How to get rid of yard moles.

How to Get Rid of Moles in Your Yard (Natural Home Remedies!)

So, you’re looking for ways to get rid of moles in your yard.

  • Are they making a mess of your yard?
  • Do you have molehills all over the place?
  • Do you have dirt and debris on your lawn?
  • Or how about their tunnel systems snaking through your lawn?

Yikes.

Fear not!

I spent a lot of time researching, writing, and adding my thoughts putting together this comprehensive mole control guide.

We’ll cover everything from identifying, repelling, and preventing these pests. And we’ll discuss some natural home remedies to rid ground moles from your yard.

Feel free to bookmark this page to make it easier to refer to.

You may come back a few times your journey to make the moles go away!

Sound good? Let’s get ground-mole free!

Last updated: 12/30/19.

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What’s a mole?

Moles are a real pest for many yards. Learn how to get rid of them naturally using home remedies.
Moles have huge paws (and sharp claws) which allows them to dig complex tunnel systems.

Moles are moles. What else do you want me to say?!?

They’re those tough little creatures that will wreck your lawn, uproot your plants, and dig up holes all over your grass. You’ll end up with mounds of dirt, grass, and other debris on your lawn.

The tunnel systems they create also can destroy the roots of your plants and completely kill off your lawn entirely.

Moles spend most of their lives within the tunnels they create, which makes them hard to catch and get rid of. While underground, they have plenty of bugs, worms, and other things they can eat to sustain themselves.

During their time on your lawn, you’ll just see your yard start to turn more and more into a mess.

They’ll dig through your lawn, flowerbeds, and around your home looking for bugs to eat.

If you care about your lawn, you’re probably shocked at the damage these hardy pests can do.

If you don’t care about your lawn, but you care that you have moles, you’re probably just as surprised.

You just want to get rid of them and stop them from taking over your once-green, leafy pasture that’s now turned into a barren wasteland of dirt.

What do moles look like?

Mole coming out of molehill.
Moles are rarely seen above the surface, but you can catch them during quiet hours.

Moles are easy to identify. Even though they’re often hiding beneath the soil, they have a distinct appearance that’s really different from a gopher or vole.

They’re often confused over mice or voles because they all look similar. Plus the fact that they’re rarely out of their holes only adds to the mysterious creature that is a mole.

The easiest way you can tell a mole from a field mouse, gopher, or vole is by the long claw front feet. They also have lengthy snouts and are about 6-8” in length. They are furry with dark gray coloration.

The fur is soft and even along the entire body, except the feet and snout. They do have a small tail that’s also covered in fur.

The most distinguishing and obvious feature of the mole would be the front feet. The front feet are huge and almost look like paddles with claws.

They’re powerful and used for digging complex burrows and tunnel systems. These are also what causes damage to lawns and plants around the home.

Mole life cycle

Lawn mole coming out of molehill.
They have a straightforward life cycle. Nothing special.

Moles have a solitary lifestyle with breeding between February and May.

A mature male will squeal in a series of high-pitched notes which attracts an adult female.

Male moles may also travel through tunnels that aren’t their own to find a mate, which can be dangerous.

Mole mating

After they mate, the female’s gestation period lasts for about 2 months. A litter of moles will be born, with 3-5 pups per litter.

This usually happens around March and April, depending on the species of mole.

Moles closer to the shores will mate from March to April, whereas moles away from the shores mate around February and March (usually). So there’s some variation.

Pups

The pups will mature after around 40 days and leave the female to make their own tunnels. They’re able to dig and hunt prey after about 21 days.

After this, the cycle repeats again.

Not social creatures

Moles come together just for mating and aren’t social creatures. They’re also territorial and will defend their tunnel systems.

Some tunnel systems overlap, however they don’t mind as long as the tunnels don’t intersect and thus are separate from each other.

Pests commonly confused with moles

Shrews are often confused with moles.
The difference between moles vs. shrews. vs gophers vs. voles. What a mouthful.

Moles can be easily distinguished from voles and shrews simply by the front feet.

The large paws with claws are the most obvious feature that’s exclusive to moles out of the entire bunch.

Moles also have their long snout and a pair of ears and eyes that you can’t see because they’re way too small.

They’re predatory pests and only eat bugs, arthropods, and other pests and spend most of their time in their tunnel.

Mole vs. vole

Vole eating.
Voles have visible ears and eyes- without the claws.

Voles, on the other hand, has a lighter color with rounded ears and visible eyes.

They also don’t have the large claws. Voles also tend to live in plants and vegetation rather than dig complex tunnel systems.

They eat plant bulbs, roots, and seeds, unlike moles which eat worms and bugs. So it’s pretty easy to tell the difference.

Mole vs. shrew

Shrew vs. mole.
Shrews don’t have the scary front claws.

Shrews have a pointed snout like moles do, but they don’t have the large front feet.

