moles in the garden - Knowledgebase Question

Charleston, So
Avatar for coastal7
Question by coastal7
April 6, 2007
My house lot has 1/2 A and have many moles. I have a vegetable garden plot dug and want to grow organic. What can I do to repel the moles and/or get rid of their food source? I plan to use a compost pile and the earthworms are food for moles, yes? Help!


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Answer from NGA
April 6, 2007
Moles create characteristic mounds and tunnels that rise above the soil level; voles have trails through tall grass, but have been known to use mole tunnels to feed on roots and bulbs. There are many ways to try to get rid of moles. Moles feed on grubs and earthworms living in your lawn or garden. The damage they do is to plant roots while they are tunneling. Your first consideration should be to control the grub population in your lawn with beneficial nematodes or milky spore powder, both of which are spread on the lawn. Another tactic is to flush the tunnels with water (best done in the spring), or protect your garden by burying a fencing of small mesh, tightly woven hardware cloth. You could also try trapping them live in a Havahart trap. Moles hate the smell of castor oil beans, and there are repellents containing castor oil. There's also a device that creates underground vibrations that deter the critters. You may need to try a variety of these options, and keep it up. Good luck!

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