After all of your hard work getting your garden planted and producing, you find you have a pesky critter causing you problems. Cathy Isom has some helpful tips for you about getting rid of garden moles. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Moles can be a real problem in your garden but the good news is there are many ways to combat them. In order to get rid of moles, you need to understand their tunneling habits.
Moles have a network of main tunnels about 12-inches below the surface of the ground. These networks contain food storage, sleeping, and bathroom areas. The tunnels that we see going through our garden or yard are feeding tunnels, which the moles may use once or multiple times. Moles create surface tunnels during the spring and fall and during particularly wet times. That’s because they follow earthworms, and worms move toward the surface during these times.
The best way to rid yourself of the moles is to target those deeper tunnels where the moles live. They don’t come to the surface often, so you need to go underground to deal with them. Try setting traps or using noise and vibration. Moles are sensitive to loud noises. While you don’t want to spray your entire garden with chemicals, a few well-placed baits can help eliminate your mole problem.
Moles are repelled by certain plants. You can strategically plant them around your garden and lawn to keep moles away. The best plants are Marigolds, Narcissus, Fritillaria, Allium family and Castor beans.
In addition, using essential oils such as eucalyptus or mint oil can help deter moles. Soak cotton balls in the oil and place them underground in the mole’s tunnels. Moles are also not fans of coffee grounds. Burying coffee in their tunnels will send them scurrying.
I’m Cathy Isom…