They also have visible ears and eyes with a varied omnivorous diet. They eat worms just like moles, but also eat plant matter, unlike moles.

Shrews will use tunnels that were dug out earlier and abandoned by a mole. So that’s definitely something to keep in mind. You may get confused over a shrew and mole because they use the same tunnel system.

But just remember that the shrew doesn’t have those large front limbs and have visible eyes and ears, to boot.

Mole vs. gopher

Gopher vs. mole.
Gophers have visible eyes and whiskers.

Gophers are easily distinguished from moles because they’re a lot skinner with visible eyes.

They also have lighter fur with four large incisor teeth. Gophers have large front limbs, but they’re not pink like moles. They’re about 12” long and vary in color, but generally lighter than moles.

You can tell a gopher from a mole usually just by seeing the visible eyes and ears along with the whiskers around their face.

Gophers do travel through tunnel systems just like moles, but their appearance is very easy to differ from one another.

What attracts moles?

Moles come to your yard just for one thing- food.

If you’ve never had ground moles before and now you’re getting them out of nowhere, chances are that they’ve just discovered a stable source of food in your backyard.

What do moles eat?

Moles eat grubs and bugs.
Moles mainly eat bugs, like grubs and earthworms. Yum!

They mainly eat bugs such as earthworms, grasshoppers, grubs, and larvae. Moles eat anything that’s soft, moist, and packs a lot of energy nutrients.

Earthworms are probably the most common prey that they’ll feed on. And as you know, worms can be found nearly everywhere.

Their most common food sources are:

  • Grub worm
  • Earthworm
  • Snails
  • Slugs
  • Spiders
  • Centipedes
  • Millipedes
  • Bug larvae
  • Small animals

Mole fact: They eat more than a whole pound of bugs a day to keep their energy levels high. This means they eat up to 70% or more of their body weight every day.

Huge claws for digging tunnel systems

They can actually use their tunnels they dig out as a way to catch their food. They can sense when an earthworm, grub worm, or other pest has fallen into their tunnels.

They’ll then run over there and gobble it up. Or store it.

That’s right. Moles can “store” food for later consumption. Their bite releases a paralyzing toxin that can prevent the worm from escaping.

They catch their prey and then store them in “storage centers” for eating later. Moles also “clean” the worm before they eat it.

They’ll remove the dirt from the worm’s interior by pulling it through its paw. This means they won’t eat much of the dirt, but more of the worm.

Note that a grub worm is usually just the larvae or immature stages of another pest, such as drain flies or cluster flies. An earthworm is another bug species entirely.

Get rid of the food to get rid of the moles

Think of it like this: If you get rid of the bugs that moles eat, then you get rid of the moles themselves.

Since they’re only in your yard for food, take it away from them. No stable food source means no moles in your yard. Does that make sense?

Rather than trying to repel the moles, you should also look into cleaning up and maintaining your yard from pests and bugs.

Reducing the amount of food will reduce the number of moles coming into your garden.

Do moles eat plants?

Molehill and lawn damage.
Moles aren’t interested in plants, but they are in bugs.

Not really.

They don’t eat your plants, roots, vegetables, or even your fruits. They’re carnivores and aren’t attracted to plant matter. The main problem regarding moles and plants is tunneling.

They can disturb or destroy the roots of your various plants underground, which can harm your plants.

If you catch a mole scouring some plant matter, they’re not looking to eat it. They’re looking for bugs hiding in the plants to eat.

You should also make sure that you’re not dealing with a vole, rather than a mole.

Voles are confused with moles. The thing to keep in mind is that voles are field mice and also travel in tunnels for food. They’re often eating plant roots, veggies, fruits, and other plant matter, which will harm them directly.

Moles, on the other hand, don’t eat your plants directly. They just damage them by their tunnel systems. This is the difference between moles and voles.

Do moles carry rabies?

Yes. Moles are known to carry rabies.

But because they rarely contact humans, the disease isn’t transferred in significant amounts. If you’ve been bitten or scratched by a mole, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Do they bite?

Moles definitely can bite. They also release a toxin through their saliva that can paralyze their prey. But humans are far too big to paralyze, so this toxin has little effect.

Moles rarely will attack or bite humans unless threatened or provoked. They’re a “flight” predator, meaning they’ll run away from danger rather than face it. They’re not considered to be dangerous towards humans.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful, as each mole is unique. They can bite, scratch, and claw if needed. Moles have attacked humans before and will do so when they’re in danger.

Even though they’re insectivorous pests that only eat bugs, they have the ability to bite.

Are yard moles dangerous?

Mole damage on lawn.
Moles are mainly safe and harmless. They’re more afraid of us than we are of them!

They’re usually harmless towards humans and would rather run away than bite. But that doesn’t mean they can’t bite. They definitely will when threatened.

The biggest threat from moles comes from the extensive damage they’ll do to your lawn and plants. They can easily destroy your lawn by digging up your dirt and creating mounds of debris.

