Moles are Dirty, Rotten Little....................

[RTchoke]

We all start our gardens around here rather late (end of May) due to weather. It's been rather cold here (still getting into the 40's some nights) and the gardens have been late to start. Went out into the garden the other day and what did I find??

Moles. Dirty, rotten little buggers!! Had just one hill the other day. Last night, three. Rotten, filthy little bastards!!!!

Anybody have and REAL ideas on getting rid of these things? They are an issue here, but we have been lucky in the ten years we've been here that they haven't really been attracted to us. The cemetery though...............can't plant bulb flowers at the headstones unless you do a lot of planning because they eat the bulbs.

I've been looking at info, and there are traps ( which I'm not looking forward to planting all over my garden) and other ideas like Mole-Med which is a castor oil type repellent. Anybody have any experience getting rid of these buggers that actually works?? and works well.

I think the little bastards have already gotten the corn since there is about 4 stalks that have come up out of three rows. :(

[BillBrown]

We all start our gardens around here rather late (end of May) due to weather. It's been rather cold here (still getting into the 40's some nights) and the gardens have been late to start. Went out into the garden the other day and what did I find??

Moles. Dirty, rotten little buggers!! Had just one hill the other day. Last night, three. Rotten, filthy little bastards!!!!

Anybody have and REAL ideas on getting rid of these things? They are an issue here, but we have been lucky in the ten years we've been here that they haven't really been attracted to us. The cemetery though...............can't plant bulb flowers at the headstones unless you do a lot of planning because they eat the bulbs.

I've been looking at info, and there are traps ( which I'm not looking forward to planting all over my garden) and other ideas like Mole-Med which is a castor oil type repellent. Anybody have any experience getting rid of these buggers that actually works?? and works well.

I think the little bastards have already gotten the corn since there is about 4 stalks that have come up out of three rows. :(

Can't help you there.
We don't have moles. I've never seen one.
We make up for them with fire ants.

[jungulator]

Get a couple barn cats. Problem solved.

[AmericanMuscle]

I speak from experience. I've tried the grub killer, harpoon type "traps", Castor Oil type Mole Away (still have some in the basement), electronic devices that were supposed to repel them. I put a water hose in one hole and saw a mole emerge from another but was unprepared to kill him and my husband was not around~ so my daughter and I watched in disbelief as he scuttled to another hole and disappeared into it. I also offered 20 dollars for each dead mole brought to me. I put out the mole poison and almost killed my chihuahua who DUG IT UP and ate it!

The grub killer worked for awhile but it was costly and the moles came back. Harpoon traps never worked once. Castor Oil repellant did not seem to work. Electronic devices seemed to attract rather than repel. My neighbor's cat who adopted me is worthless and would starve rather than toy with a mole. The water hose method may have drowned one or two. They are rather solitary critters as you may know. What else can I tell you??

They simply went away one day after I had thrown up my hands. Maybe they just could not put up with the all out daily assault. I imagine they will be back someday too and when they come back I will name and cherish them. I will look at them as great aerators of the lawn....a blessing.

I had to give up and focus on other things after YEARS of torment and a real Caddyshack way of living.

I hope this post helps you in some small way. Good luck! I mean it!

[VinMI]

Try rag/rags soaked in ammonia. Be very careful since ammonia is so strong and should be used with plenty of ventilation. My friend had raccoons in her summer cabin and used this method to get them out and it worked:razz: She tossed the rags in then left overnight. Put them in the mole holes. I don't know of too many things that can stand the smell:rolleyes:

[Dual867PowerMac]

I want one for a pet.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/BengalsManiac/wub.gif

[hatman]

A number of years ago I had continual and growing mole problems in my yard (typical suburban plot).
One day I was listening to the Jerry Baker gardening radio show. He was talking about a mole repellant concoction of something like 1 part castor oil, 1 part tabasco sauce, and 2 parts "aged" human urine.
Well, at the time, I didn't have any castor oil or tabasco sauce, but I'd been drinking a bit so I had, well, you know.
So anyway I applied an ample supply of my "personal mole repellant" on each mole hill and I kid you not, it worked. I did not see another fresh mole hill after that.
The next year, after one appearance of a mole hill, I again applied my repellant and that was it. No more moles.
For a couple seasons after that, I applied a preventative dose and have not had another mole on my property since.
I am being totally serious about this and have told friends about this. All laughed at first, but some tried it and they became believers.

[RickRhetoric]

Anybody have and REAL ideas on getting rid of these things?

