How to deter moles - Unwanted visitors
The
battle between moles and gardeners is a long running one and likely to continue
as long as there are moles and gardeners. Moles can spoil lawns and their runs
can undermine plants in borders. They spend most of their life underground and a
single family can occupy up to half an acre of land. Burrowing activity is at a
peak in the spring while the parents find food for the new litter of baby moles
(can't find what a baby mole is called - think it might be a kitten).
Moles are carnivores and feed on worms and grubs that they find
in the soil, they don't feed on plants and damage them only coincidentally as they
burrow past.
Traditionally moles were removed from a site by a mole catcher
in a battle of wits whereby he inserted traps into runs in the evening and returned
the next day to see how many he had caught. This is still an option for gardeners
though many people find it distasteful today as the mole is killed. There is also
the disadvantage that the garden is now missing any resident moles and the chances
are that another family will move in to take the place of the deceased ones!
There are a whole range of chemical deterrents available
that can be put down the mole run such as:
 | Juicy Fruit chewing gum,
someone emailed this one in, claimed it works a treat, put bits
down the runs |
|
| Garlic |
|
| Chilli powder |
|
| Smoke cartridges |
|
| Chanel No.5 (I suspect this
one is a wind-up, I mean who would actually try it!) |
|
| Renardine, soak cloth or
tissue in the liquid and poke into the runs with a dibber or similar |
|
| Mothballs |
|
Castor oil can also be used on the ground.
When the moles food is seasoned with castor oil, they will go elsewhere for meals.
(Wouldn't you?) Mix up a spray of 3 parts castor oil to 1 part dish detergent; use
4 tablespoons of this concoction in a gallon of water, and soak the tunnels and
the entrances. Check your soil for the presence of pests; if you have a lot of moles,
you probably have an oversupply of grubs and bugs.
More modern methods involve the use of a sonic deterrent,
which emit bursts of sounds on a regular basis that the moles find off putting and
leave. The results of this method however are not instant and devices need to be
kept running for 4 to 6 months. There is also the problem that when you stop, the
moles may come back, the devices are not cheap either, particularly if you need
several to cover a large area.