They can also brush up against plant roots and kill the plant by doing so. Moles can be a major threat to your plants by killing them from damaging the roots.

Their tunnel systems may also pose a danger to your lawn as you can fall through into the dirt. When the soil gets wet, this may make your lawn easy to collapse into a mole tunnel system.

Should you get rid of moles?

That’s up to you.

Do you want a pest scouring your flowers, plants, and lawns digging holes everywhere and leaving mounds of dirt?

Probably not. They’re an essential part of the ecosystem and do their part in balancing out the food chain.

You can get rid of even the most persistent moles by using natural home remedies for your yard. This is humane and avoids you having to kill them.

Do moles ever come out of their holes?

Moles rarely will actually come out of their holes. Their tunnels are often very complex and have everything they need to survive.

There’s a constant source of food, food storage, and an exit to the surface when they need to migrate or seek out a mate. Thus, you’ll probably never see the actual mole except on rare occasions.

Moles build surface tunnels that are about 18” deep from the surface and don’t create a ton of mounds like gophers do.

You can see them during rainy days or immediately after a rain, especially during the summer and spring months. The water will force them out.

Moles have very good sensing abilities. They can detect the slightest vibrations around them, which allows them to hunt bugs or hide from predators.

When they detect people walking around, dogs sniffing the floor or even another mole on the surface, they’ll stop digging and check out what’s going on.

What time of day are lawn moles most active?

Moles are active during the day and night and may damage your lawn.
Moles will be active all day long, but you’ll rarely see them because they avoid contact with us.

They’re known to spend their time in “mole shifts.” They split their day into four-hour blocks.

One block will be eating and hunting, followed by sleeping.

These two habits repeat 6 times a day, with a total of 12 hours eating and 12 hours sleeping. They’ll mostly active when it’s quite such as extreme early mornings or very late evenings.

Other times, they’re very well-hidden and safe from predators. They own their tunnels and they know this, so they’re free to roam as they please.

All day long.

And that’s why they’re so difficult to manage and control.

How do I control ground moles in my yard?

You can control moles in your yard by doing a few different things.

There are three main steps to controlling moles:

  • Cleaning up and maintaining your yard
  • Repelling the moles
  • Preventing future mole infestations

This pest control guide covers all three steps. We’ll discuss each one in detail so you have everything you need to know in one place. We’ll start with the basics.

Cleaning up

Cleaning up your yard will help make it less attractive to moles, which will repel future moles from taking shelter around your home.

This also makes ground moles that you current have to want to leave your yard and stay away, as it’s no longer ideal for them to live in it.

Set up repellent

After you’ve cleaned up, then you focus on repelling the moles naturally.

You can use many different home remedy DIY techniques to get rid of the current mole problem.

We’ll cover each of them in detail and which ones are effective and which ones aren’t.

Mole prevention

After you’ve exterminated the current moles, you’ll then want to prevent future moles from coming back.

Again, this is pretty much the same as the first step. Keeping your garden and home clean and maintenance. But this time you’ll be using DIY repellent alongside regular maintenance for good measure.

All three steps will be covered throughout this guide so you’ll have a nice foundation of knowledge and a plan of action.

What’s the fastest way to get rid of moles in your yard?

The absolute fastest way? Probably by using a commercial mole spray or fogger. This will either kill or eliminate the mole entirely.

However, it can be dangerous for yourself, family, pets, and the environment. You should avoid this when possible and stick with a home remedy to get rid of them because there are plenty out there that are very effective.

We’ll cover some of these DIY techniques you can do at home to naturally get rid of moles. This way, you don’t have to worry about doing any harm.

What will repel moles?

There are many home remedies that repel moles effectively.

This is probably the solution I’d recommend for you to do because you can avoid having to kill the mole. You can just set up natural deterrents such as essential oils, scents, or even remove their food source.

These are all human and allow you to get rid of moles without having to kill them. Always try this first before you have to resort to trapping or killing them.

What is the best mole repellent?

Essential oils for mole control.
“Best” is subjective for mole control- there are many effective methods.

The best mole repellent is the one that works for you.

Because there are so many different mole species in the US, there’s no absolutely “best” repellent for moles.

You’ll have to use a bunch of these DIY remedies on this page to see which one proves to be effective for your mole problem.

Thankfully, I have everything you need on one page here so you don’t need to go hunting for it all over the web.

The repellent and home remedies here are the most effective in my experience. I removed all the ones that are downright ineffective and included some of my own thoughts on them.

You’ll find what works and what doesn’t. And if you have any questions, leave me a comment at the end of this page.

How to get rid of moles in the garden – Natural home remedies

How to get rid of moles naturally.
The good stuff: Here are some DIY techniques you can do at home to naturally control ground moles.

This section will cover how you can control moles in your yard using DIY home remedies naturally. This is definitely the “safer” route to go.

