How to Kill Moles with Bubble Gum

Whether moles can be killed by bubble gum is an ongoing debate among gardeners and homeowners. The theory is that moles will readily eat the gum where they can find it, but that they cannot properly digest it and will eventually die from various digestive system problems. The opposing theory is that gum is not enticing enough to compel moles to eat it. There does seem to be some consensus, however; though it is unpredictable as to whether the moles will eat the gum, the moles who do eat the gum largely die or otherwise disappear.

Things You'll Need

• Juicy Fruit gum
• Small garden spade
• Knife
• Cutting board

Instructions

1. Unwrap several sticks of Juicy Fruit gum and cut them into tiny squares using a sharp knife and cutting board. Make the squares as small as possible; slightly bigger than the period at the end of a sentence is ideal. This makes them easier for the moles to eat, and therefore makes them more attractive meals.

2. Survey the area where moles are a problem. Since the biggest homeowner headaches related to moles are usually unsightly tunnels, it should be easy to spot the tunnels and track their paths.

3. Find sections of mole tunnels that seem to be closest to the surface. These sections will have the highest visible mounds and may even have clean brakes where the tunnels are partially exposed to the open air.

4. Carefully dig into these sections of the tunnels with a sharp garden spade. Work slowly and methodically to try to keep the tunnels intact while creating a hole just big enough to drop some gum squares in.

5. Sprinkle a little pile of gum squares into each tiny hole. Put approximately one stick of gum's worth into each hole, and try to disperse the gum piles across the entire tunneled area.

6. Repeat this process every five to ten days as long as tunneling and other mole problems persist.

7. Reevaluate this strategy after one month if the situation does not improve. As stated earlier in the article, this technique is effective only if the moles eat the gum. If you're dealing with the same group of moles and they haven't started eating the gum after a month, there's no reason to expect them to start.

Tips & Warnings

• Most success stories about this method mention that Juicy Fruit is the brand that works best.

References

• 1001 All-natural Secrets to a Pest-free Property, Myles H. Bader, 2006
• The Gardener's Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control, William Olkowski, 1996
• Mole Catching: A Practical Guide, Jeff Nicholls, 2008