Do you have a beautiful lawn that you’ve worked hard to maintain, only to find unsightly molehills dotting the landscape?
Ground moles can wreak havoc on your lawn, leaving unsightly mounds and tunnels in their wake.
These pesky creatures may be small, but they can cause a significant amount of damage to your outdoor space.
If you’re tired of seeing your lawn destroyed, then it’s time to take action.
But before you start calling in the professionals or reaching for harmful chemicals, consider trying some simple, effective home remedies to get rid of moles in the yard.
Not only are these methods natural and safe, but they’re also easy on the wallet.
In this article, we’ll explore how to get rid of moles in the yard using home remedies and restore your lawn to its former glory.
What Attracts Moles To Your Yard?
Since moles stay in the tunnels they make for most of their lives, they will gravitate to a place that provides the best habitat for burrowing, breeding, and feeding.
Below are what attracts moles to a particular area.
1. Food Sources
The diet of moles majorly comprises white grubs, larvae, beetles, and earthworms. Therefore, moles will develop intricate burrows in places with an abundance of insects since that means a steady source of food.
Also Read: How to get rid of grubs in lawn
These small mammals consume a lot of food, with some eating up to 70 to 80% of their body weight every day.
2. Landscaping Elements
Moles construct runways following landscaping elements, such as paths and fence rows. In addition, they will burrow under trees and shrubs to find insects living in the root systems.
3. Cool Temperatures
Your yard will be ideal for moles if the soil is cool and moist since it will help regulate their body temperature.
You will likely see a surge in mole population in your lawn if you water it regularly while the neighboring places are dry.
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Prairie Dogs In Your Yard
9 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Moles in the Yard And Garden
Let’s go through the different home remedies you can employ to eliminate ground moles from your yard.
1. Use Castor Oil
Apply castor oil on your yard soil to make your home undesirable for ground moles. While it doesn’t kill the moles, castor oil has a smells that moles hate, and it also contaminates the soil making it unconducive for insects.
Spray castor oil in places with molehills and tunnels. Make the spray using castor oil (three parts), water (three parts), and dish soap (one part).
Also Read: How to get rid of chipmunks in your yard
2. Repel Moles using Coffee Grounds
The smell of used or fresh coffee grounds repels moles, so sprinkle them on the tunnels and bury them with soil. Besides driving away ground moles, coffee grounds will also fertilize your lawn.
The downside of this remedy is that you must locate the mole tunnels and put coffee grounds on them.
Moreover, grubs (lawn and garden moles’ primary food source) enjoy eating coffee grounds.
Therefore, if not monitored, this remedy can increase the mole population in your yard by providing them with food.
3. Use Plants As Mole Repellent
Plant mole-repellent plants around your lawn and garden edge, and let the smell keep these pesky mammals out of your home.
Mole repellent plants include marigolds, daffodils, garlic, caper spurge, fritillarias, and castor bean plants.
The advantages of this method are that it’s humane, safe, and helps beautify your yard while keeping moles away. However, it needs continuous maintenance and is time-consuming.
4. Use Dawn Dish Soap
This is another homemade mole-deterring recipe that does not kill the animals but repel them from your yard. Here’s how to create a dawn dish soap recipe to eliminate moles:
- Combine dawn dish soap (one part) with castor oil (three parts)
- Mix four tablespoons of dawn dish soap and castor oil solution created earlier with water (one gallon). Shake well
- Soak the mole tunnels with the solution. Also, spray the other lawn parts with the solution
5. Get Rid of Ground Moles with Vinegar
This popular household item is often used to get rid of ground moles with vinegar. Therefore, kill the moles in your yard and keep new ones from taking residence by pouring white vinegar into their holes.
A word of caution, since vinegar can burn grass, be careful during application, ensuring you only target problematic areas.
Also read: How to get rid of ground moles with vinegar
6. Kill Moles Using Marshmallows
While there’s no scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of this recipe, some people claim that putting marshmallows inside mole holes kills them.
The carrageenan in commercial-grade marshmallows slows down the moles’ digestive system because they can’t digest it, causing death eventually.
Follow this procedure:
- Remove everything moles can feed on from your yard
- Insert marshmallows into mole holes, and the tunnels’ end, and then wait for the recipe to act
- Repeat the application until you see a reduction of mole activities in your lawn
Killing moles with marshmallows is cost-effective and straightforward since it only entails making or buying marshmallows.
It is also not toxic to humans, but its effectiveness depends on the moles’ tolerance to them.
The main ingredients in making marshmallows are sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and whipped cream (a crucial ingredient that gives it texture).
You can also add additives like artificial colors and foaming aids.
7. Use Pet Waste
Pet waste deters moles by encouraging them to find shelter and food somewhere else. Utilize the waste your dogs or cats produce by placing it near the exit and entry points of mole tunnels to repel them.
8. Noise
Moles are sensitive to noise, particularly loud noise, so install noise-generating objects like wind chimes on your lawn and see moles disappear.
You can also annoy these critters by hanging a portable radio in areas with mole holes and turning up the volume.
9. Use Carbon Monoxide
The carbon monoxide produced by your car’s exhaust can help deter moles. Convince these critters that your home isn’t ideal for them by flooding their holes with harmful emissions from your vehicle’s exhaust. Ensure every hole is covered to prevent leaks.
Concluding Thoughts
Now that you know you can drive away or kill moles in your yard using remedies you can easily access at home, you can choose what will suit you best. For the sake of your yard, act swiftly the moment you take note of mole infestation signs which include molehills, chunks of dirt, and far-apart mounds.
Hey there, I’m Derek Schew, a writer for Lawnholic.com, where we cover everything and anything related to lawns. As someone who’s spent countless hours tending to my own lawn, I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping others achieve the perfect yard. From lawn care tips to product reviews, I’m committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and up-to-date information available. So whether you’re a seasoned lawn enthusiast or just getting started, I invite you to join our community and discover the joys of a lush, green lawn.