They're like Democrats and taxes -- you can never get rid of them. These mischievous and cute li'l critters ravish and devour with a vengeance everything you work so hard to create.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/challenged/moles.jpg

[BillWeld4Prez]

I whizzed in my yard today, I think though that our moles went away after spring thaw. But better safe than sorry.

[hatman]

I whizzed in my yard today, I think though that our moles went away after spring thaw. But better safe than sorry.
:))

It really works though.

[RTchoke]

Get a couple barn cats. Problem solved.

Have two already. They have staked out the holes but have so far been rewarded with nothing.

I just think they are lazy. :razz:

[RTchoke]

I want one for a pet.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/BengalsManiac/wub.gif

There's one in every crowd. :rolleyes:

Give me your address. When, and if, I catch the little bastards I'll FedEx them to you. :))

[RTchoke]

I speak from experience. I've tried the grub killer, harpoon type "traps", Castor Oil type Mole Away (still have some in the basement), electronic devices that were supposed to repel them. I put a water hose in one hole and saw a mole emerge from another but was unprepared to kill him and my husband was not around~ so my daughter and I watched in disbelief as he scuttled to another hole and disappeared into it. I also offered 20 dollars for each dead mole brought to me. I put out the mole poison and almost killed my chihuahua who DUG IT UP and ate it!

The grub killer worked for awhile but it was costly and the moles came back. Harpoon traps never worked once. Castor Oil repellant did not seem to work. Electronic devices seemed to attract rather than repel. My neighbor's cat who adopted me is worthless and would starve rather than toy with a mole. The water hose method may have drowned one or two. They are rather solitary critters as you may know. What else can I tell you??

They simply went away one day after I had thrown up my hands. Maybe they just could not put up with the all out daily assault. I imagine they will be back someday too and when they come back I will name and cherish them. I will look at them as great aerators of the lawn....a blessing.

I had to give up and focus on other things after YEARS of torment and a real Caddyshack way of living.

I hope this post helps you in some small way. Good luck! I mean it!


I've had the Caddyshack scenario going through my head the past couple days. :)) I hope I can get it resolved.

thanks for the luck. I'll probably need it. My modeling skills suck so I don't think I'll be able to create any small mole looking creatures out of plastic explosives to throw down the holes. :mrgreen:

[RTchoke]

A number of years ago I had continual and growing mole problems in my yard (typical suburban plot).
One day I was listening to the Jerry Baker gardening radio show. He was talking about a mole repellant concoction of something like 1 part castor oil, 1 part tabasco sauce, and 2 parts "aged" human urine.
Well, at the time, I didn't have any castor oil or tabasco sauce, but I'd been drinking a bit so I had, well, you know.
So anyway I applied an ample supply of my "personal mole repellant" on each mole hill and I kid you not, it worked. I did not see another fresh mole hill after that.
The next year, after one appearance of a mole hill, I again applied my repellant and that was it. No more moles.
For a couple seasons after that, I applied a preventative dose and have not had another mole on my property since.
I am being totally serious about this and have told friends about this. All laughed at first, but some tried it and they became believers.

Ya know, I read in a gardening forum today about someone who filled a bottle with um............well, you know what I'm talking about and dumped it down the mole hole. No more moles. At least that is what they claimed. This appears to be the easiest method since the............well. you know, the....uh.........."poison" is readily available. :razz:

Only downside to this is it's gonna cost me the price of about a six pack (or more) for the hubby in order to get enough...uh.........."stuff" to hit every mole hole. :))

Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyy.....................wait a minute. Know I know why the little buggers are in the garden now instead of the yard. :doh: Thank God we live in the country with no close neighbors, huh? :razz:

[curtis123]

I used to trap them by the dozens when I was a kid.

Use a regular spring "leg hold" type trap. A small one.

The trick is, to find their hole under the mound, put the trap in, stake it down good and cover the hole with a piece of plywood or some other sheet of something, with some weight on top. Leave it overnight.

They may spring the trap or dig around it, but keep resetting it every night.

Ugly little critters.

[stoked]

A couple years back, my cat left me a half a one outside my window (another gift); I was so heartbroken.

I went after a gopher in my melon patch last year. I just dug his tunnel out to the fence line, stuffed some bait in there, and sealed it up so none of my critters would get it. That seemed to take care of the problem. Just dig up the tunnel and be prepared to hit the thing with a shovel. Nothing like getting right down to it.

