termites, ants, and snails are some of the things they eat. They also open up the earth and add nutrients to it.
