Moles in the garden: ways to keep them at bay without resorting to kill-traps

Moles might be cute, but they can cause massive amounts of damage in our gardens.

Killing moles using traps, however, is often of little use (ethical considerations aside): living in deep, semi-permanent tunnels, for each one you kill, there are always several other moles ready to take their place.

So, what can we do to protect our garden against moles? Well, let's check out some methods below:

Tips to keep moles away from the garden

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• Insect control: some insects very useful for our garden, others can be a problem. This is because moles feed on insects. To control below-ground insects, use nematodes (aka round worms), i.e. small and harmless parasites which can eliminate insects that moles love (but which do not pose any threat to garden-friendly earthworms). Nematodes can be bought at a local garden center or online.
• For other surface-dwelling insects, you can use sprays (preferably those with natural ingredients), which will eliminate this food source for the moles.
• Use repellent plants: there are plants that help keep moles away. For example, marigolds, alliums and daffodils all repel moles. These plants will protect your flowerbeds and, what's more, they will help beautify your garden!
• Solar-powered deterrents: there are solar-powered devices - often marketed as "mole whackers" - that emit low-frequency vibrations, imitating other digging animals. The moles interpret these vibrations as competitors or predators they need stay away from.
• A homemade remedy: try using the moles' sense of smell to repl them. Prepare a mixture of ingredients that will not harmful to the soil but which has a stong odor when decomposing and fermenting. For example, old cheese scraps mixed with grass clippings and expired yogurt or milk!

Mistakes to avoid

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Moles have a highly developed sense of smell. As a result, many recommend using castor oil - which has a very strong smell - to keep moles at bay. The efficacy of castor oil is not proven however, and can, if ingested by the moles, cause them to suffer unnecessarily (and without killing them).

Similarly, there are those who use moth balls to repel moles. Moth balls dissolve slowly, releasing toxic gases which can make moles avoid an area (but not necessarily keeping them completely out of the garden). The toxicity of moth balls can, however, contaminate the soil and kill any surrounding plants.

More useful tips

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To make your garden less attractive to moles, it is advisable to avoid allowing any water to stagnate in it - therefore make sure that the soil drains efficiently.

When you spot a mole hill in the garden, you may as well take advantage of it:  take the soil that the mole has dug out and aerated, put some compost in it, and you will have a perfect soil mix for your gardening!

If your mole problem is not out of control, remedies like these can make the difference - and all without having to kill these creatures!