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What is mole repellent?

A Mole repellent helps you prevent moles from establishing themselves in your garden or yard.

March 2, 2022

11 min read time

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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Mole activity in your lawn or garden can be a sight for nightmares.

These little burrowing creatures ruin your beautiful garden and mowed lawn. They also create tunnels that other burrowing pests use. These mole tunnels around your yard can be very unsightly.

So while moles feed on worms and insects and are technically harmless to your plants, the havoc they wreck to your garden or lawn is not worth it.

That is why we have mole repellents to deter moles from coming into your territory.

A Mole repellent helps you prevent moles from establishing themselves in your garden or yard.

Types of Mole repellents

There are many different types of mole repellent.

Not every repellent can work for your mole problem. It is important to be educated about the different types of repellents in order to make an informed choice about what is suitable for you.

Here are the different types of mole repellent;

  • Natural mole repellent

Using a natural mole repellent is a great way to prevent moles from entering your yard. This option is also very safe for the environment, children, pets and is also humane to the moles.

Natural mole repellent involves using natural remedies to deter moles. This includes using plants that repel moles such as marigolds, daffodils, castor beans, fritillaries, and mole plants.

Place these in your flower bed, garden beds, and even around your vegetable garden to keep off moles.

However, mole plants are considered poisonous hence should be used with discretion around pets and children.

  • Liquid repellent

Liquid mole repellents can either be natural or chemical-based products. This type of repellent often requires mixing a portion of it with water and dish soap.

You have to read the instructions carefully in order to get the ratio right. When you fail to get the ratio right, the solution may be ineffective or too potent to the extent of ruining your lawn or garden.

  • Spray repellent

This type of repellent can also be natural or chemical based. They are applied at the same frequency as liquid repellents and higher than granules.

Spray mole repellents are easier to use than liquid-repellent because they are already pre-mixed before usage. They are ready to use repellents – just spray them on your garden or yard as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Re-apply as needed.

  • Ultrasonic mole repellents

These are the most frequently used products and best mole repellent because they are easy to use and do not require re-application or constant monitoring.

These take advantage of moles’ sensory organs, especially their sensitive ears, to send ultrasonic waves and pulses that irritate moles and drive them away.

Recommend the most efficient sonic mole repelllent, Thanos sonic mole repellent

  • Granulated repellent

These come in granulated form. You can sprinkle the granules all over your garden using your hands, or you can load them into a granule spreader to distribute them uniformly. You can also poke holes in tunnels and mole hills and insert them.

Granulated repellents are said to last longer than liquid repellent and spray repellent. However, they also need to be re-applied after some time.

Does mole repellent really work?

The big question is- do these repellents really work?

Well, when applied correctly, mole repellents are quite effective in getting rid of moles.

Mole repellent will not only help you to get rid of moles but also other rodents such as voles, armadillos, gophers, and other burrowing critters.

The active ingredient in most repellents – castor oil, is intensely disliked by moles. Castor oil moles can’t stand the taste or smell of castor oil and will stay away from areas where they can smell it.

How do mole repellents work?

We have already established that mole repellents do work over a period of time and when applied periodically.

Different mole repellents work differently to repel moles. There are steps to follow to ensure mole repellents work;

Let’s have a look at the steps and how the repellents work;

Identify the Existing tunnels

While it is hard to notice moles running around in your yard, you will recognize them by their mole damage. Moles dig shallow tunnels that other pests can also hide in your yard.

Pay attention to mole hills – these look like cone-shaped mounded soil mostly found at the edge of lawns and soil.

You can also identify them by their mole run – these are irregular trails of pushed-up soil.

Choose your mole repellent.

Like we said earlier, different mole repellents work differently to achieve results. You need to assess your garden or yard and determine what repellent would be most suitable. If you have children and pets, you also have to put them into consideration.

Here is how some of the repellents work;

Castor oil repellents

Castor oil-based repellent works by producing a foul smell that moles cannot stand, and they will be forced to move somewhere else. They come in two forms; granular form and liquid mole repellents.

  • Ready-to-spray liquid; To get the liquid mole repellent, mix 200 ml of castor oil with 30 ml of dish soap and add 4L of water. You can put the concentrated solution in a spray bottle and spray it on all the affected areas in your garden or lawn. You can also use a water hose to spread the solution and make it penetrate deep within the soil.
  • Granulated repellents; These work by emitting a pungent smell that drives moles away. Make holes in mole tunnels or on the soil and insert the granules. You can then pour some water to allow the active castor oil ingredient to penetrate the ground. The castor oil scent and taste are enough to drive the moles away. Spread the granules evenly on your garden and ensure you use them frequently.