Always avoid pesticides or poisons to control and manage moles because they can be extremely dangerous.

Get rid of their food source

This is probably the best way to get rid of moles. It’s humane, safe, and completely natural.

You don’t have to trap, kill, or exterminate any moles to do this. You’re simply controlling their environment to make it less desirable to them. Thus, they’ll leave and stay out forever.

Ground moles eat bugs. Mainly earthworms and other soft-bodied insects found on lawns. If you get rid of these bugs, then they’ll have nothing to eat and will leave in search of food.

To do this, you’ll want to assess the situation.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What are the moles eating?
  • Where are they eating it?
  • Are they eating more than one bug?

What can you do to eliminate or reduce the bug(s) they’re eating?

Find out what they’re eating. And then get rid of it. While you’re in the process, get rid of all the other potential bugs also.

You can often use a few DIY home remedies that’ll wipe out a whole bunch of pests rather than one. Thus, you can hit multiple birds with one stone and eliminate the food source.

This is the best way to get rid of persistent moles. You don’t have to kill them and it’s completely humane, as they’ll leave on their own. This is one of the simplest home remedies, but most often overlooked.

For example, you can use essential oils (which work not just for moles, but also for pests like mesquite bugs, bees, and even copperhead snakes).

Earthworms

Or if you find out that they’re after actual earthworms, you can practice simple habits like not watering as much until they’re gone.

When you water your lawn, it makes the soil softer and attracts more earthworms. More worms mean more moles. Moles themselves also like soft soil because it’s easier to dig through to create tunnel systems and hunt for food.

You can actually just water less to reduce the number of earthworms.

Other things you can do to reduce the earthworm population:

  • Attract natural predators to eat them before the moles do (birds)
  • Use a different soil type
  • Let your lawn completely dry out to kill all the earthworms
  • Use a natural fungicide, such as benzimidazole fungicide or carbamate fungicide
  • Remove any foliage, grass clippings, or leaf litter from the lawn

All of these will help get rid of the worms, which should also get rid of the moles- assuming that’s what they’re after. If you go through with this and distinguish the correct pest that the moles are eating, then you’ll be able to get rid of the pretty fast.

Without a stable food source, they’ll leave to seek out others.

You can do a search on this site to see if there’s a guide for the bug you’re dealing with. If not, you can ask a question using the comment section below.

Keep up with your garden maintenance

You can repel moles by keeping your garden maintenance on par.
Lawncare is “mole control basics” and very effective for preventing future moles. You’ll be surprised at how moles react to a clean yard.

Another easy way to naturally repel moles is to simply keep your lawn and garden super clean.

This means doing basic maintenance to make it less inhabitable for moles to dig their tunnels. If your lawn has been invaded by moles, you probably have the conditions that they’re seeking out.

So you’ll want to avoid that.

Here are some garden tips to keep your yard safe from moles:

  • Limit watering
  • Clean up any leaf litter
  • Get rid of any trash or debris
  • Secure your woodpiles
  • Feed your pets indoors
  • Secure access to your livestock’s food
  • Use mole-proof soil
  • Mow your lawn weekly
  • Prune your plants and keep them tidy
  • Exterminate as many bugs as you can from your entire yard

Doing these will help clean up your yard to prevent moles and get rid of your current ones.

Can essential oils get rid of moles?

Yeah, there are a few oils out there that can help repel moles from your yard. Namely, peppermint oil and garlic oil.

Both of these essential oils are very potent and smelly. To use them effectively, just add a few drops to a cup of water. Then pour the water directly into the molehill. Repeat every other day and you may eventually repel the mole.

You can adjust the concentration of the mixture by adding or removing drops to see what works.

Another method: Just soak a cotton ball into peppermint oil or garlic oil. Then toss the cotton ball into the mole hole. You can also look for tunnel extensions and drop them into it directly by digging out a hole above.

Will castor oil kill moles?

Castor oil won’t kill moles. At least in small doses.

However, castor oil is effective as one of the best ways to repel and get rid of moles entirely. It’s used as an active ingredient in many commercial mole repellents and will get moles out of your yard.

Castor oil is pressed from beans and is a natural oil.

As long as you buy the natural and pure form of this oil, you should have no residues or poisons to worry about.

Boric acid

Boric acid is hit-or-miss. I haven’t had many reports that boric acid actually works to control moles, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

There are few reports online and personally, I’ve never used boric acid for moles. Thus, I can’t recommend that it actually works.

if you’ve used boric acid and you know it works, let me know.

Does dog poop get rid of moles?

Dog poop can help repel moles from your garden naturally.
Yes. Dog poop still works.

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

You can actually use dog poop and bury it directly into a molehill. You’ll obviously want to use gloves and a doggy bag preferably to handle the dog feces.

Just grab the turd and drop it directly into the molehill. After that, add some water to make it smell.

