Mole invasion AGAIN !

[bobm]

Once again we have been invaded by moles. Cats ( we have several feral cats that invade our yard every night), neighbor's 3 terriers, traps, poison baits don't seam to work. Does planting onions or something else help deter these PESTS ? Does these things actually work in your experience after an infestation ?

 

[thistlebloom]

My mom used a castor oil product that she sprayed on the lawn with a hose end sprayer. It worked well, but she didn't like the expense of keeping up with it. The moles are after the grubs and worms and whatever other insects they like to munch in your soil. They'll leave if there's nothing to eat.

 

[baymule]

There's mole hills and tunnels all over our new place. And they were on every place we looked at. Acres and acres of moles!

 

[Smart Red]

As @thistlebloom stated, moles are carnivores. They search and eat worms and grubs and such underground. If you can get rid of the grubs, you will do a lot to dissuade them from visiting your gardens. Oil from the Castor bean and/or growing Castor bean plants is supposed to work, but I would expect that does more against voles and gophers that eat plant material. Castor plants -- all parts -- are poisonous.

Hardware cloth under raised beds will keep them from tunneling back and forth through the gardens as well, but if there is food, they will come.

 

[bobm]

I don't have a lawn much less a blade of grass, I have 16 blueberry bushes spread out from the front and back yards in a dual purpose of edible landscaping and 2 year old trees from 1 and 5 gal containers - 5 crabapple , 7 maple, 2 red osier, 2 mock orange , 1 cherry trees ... I killed off all grass and weeds 2 years ago, then I spread lawn clippings from 4-5 neighbors 2 years ago... nothing this past year just the hoe, hoe, hoe thing on any green monster that has the nerve to sprout. I would say that the castor oil or plant would be out as we have 9 kids under 7 years old plus an assortment of dogs and cats on our cul de sac all romping and playing in our yard rocks and boulders and in our house. You see, I am a big kid and they come to play with me every day and they all HELP me in anything that needs doing in the house or yard. No - one admits to sending out an invitation to the moles to competition build dirt castles and forts

 

[thistlebloom]

The castor oil isn't poisonous. Castor plants themselves are extremely toxic though. Moles are insectivores and won't eat your plants. Is it the tunneling you find objectionable? I know how aggravated my mom would get when they tunneled through her dry creek bed. She finally cemented it and put the rocks over the cement.

 

[so lucky]

In our yard, the moles make hills of dirt, then the chickens see the dirt and go have a dig-fest in it, then lie in their dug out hole. DH gets very upset (with good reason) to see a dozen or more chicken dust baths in the middle of the yard. If I see the hill before the chickens do, I remove the excess dirt and tamp down the hill. Haven't found a product or trap that works. They say the biological stuff that eventually kills the grubs works, for several years, but it is pretty pricy to start. I can't think of the name of it, but I think catjac or thistlebloom knows..?

Milky spore, that's what it is.

 

[thistlebloom]

Do you mean milky spore @so lucky ? I've never used it (no moles).
I think you're right about @catjac1975 using it though.

 

[PhilaGardener]

Milky spore is supposed to work well and one application can last for years. Beneficial nematodes are another non-toxic option.

http://www.gardensalive.com/product/advice-for-dealing-with-moles-and-voles for more info on organic approaches.

 

[baymule]

I don't have a lawn much less a blade of grass, I have 16 blueberry bushes spread out from the front and back yards in a dual purpose of edible landscaping and 2 year old trees from 1 and 5 gal containers - 5 crabapple , 7 maple, 2 red osier, 2 mock orange , 1 cherry trees ... I killed off all grass and weeds 2 years ago, then I spread lawn clippings from 4-5 neighbors 2 years ago... nothing this past year just the hoe, hoe, hoe thing on any green monster that has the nerve to sprout. I would say that the castor oil or plant would be out as we have 9 kids under 7 years old plus an assortment of dogs and cats on our cul de sac all romping and playing in our yard rocks and boulders and in our house. You see, I am a big kid and they come to play with me every day and they all HELP me in anything that needs doing in the house or yard. No - one admits to sending out an invitation to the moles to competition build dirt castles and forts

Bob, you sound like the FUN guy in the neighborhood!