[hatman]

Ya know, I read in a gardening forum today about someone who filled a bottle with um............well, you know what I'm talking about and dumped it down the mole hole. No more moles. At least that is what they claimed. This appears to be the easiest method since the............well. you know, the....uh.........."poison" is readily available. :razz:

Only downside to this is it's gonna cost me the price of about a six pack (or more) for the hubby in order to get enough...uh.........."stuff" to hit every mole hole. :))

Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyy.....................wait a minute. Know I know why the little buggers are in the garden now instead of the yard. :doh: Thank God we live in the country with no close neighbors, huh? :razz:


:))

Honestly, it really works!

Another honest story:
When I was 14 (1967) my dad had me sit with a 12ga. next to a mole hill. He was so ****ed off with moles in our yard.
Eventually, the dirt mound began to move. I yelled "Dad"!
He grabbed the 12ga. and shot into the mound
He had me trim the mole's hair to be used for tying flies.
I still have some of that mole's hair today.

[jeepers]

Milky Spore several times a year, and don't discourage non-poisonous garden snakes. Milky Spore deals with the grubs, something that moles like to eat. Skunks like them too, btw. :razz: Snakes like to eat rodents. Garden snakes keep rodent populations down and as a side benefit, eat troublesome bugs, too.

[Kegler300]

Try Milky Spore grub control. Get rid of the mole's food source, and you'll get rid of the moles. It's a little expensive, but guaranteed to control grubs and other insect larvae for up to 10 years.

http://www.stgl.us/gstore/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=44&idproduct=4026

[Wookinstien]

I've had the Caddyshack scenario going through my head the past couple days. :)) I hope I can get it resolved.

thanks for the luck. I'll probably need it. My modeling skills suck so I don't think I'll be able to create any small mole looking creatures out of plastic explosives to throw down the holes. :mrgreen:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g212/Themindisadeliciousvegetable/caddyshack.jpg

No big deal.......

[Prydz]

My Grandad used to put the thing from musical birthday card that makes all the noises down molehills.

He said the noise would scare them off.

Mind you I was only a kid so he could have been having me on.

[RTchoke]

Thanks for all the ides guys. I'll try various methods and see what results I get.

Cats were staked out in the garden again last night. One of them even peed in the soft dirt of the mole hill. :)) I hope she hasn't learned to read the internets and found this thread. :eek:

Can't get to town today to try and find the Milky Spore stuff but possibly tomorrow. Might try to find some castor oil too and make the kids take it just so they can get the full experience I had as a child. :))

[jeepers]

Read the directions on the Milky Spore. It's granulated and you spread it like fertilizer. You have to do it several times a year, for several years. It's not cheap if you have a large lawn. You don't just spread it once a year like grub poison.

Btw, grubs killing your lawn are worse than moles. You get a serious grub infestation and you literally can pull up your lawn in sheets like sod. And the holes that skunks dig to get at em are much bigger than small mole hills.

You can also consider 'beneficial nematodes'. We're talking live microscopic bugs that you can buy online, dilute in water and spray onto your lawn. (Have to do it when it's cooler and NOT sunny or you'll kill the damn things. You spray at twilight and then water em in.) They literally attack the grubs in the soil.

There are more than one kind and it's dependent upon your geographical area. Have to do a little online reading to know what you're doing. I've done both and I've seriously decreased the Japanese Beetle grub/bug population in my universe. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/innem.html

Or you can just nuke them with some Ortho product. I have kids and dogs so I'd rather limit the amount of chemicals in that lawn.

[RTchoke]

Read the directions on the Milky Spore. It's granulated and you spread it like fertilizer. You have to do it several times a year, for several years. It's not cheap if you have a large lawn. You don't just spread it once a year like grub poison.

Btw, grubs killing your lawn are worse than moles. You get a serious grub infestation and you literally can pull up your lawn in sheets like sod. And the holes that skunks dig to get at em are much bigger than small mole hills.

You can also consider 'beneficial nematodes'. We're talking live microscopic bugs that you can buy online, dilute in water and spray onto your lawn. (Have to do it when it's cooler and NOT sunny or you'll kill the damn things. You spray at twilight and then water em in.) They literally attack the grubs in the soil.

There are more than one kind and it's dependent upon your geographical area. Have to do a little online reading to know what you're doing. I've done both and I've seriously decreased the Japanese Beetle grub/bug population in my universe. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/innem.html

Or you can just nuke them with some Ortho product. I have kids and dogs so I'd rather limit the amount of chemicals in that lawn.

Will it be safe to use on the garden though? That is where they are. They moved from the lawn to the garden this year.

[countmein]

My dad uses a pitchfork. Gets rid of them every time.