Add a pile of dirt on top to seal off the entrance. Be sure you don’t cover the poop. You want the poop to go deep into the tunnel so that when you seal off the molehill, the dirt you use doesn’t cover up the poop.

This will ensure that the dog poop’s scent will travel through the tunnel and smoke the mole out.

Here are some tips:

  • Use fresh dog poop and avoid dried ones
  • Water it well to keep it hydrated
  • Use as many pieces as you can

Bigger dogs mean bigger poop

You can also dig into the ground to expose the tunnel network. Then drop the poop directly into the tunnel, add water, and then cover up the hole.

This will let you add more dog poop within the tunnel system and really disturb the ground mole.

Does Dawn dish soap get rid of moles?

Yes, you can use Dawn dish soap to help eliminate moles from your yard. The thing to note is that you can’t just use Dawn by itself. You’ll need some castor oil to help the dish soap work effectively.

Just like the castor oil method I wrote about above, this method uses the same thought process.

The dish soap and castor oil will upset the mole’s digestive system, which happens to make them relocate naturally. This will help get rid of moles from your yard without killing them.

Another note: You don’t need to Dawn dish soap. You can use any dish detergent. Dawn just happens to be a popular brand used in pest control for some reason.

How to make DIY dish soap ground mole repellent

Here’s how to make your mole repellent with dish soap.

What you’ll need:

  • 2 ounces of dish soap
  • 1 cup of castor oil
  • 10 cups of tap water
  • Spray bottle

How to make it:

  • Combine the dish soap, water, and castor oil into the spray bottle.

How to use it:

  • Spray your soil where you suspect the moles to be. Typically, this is where the soft and loose soil is, as moles like to hang out there. Spray directly onto the soil.
  • Also, spray plant roots and directly into the mole holes.
  • Reapply as needed.
  • You should probably test this in a small area of your yard first, as it can damage your lawn or plants. Start small then go big if you don’t notice any damage.
  • You can reduce the soap and castor oil concentrations if you notice plant damage, or just add more water to dilute the DIY repellent.

Easy enough?

Do mothballs get rid of moles in your yard?

Mothballs aren’t very effective in controlling moles in your yard. The whole reason why mothballs work is by releasing toxic fumes.

Two main chemical scents stem from them: naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Mothballs will eventually turn toxic, so it’s not recommended for usage.

They’re supposed to be used for small containers where the fumes will kill moths. Mothballs may work for other indoor pests like cockroaches or stink bugs, but not so much for moles.

However, for moles, this isn’t effective. If you’re outdoors, the chemicals will disperse into the air, so they’re not that effective at getting rid of moles.

Because mole tunnels are exposed to the environment, this often lets the fumes escape. Thus, they can’t build up to lethal levels to kill moles or at least drive them out of your yard.

Technically, you could toss in a dozen mothballs into a mole tunnel and seal it up.

Could be lethal to moles

This may eventually kill the mole, but it’ll probably escape and tunnel out before this happens. Moles can also remove the mothballs from their tunnels.

Some states even prohibit the use of mothballs to kill moles (or pests in general). Thus, you could be committing a crime without even knowing it.

You must use the product as directed by the label. Because you’re using it for mole control, this is illegal. So not only is it ineffective, but it’s also illegal.

Lastly, pets, kids, and your family may mistakenly eat or touch the mothballs.

This could be dangerous towards them and is definitely unsafe. Mothballs may also harm plants, lawns, and even your vegetables and fruits!

So the bottom line: avoid mothballs for moles. They’re not effective and the cons outweigh the pros.

How to prevent moles

Preventing lawn moles.
Mole prevention is easier than it seems!

After you’ve gotten rid of your current mole problem, the next thing to focus on is to prevent future moles from coming to your yard.

Just like you expect, the easiest way to do this is to make your garden less appealing to moles. This means doing the same regular upkeep and cleaning over and over.

Practice basic maintenance

You know what I mean- mowing your lawn, pruning trees, disposing of excess plant matter, feeding your animals indoors, and keeping your yard pest free. Read the previous section on “how to get rid of moles naturally”

You’ll want to keep your yard constantly clean and maintained, except with the addition of mole repellent.

Use any of the methods discussed above. Apply lime to keep the grub worms out. Use essential oil sprays to repel moles. Use castor oil around the perimeter of your yard. Apply dish soap on the soil.

The trick is to use a bunch of different methods together for the most effective measure to keep the moles away from your home.

Did you get rid of your mole problem?

You can get rid of ground moles with patience!
With patience and some effort, you can get rid of most lawn mole problems quite easily!

Well, that’s all I have for you!

You now have everything you need to assess the situation, determine the moles, and keep them out of your yard- for good!

With patience and persistence, you’ll be able to drive out even the most prevalent and stubborn moles.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and ask. Or if you have any experience with managing moles, leave some tips for others!

