Catwoman Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 In case anyone doesn't feel like reading the details but might still have a suggestion for me, here's the problem in a nutshell: There are moles in my backyard and I want them GONE. Help!!!! Ok, here's what happened. I found a weird hole in the backyard and when I googled it, it was definitely a mole hole. I know nothing of moles. I have never seen an actual mole except in pictures. The pictures were enough. So now I need to get rid of the moles. Some guy on a random blog said to pour a mixture of white vinegar and Dawn dish soap down into the hole because apparently, moles hate the smell of vinegar. I don't know what the Dawn was for, but I'm thinking if the moles are kind of grimy from digging around in the dirt, the Dawn will clean them right up. I guess if I'm going to have moles, they might as well have clean, shiny fur. Anyway, this whole vinegar thing appears to have angered the moles and they appear to have called in reinforcements, as this morning I found 5 new mole holes. I did the vinegar and Dawn thing again, but frankly, I'm not feeling all that hopeful. I NEED HELP. Now, I know I can just call an exterminator, but I hate killing things if I don't have to, so I'm hoping for other options. I am not 100% against annihilating the mole population in the yard, but if I can just get them to leave, that would be preferable. (DIY annihilation suggestions appreciated, just in case.) I found a few other ways to supposedly get rid of moles, but they won't work for me, mainly because I have neighbors and they are nice people. The first suggestion was wind chimes, because I read that moles don't like the sound of wind chimes. The problem here is that I, like the moles, also do not like the sound of wind chimes. I get migraines, and there are few things more grating than the sound of wind chimes when I have a headache. So... no wind chimes. The second suggestion was to play music next to the mole holes because moles don't like that, either. Well, I'm not about to Rick-roll a bunch of moles, and also, I don't have that many transistor radios. And did I mention that I don't hate my neighbors? So... no radios. After that, I've got nothing. HELP! I need these moles to be gone. Please don't tell me to just leave them alone because they are beneficial to the ecosystem, because in the immortal words of Hall & Oates, I can't go for that. No can do. I live in an HOA neighborhood where people's yards are pristine. Mole holes are a big Bozo No-No. Any suggestions anyone has would be greatly appreciated! Solutions that wouldn't be toxic to my neighbors' dogs would be a big bonus. This is just me being overly paranoid because the dogs hardly ever come into our yard anyway, and I would definitely warn the neighbors before I put anything toxic in the holes, just to be 100% safe, so if some kind of mole poison is my only option, please tell me what to get. I can call an exterminator, but if I can do this myself, it would be a lot easier. Thank you for any ideas you have!!! I need a solution now, before the moles can organize and launch an all-out war against my lawn. Somewhere, the Mole King is covered in dish soap and vinegar, and he's clean and shiny, but he's not happy. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I have no clue if this will work on moles but it helped tremendously when we had rats. Moth balls! Rats hate the smell of them. I bought some, put them in a large jelly jar, punched holes in the lid and placed the jars where we were seeing them. I think it worked as I haven't seen evidence of them in years. One of the exterminators that came out to give us a quote told me to try the moth balls. I will be forever grateful to him. I put them in jars because we have dogs and I figured they would be stupid and try to eat the moth balls. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Im sorry…we dealt with moles for years. Unless you get rid of the food source, even if they leave your yard, they move to the neighbors and eventually find their way back. Their food source is grubs. We had our lawn treated for grubs one year. We didn’t notice much difference that year but by the next year they disappeared. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 My cat takes care of them. No other ideas - I'm sorry. They are a real nuisance. Now we have skunks digging up the yard. Definitely don't want the cat near them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Well, you can do like I do and get a dog that will hunt the moles but then have to wrestle the mole out of the dogs mouth to dispose of it. We have had two different dogs that have done this. I hate have to dig the moles out of their mouth because we have the naked mole rats and you can never tell which way they are in the dog's mouth and I don't know if they bite. I do use a plastic bag to get them but still not the most fun thing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 (edited) Just had lunch with DH, he thinks when they (moles) were finally gone was when he started fertilizing the yard regularly, something we never did when we were raising kids. His guess is the treatment cut back on whatever the grubs were eating and therefore the food source was gone. Edited April 22, 2022 by KatieInMN 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Yep, you've got to get rid of the grubs. In the past we've used this product with success. