How to Protect Your Garden From Moles Naturally

Moles are notoriously hard to get rid of, and as soon as one of these blind little insectivores moves in, you can expect to see damage throughout the yard as it tunnels for worms and grubs. Try these nontoxic ways to save your garden.

Things You'll Need

• Live Animal Traps
• Mousetraps
• Shovels
• 1/2-inch mesh fencing

Instructions

1. Line the sides and bottoms of plants and beds with 1/2-inch galvanized wire mesh. You can do this while preparing a new bed for planting, or you can place mesh around the base of each individual plant. The mesh will allow the roots to grow but will stop the mole from killing the plants by uprooting them.

2. Set live animal traps in the mole's tunnels. Make sure a tunnel is still in use by damaging an area to see if the mole repairs it after a day.

3. Catch the mole yourself. If you happen to see a mole tunneling just under the surface of a lawn or bed, block its path, front and back, with shovels.

4. Shovel the animal into a covered plastic tub or trash can for easy transport and release, far away from human dwellings.

5. Set a mousetrap inside an active tunnel. Moles are roughly the size of large mice and can be caught in regular traps. But these animals eat only worms and grubs, so bait the trap with a treat from your garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that moles are solitary creatures. Once you've captured the offender your problems are solved, unless you have a large piece of property that might house several moles.

• Much folklore exists on how to get rid of moles. But there is little evidence that flooding; putting chewing gum, castor oil or dog hair in the holes; firebombing; or ultrasonic pest repellents actually work. Be careful not to create a larger problem for your yard than the moles present. After all, moles will aerate your soil, add organic matter to your garden and kill unwanted and harmful grubs before moving on.