Also, let me know if you found this guide to be helpful? Anything, in particular, you’d like to see more of?

Consider telling a friend who may also be dealing with moles! Chances are if you live in an area where they’re native, your neighbors may be facing the same problem.

Thanks for reading!

The oil works by disrupting the mole’s digestive tract and upsets their stomach. This forces them to direct their tunnels to a new direction or forces them to find another location.

Buy it or make it yourself

You can easily buy products with castor oil. But unfortunately, many of these mole repellents combine many other poisonous chemicals which you want to avoid.

Always go natural or organic if you can afford it, as it’s much safer for you, your family, your pets, and the environment.

Otherwise, you can buy pure castor oil from the store and make your DIY mole repellent at home.

This is probably the best home remedies you can use to get rid of moles from your garden. You can use castor oil as a mole repellent. And it’s very effective.

Castor oil repellent

Here’s how to make it.

What you’ll need:

  • A bottle of pure castor oil
  • A large mixing container
  • Spray bottle
  • 1 gallon of water
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

How to make it:

  • Pour 1 gallon of water into the mixing container.
  • Add 6 ounces of castor oil to the container.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
  • Stir gently.

How to use it:

  • Fill up your spray bottle with the castor oil solution from the container. Do this however you want. Use a cup or directly dunk the spray bottle into the oil.
  • Directly spray onto the soil where you suspect moles to be present.
  • Completely soak the soil with the castor oil.
  • Spray plant roots.
  • Spray directly into the mole holes
  • Cover the spray with a layer of water. This will prevent the castor oil from escaping the soil.
  • Repeat weekly.

This will help eliminate the moles by eventually making them disturbed and ruin their digestion. This is a non-lethal approach to get rid of moles and won’t kill them.

A natural, humane, and safe home remedy

You can use this as a humane measure to get rid of moles naturally. Castor oil is probably one of the best home remedies on the planet for mole control you can possibly do.

Don’t use it all over your lawn at first. Spray it in a small area then work your way up. You don’t know how your plants or lawn will react to the mixture.

So you don’t want to kill your plants. If your plants are damaged, either add more water or lower the castor oil’s conception. Use different combinations and see what works best for you.

Will lime get rid of ground moles?

Lime oil can be a mole repellent.
Lime can reduce the amount of mole food in your yard. This means fewer grubs!

Lime has been a proven deterrent against moles. You can buy hydrated lime at most nursery or hardware stores.

Buy a container and make sure it’s just pure lime. After you buy it, take the container and read the directions. Use as directed.

Some won’t specify if you’re using this for pest control or not. But in this case, you are. So adhere to all warnings before you start using it.

How lime helps get rid of moles

The trick behind is that if you use lime on your soil, you’ll raise the alkalinity of it. The pH goes crazy and thus makes grubs not able to live on your lawn.

Without grubs to eat, moles will then starve and also leave. This is a safe and humane way to get rid of moles. And it’s easy to do as long as you’re careful.

Lime can harm plants

Note that this can harm your lawn, plants, and other foliage if you’re not careful.

So always be sure to read the directions and buy a good pH meter. You’ll have to monitor and be meticulous during the process.

Wear protective garden gloves and start spanking the lime around where you think the moles are. You’ll want to distribute the lime evenly.

Be very careful to always measure the pH of your lawn and never overdo it, because it’ll damage your lawn and kill plants.

The trick is to use enough lime to drive the grubs and worms away, but not enough to damage your plants and lawn permanently.

Adding lime will directly change the pH of your lawn and will cause some damage to it. You’ll have to monitor constantly to make sure you’re not adding too much

Start small

Start with smaller amounts and raise the pH just a tad.

Then stop and reassess the situation. If the pH level seems like it’s enough to drive grubs away, then keep it. Add more if not.

I can’t tell you what pH your lawn should be to repel the grubs. Each grub worm is different so there’s no “definite” answer.

But here are some target ranges you should be aiming for:

6.2-6.5 pH.

Note that:

  • The closer the pH is to “1,” the more acidic your soil happens to be.
  • The closer the pH is to “14,” the more alkaline your soil happens to be.

Does that make sense? We’re trying to raise the pH to increase the alkalinity of it. This will make your soil uninhabitable for grubs and thus get rid of the food source for moles.

Eventually, this will get rid of the moles also from your yard.

Adjust as necessary

Depending on your soil, you may have to add more lime:

  • 4 oz of lime is enough for loose soil
  • 8 oz of lime is enough for sandy soil
  • 12 oz of lime is enough for clay soil

Adding lime increases your soil’s alkalinity, so the pH will increase. The key is to raise the pH to the point where grub worms can’t live within your soil.

Thus, the ground moles will have no more food to eat and leave your lawn in search of food.

Getting rid of the grubs means eventually getting rid of the moles.

Monitor your pH

You’ll need a pH meter to use lime in mole control.