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 The only thing that worked for me was trapping and killing the mole. But, that was when it was really bad. For prevention I found the mole reppellent stuff to work okay - it's castor oil and sometimes stuff like pepper and garlic. The one at Tractor Supply smelled kind of yummy, lol. So you could try that. The poison worms don't work. Chewing gum won't work (seriously? Who comes up with these?). Killing off the grubs in your yard with grub killer won't work - you will still have earth worms and other stuff that moles eat. so, maybe get some repellent, and if that doesn't work, traps are the best bet. I HATED killing it, but it was literally destroying my yard. I nearly broke my ankle, it was killing the grass where the trails were, etc etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 2 hours ago, ShepCarlin said: I have no clue if this will work on moles but it helped tremendously when we had rats. Moth balls! Rats hate the smell of them. I bought some, put them in a large jelly jar, punched holes in the lid and placed the jars where we were seeing them. I think it worked as I haven't seen evidence of them in years. One of the exterminators that came out to give us a quote told me to try the moth balls. I will be forever grateful to him. I put them in jars because we have dogs and I figured they would be stupid and try to eat the moth balls. Moth balls are toxic and you'd have to put them underground for moles, where they may break down, I think. I know they say not to use them for snake repellent as they are bad for the environment. Also, she'd have to pretty much cover the yard in them, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I'm right there with you, Catwoman! We have a terrible situation with the moles right now. About two summers ago, dh and I would sit out front on nice summer evenings, and we would hear this occasional beeping noise. Once I became aware of it, it was annoying. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. One evening we decided to figure out where the noise was coming from. It was coming from the neighbor across the street. We didn't know if it was part of a security system or what. One day, neighbor was outside, and dh asked him directly what the noise was. He sheepishly admitted it was to keep the moles away. Well, yup, it worked keeping them away from his lawn...guess where they went!!! Our lawn! I want them GONE. Our lawn is a mess right now. I keep telling dh that one day I'm going to fall through the earth because of the amount of holes! Hopefully dh will agree to do something about it this year. He doesn't like chemicals. But maybe milky white spore will cut down on the grub population, which I know we have too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Adding that the castor oil repellant comes in granules or in liquid that you hook up to the hose to spray on the lawn. The liquid might be safer with the neighbor dogs, no worry they will find granules and eat them, since castor oil isn't good to eat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idalou Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Ask your neighbors with the pristine yards what they did to shoo them to your yard? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I don't know how much work it would take for your area/yard. But I know people put up owl homes/hotels or make their yards owl friendly. Like having shady trees or build little homes. Owls are the most effective animal at taking care of moles. Whenever feral cats roam our yard and I hear owls in the night I have less issues with moles and other rodents. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 We did put in one of those noise making stakes in our vegetable garden, but you can't really hear ours unless you next to the beds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Obama is not a very good hunter, but I could send him to visit you for vacation and to harry your moles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 When we moved in to this house there were tons of mole trails. But the dogs seem to keep them out of the backyard, same as the old house. Even when we had tons of trails in the front yard never had them in the back. The dogs haven't killed any - just being there is a deterrent. BUT..the dogs ruin the lawn almost as much as the moles, so not really a solution I can advise, lol. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I have no answers. Mark says I am not allowed to gasoline and torch the yard so they will go away. I am sad. It might have solved both the mole problem as well as the mowing headache. I thought it was a fine idea. Him not so much! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history-fan Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Second the noise making stakes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 20 minutes ago, Faith-manor said: I have no answers. Mark says I am not allowed to gasoline and torch the yard so they will go away. I am sad. It might have solved both the mole problem as well as the mowing headache. I thought it was a fine idea. Him not so much! I was about at that point, they drove me so crazy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 We don't water our lawn so the grubs go to the neighbors' lawns who water, and the moles follow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 (edited) I am not sure if this was mentioned, but you probably need to put down a grub preventative-if there is less food, there will be less moles. We have used the mole traps with the spikes--they are hit and miss. We have also tried gopher gas--that sometimes works. The little electronic devices that emit sonic pulses/sounds did not work for us. My dog has caught more than we have, but his accuracy leaves something to be desired. There are generally holes everywhere from where he has dug up mole tunnels. 😃 P.S. if you do Rick roll the moles, we need photographic evidence. You know, for science. Edited April 22, 2022 by cintinative 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 48 minutes ago, livetoread said: We don't water our lawn so the grubs go to the neighbors' lawns who water, and the moles follow. Probably more about the earthworms than the grubs, or both. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 "Rick roll the moles" @Catwoman that's gold I dare you to try it 😉 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 35 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said: "Rick roll the moles" @Catwoman that's gold I dare you to try it 😉 This is the best idea I heard all day! My other one was to just get a shot gun, shove the barrel down one of the holes, shoot, while screaming, "Die you moles, die!" and hope the neighbors don't sneak over with a straightjacket. I mean, it's moles. Desperate times call for desperate measures! 😆 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 Just so you know, I’m writing all of these ideas down, and I think I’m going to try a combination of them. I’ll post tomorrow and let you know what I’m going to do. Thanks so much for all of the suggestions — I really appreciate them!!! Oh, and @Faith-manor, can I borrow your flamethrower this weekend? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 Obama says he enjoys harrying moles but would require payment in chicken and also a teleporter because he hates the car. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 We're in a similar situation but with groundhogs, who look in our windows mockingly. We have Orkin and one of their suggestions was barricading their holes with mesh so they couldn't get in/out. Ours seem to have just found new areas to dig. Here is one of ours from last spring, climbing out from his happy home UNDER the porch. 🤦♀️ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 26 minutes ago, Terabith said: Obama says he enjoys harrying moles but would require payment in chicken and also a teleporter because he hates the car. Not a problem. I’m on it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 You need a big ole black snake in your yard to clear them out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 (edited) 11 hours ago, KatieInMN said: Im sorry…we dealt with moles for years. Unless you get rid of the food source, even if they leave your yard, they move to the neighbors and eventually find their way back. Their food source is grubs. We had our lawn treated for grubs one year. We didn’t notice much difference that year but by the next year they disappeared. This was going to be my suggestion. Treat for grubs. We moved into our house and noticed some strange holes. And intermittent high pitched noises. The noises were some little installed boxes, and the sound was supposed to scare the creatures away. It may have worked for the previous owners, but not for us! We took the boxes up, and had the grass treated. Worked like a charm. ETA: I read that the noisemakers are effective at first, but some persistent moles get used to the sound and come back. We had the persistent kind! Or possibly deaf. 🤣 Edited April 23, 2022 by Spryte 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 I’m currently at war with a groundhog so I feel your pain. If I lived in the country this would be over by now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 55 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said: I’m currently at war with a groundhog so I feel your pain. If I lived in the country this would be over by now. Yes! At our old house, we could just shoot them! No shooting w/in city limits though, so we deal with being mocked. Let me know if you find a solution. I've seen three separate ones so far this year, ugh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 Ugh. Groundhogs. I had to deal with them too at our previous home. Mostly lived under the shed. Those we trapped and drove far away to be released in a field. (At fist we didn’t drive them far enough away, and they would come back). Man, those critters up close! Vicious looking claws! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Amethyst said: Ugh. Groundhogs. I had to deal with them too at our previous home. Mostly lived under the shed. Those we trapped and drove far away to be released in a field. (At fist we didn’t drive them far enough away, and they would come back). Man, those critters up close! Vicious looking claws! We have a couple of groundhogs at one of our houses, and we know they live under the deck with the foxes. We have named them and we love them. ❤️ The moles at this house? No love for them!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 6 minutes ago, Catwoman said: We have a couple of groundhogs at one of our houses, and we know they live under the deck with the foxes. We have named them and we love them. ❤️ The moles at this house? No love for them!!! The groundhogs can do a LOT more damage than moles. They can cause all sorts of foundation issues. Rainwater can get in their tunnels and lead to excess moisture/mold/rot issues, etc. Moles are a nuisance, groundhogs in/around your house foundation are a real problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Pawz4me said: The groundhogs can do a LOT more damage than moles. They can cause all sorts of foundation issues. Rainwater can get in their tunnels and lead to excess moisture/mold/rot issues, etc. Moles are a nuisance, groundhogs in/around your house foundation are a real problem. We have had the same family of groundhogs forever, and so far they haven’t done any damage at all. I guess we have just been lucky! We generally only have one or two groundhogs at any one time. My favorite one was Phil, who was the first one, but eventually he got old and died. But his descendants live on. 🙂 Edited April 23, 2022 by Catwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 I feel your pain. Milky spore and beneficial nematodes will take care of the grubs, which will take care of the moles. And I’d be happy to send a couple groundhogs for you to add to your menagerie. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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