So buy a high-quality one from the nursery. Test your soil in various spots and note the pH. Apply the lime and measure again to see how much the pH raised.

Monitor your pH levels daily and log them in a notebook. Continue raising the pH until the grubs are gone.

Dryer sheets for mole control

Dryer sheets can actually be a pretty effective means of repelling garden moles.

Although the sheet itself isn’t natural nor organic, the essential ingredient oleander is. Oldeanear emits a scent that moles hate and will force them away from it.

You can grab a bunch of dryer sheets and either roll them into balls or cover the mole tunnel entryways with them. This will force the moles to leave and go away.

To make this even more environmentally-sound, you can re-use the sheets that ran through your dryer rather than using new dryer sheets.

Make sure you buy sheets with oleander in it, or else this method won’t work. You can see the active ingredients by checking out the packaging of your dryer sheets.

Do coffee grounds repel moles?

Coffee grounds repel moles.
Coffee grounds are an easy-to-do home remedy that has decent results. Use your leftovers!

Coffee grounds, as we know it, aren’t that pleasant to sniff (unless you’re a coffee addict like me).

Because of the strong odor they give off, moles will avoid it because they despise the smell. You can buy a can of coffee grounds and literally just sprinkle them around the yard.

Toss them in key areas such as:

  • On soft soil
  • Next to plant roots
  • Directly into mole tunnels
  • Around the perimeter of your garden

Some plants may react to coffee grounds, so you’ll want to be careful to make sure you’re not harming your plants.

Use the grounds on just a few plants first. You can use used coffee grounds from your morning brew.

Just throw them directly where you suspect ground moles to be present. They act as a natural repellent that’s safe for most plants and your family.

Garlic

Garlic is another strong-scented natural remedy you can use to repel moles. There are multiple ways you can prepare garlic for your yard.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Whole garlic

You literally just buy a few garlic at the grocery then cut them up into slices.

After that, distribute the slices around the yard. Throw them into the mole tunnels. Dig into your soil until you hit the tunnel and drop them in. place them around plant roots. Toss them around your lawn.

Use them to set up a perimeter around your yard. Garlic is natural and safe for most plants, so you can use it liberally.

Garlic spray

This is another awesome way to make your own mole repellent. You can mince garlic cloves and mix it with 2 cups of water. Let it sit for a few days until the water smells like garlic.

Add some garlic powder and stir it up some more. Then pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it directly into mole tunnels. Do this daily until the moles leave your yard.

Pepper

Pepper is another small that moles absolutely hate.

All you need to do is get some strong-scented pepper and mix it with a cup of water into a spray bottle. Then spray it directly into mole tunnels, soil, and around plants. This is safe for most plants and will help deter moles.

You can use any pepper, but the most effective ones seem to be cayenne, jalapeno, or ghost pepper. Pepper definitely releases a smell that gets rid of moles.

Does Juicy Fruit gum kill moles?

For some reason, Juicy Fruit (yes, the gum) seems to work well against moles. Sometimes. The method has no concrete proof that it actually works.

But many anecdotal reports from homeowners say that Juicy Fruit gum does work against moles.

All you need to do is pick up a pack of Juicy Fruit. Get a bulk pack so you have enough. Cut the gum into ½ inch squares.

After you’ve prepped your gum, go ahead and get a small shovel. Dig into a mole tunnel and drop the piece of gum in there. Do this around various tunnels until you use up all the gum.

Be careful though- you don’t want to scare off the mole. Don’t disturb the tunnel and don’t destroy their home.

Don’t scare off the mole- you want to trick the mole.

After you drop a few pieces around, cover up the top of the tunnel again. When the moles eat the gum, it’ll possibly kill the mole.

This method is lethal and will kill moles. Avoid if possible. But If you have a prevalent mole problem, you can consider doing this technique if you’re desperate.

Mole tunnels are a hazard for your yard because you can fall into their holes. When you apply the gum, be sure to mark your areas so you know there’s loose soil there.

You don’t want to stop into a hole you dug that goes into a mole tunnel because it can collapse.

Boric acid

Boric acid is hit-or-miss. I haven’t had many reports that boric acid actually works to control moles, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

There are few reports online and personally, I’ve never used boric acid for moles. Thus, I can’t recommend that it actually works.

if you’ve used boric acid and you know it works, let me know.

Does dog poop get rid of moles?

Dog poop can help repel moles from your garden naturally.
Yes. Dog poop still works.

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

You can actually use dog poop and bury it directly into a molehill. You’ll obviously want to use gloves and a doggy bag preferably to handle the dog feces.

Just grab the turd and drop it directly into the molehill. After that, add some water to make it smell.

Add a pile of dirt on top to seal off the entrance. Be sure you don’t cover the poop. You want the poop to go deep into the tunnel so that when you seal off the molehill, the dirt you use doesn’t cover up the poop.

This will ensure that the dog poop’s scent will travel through the tunnel and smoke the mole out.

Here are some tips:

  • Use fresh dog poop and avoid dried ones
  • Water it well to keep it hydrated
  • Use as many pieces as you can

Bigger dogs mean bigger poop

You can also dig into the ground to expose the tunnel network. Then drop the poop directly into the tunnel, add water, and then cover up the hole.

This will let you add more dog poop within the tunnel system and really disturb the ground mole.

Does Dawn dish soap get rid of moles?

Yes, you can use Dawn dish soap to help eliminate moles from your yard. The thing to note is that you can’t just use Dawn by itself. You’ll need some castor oil to help the dish soap work effectively.

Just like the castor oil method I wrote about above, this method uses the same thought process.

The dish soap and castor oil will upset the mole’s digestive system, which happens to make them relocate naturally. This will help get rid of moles from your yard without killing them.

Another note: You don’t need to Dawn dish soap. You can use any dish detergent. Dawn just happens to be a popular brand used in pest control for some reason.

How to make DIY dish soap ground mole repellent

Here’s how to make your mole repellent with dish soap.

What you’ll need:

  • 2 ounces of dish soap
  • 1 cup of castor oil
  • 10 cups of tap water
  • Spray bottle

How to make it:

  • Combine the dish soap, water, and castor oil into the spray bottle.

How to use it:

  • Spray your soil where you suspect the moles to be. Typically, this is where the soft and loose soil is, as moles like to hang out there. Spray directly onto the soil.
  • Also, spray plant roots and directly into the mole holes.
  • Reapply as needed.
  • You should probably test this in a small area of your yard first, as it can damage your lawn or plants. Start small then go big if you don’t notice any damage.
  • You can reduce the soap and castor oil concentrations if you notice plant damage, or just add more water to dilute the DIY repellent.

Easy enough?

Do mothballs get rid of moles in your yard?

Mothballs aren’t very effective in controlling moles in your yard. The whole reason why mothballs work is by releasing toxic fumes.

Two main chemical scents stem from them: naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Mothballs will eventually turn toxic, so it’s not recommended for usage.

They’re supposed to be used for small containers where the fumes will kill moths. Mothballs may work for other indoor pests like cockroaches or stink bugs, but not so much for moles.

However, for moles, this isn’t effective. If you’re outdoors, the chemicals will disperse into the air, so they’re not that effective at getting rid of moles.

Because mole tunnels are exposed to the environment, this often lets the fumes escape. Thus, they can’t build up to lethal levels to kill moles or at least drive them out of your yard.

Technically, you could toss in a dozen mothballs into a mole tunnel and seal it up.

Could be lethal to moles

This may eventually kill the mole, but it’ll probably escape and tunnel out before this happens. Moles can also remove the mothballs from their tunnels.

Some states even prohibit the use of mothballs to kill moles (or pests in general). Thus, you could be committing a crime without even knowing it.

You must use the product as directed by the label. Because you’re using it for mole control, this is illegal. So not only is it ineffective, but it’s also illegal.

Lastly, pets, kids, and your family may mistakenly eat or touch the mothballs.

This could be dangerous towards them and is definitely unsafe. Mothballs may also harm plants, lawns, and even your vegetables and fruits!

So the bottom line: avoid mothballs for moles. They’re not effective and the cons outweigh the pros.

How to prevent moles

Preventing lawn moles.
Mole prevention is easier than it seems!

After you’ve gotten rid of your current mole problem, the next thing to focus on is to prevent future moles from coming to your yard.

Just like you expect, the easiest way to do this is to make your garden less appealing to moles. This means doing the same regular upkeep and cleaning over and over.

Practice basic maintenance

You know what I mean- mowing your lawn, pruning trees, disposing of excess plant matter, feeding your animals indoors, and keeping your yard pest free. Read the previous section on “how to get rid of moles naturally”

You’ll want to keep your yard constantly clean and maintained, except with the addition of mole repellent.

Use any of the methods discussed above. Apply lime to keep the grub worms out. Use essential oil sprays to repel moles. Use castor oil around the perimeter of your yard. Apply dish soap on the soil.

The trick is to use a bunch of different methods together for the most effective measure to keep the moles away from your home.

Did you get rid of your mole problem?

You can get rid of ground moles with patience!
With patience and some effort, you can get rid of most lawn mole problems quite easily!

Well, that’s all I have for you!

You now have everything you need to assess the situation, determine the moles, and keep them out of your yard- for good!

With patience and persistence, you’ll be able to drive out even the most prevalent and stubborn moles.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and ask. Or if you have any experience with managing moles, leave some tips for others!

Also, let me know if you found this guide to be helpful? Anything, in particular, you’d like to see more of?

Consider telling a friend who may also be dealing with moles! Chances are if you live in an area where they’re native, your neighbors may be facing the same problem.

Thanks for reading!

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