Ultrasonic mole repellents

As sensitive as their sense of smell is, moles also have an acute sense of hearing. They rely on their hearing to navigate through and listen out for predators because they are nearly blind.

Ultrasonic mole repellents are pressed into the ground and use vibrations and ultrasonic pulses to irritate moles. These intense vibrations drive moles away, and they are forced to look for another habitat.

These types of repellents come in two forms;

  • Battery operated- For this variety, you just put in the batteries and place them anywhere in the yard.
  • Solar operated – This relies on solar energy to charge the internal battery for it to work. Please place them in an area where they can receive ample sunlight.

Apply as directed

In order to increase the effectiveness of these repellents, they need to be applied as directed. Make sure you follow the instructions that come with the manual.

Stick to the rations indicated – too little of something can reduce the effectiveness, and too much of it can end up ruining your garden. Also, the strength of these repellents fades over time, so they need to be re-applied periodically.

Reduce attractants

Help your repellents do their job by also reducing the things that attract moles to your yard. Here are the things you can do;

  • Reduce soil moisture and avoid over watering your lawn- moles love soft loamy soil.
  • Pack down any loose soil, so they can’t dig through.
  • Get rid of insects and earthworms- this will reduce their food source.

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

One thing about moles is that, while you may be pressed to spare them – they will not spare your lawn or garden. If you don’t employ tough measures to get rid of them quickly, they will continue to wreak havoc on your garden and yard.

Here are the fastest ways you can get rid of moles in your yard;

Mole traps

Using mole traps is a sure way of getting rid of moles fast. It is advisable to use specifically designed mole traps to increase their effectiveness. Place the traps in mole runways and active mole tunnels.

You can also place one discretely near molehills and areas where they are known to feed. They can be found in online stores – both above-ground and below-ground traps.

This option will effectively reduce your mole problem by trapping and killing the moles. Each trap comes with a manual for directions and usage. Make sure you carefully read the instructions and set the trap as directed.

Keep checking and changing the position of the traps to cover more ground. Traps are best used during the winter, spring and fall. Mole sare most active during these seasons because the soil is moist and soft. As for early spring – this is the time the females are pregnant.

You may have to set the traps again over a period of time just to ensure additional moles haven’t decided to occupy the initial mole tunnels.

Remember to first check with your local authorities if you can use mole traps. Some areas have banned the usage of mole traps since they kill moles. Be sure to get a permit first in places where it is illegal.

Mole poison

Poisoning the moles is another sure way to get rid of them. You can poison moles by setting mole baits infused with poison. Moles eat grubs and earthworms – you can shape the mole baits infused with poison as earthworms and grubs.

Moles will be attracted to these baits, and when they eat them, they will die in under 24 hours after ingestion.

Exercise caution when handling mole poison. Wear gloves when placing the bait. You should also ensure children or pets do not go near the poisoned baits. The poison is just as harmful to pets and children as moles.

Eliminate their food source

Eliminating what moles eat will help you get rid of them. Moles burrow underground in search of earthworms. They also eat insects, crickets, and lawn grubs.

When there is not enough food for them to eat in your yard, they will move to another territory searching for food. Food is the one thing that attracts these burrowing creatures to your yard.

So figure out what the moles like to feed on most in your yard and find ways to remove the food source. There are products in the market that will help you control their food supply. Go for products that control grubs, crickets, ants, and other lawn insects.

Apply mole repellents

You can use mole repellents to make sure your yard is undesirable for these little creatures. Mole repellents have a strong smell and taste that moles dislike. Repellents made from castor oil are quite effective in repelling moles.

The repellant needs to be applied at regular intervals – preferably every month to keep the moles away. Besides castor oil, you can also use tar as a repellant.

Take an object or even a rag and dip it in tar. Place the object at different mole tunnels, hills, and other entryways. This will definitely keep off the moles.

You can also use natural mole repellents to deter moles from your yard. You can plant mole repellent plants such as alliums, daffodils, marigolds, castor beans, and the mole plant.

Use Gas bombs

Gassing is another sure way to get rid of moles. Gas bombs can be found in stores and will poison the moles to death. Place the gas bombs on mole entryways such as tunnels and molehills.

The gas bombs will release poisonous fumes into the mole entryways, killing them. Do not ingest the poison yourself, so wear a mask when releasing the gas. Also, keep children and pets away for some time until the gasses dissipate.

Remember to read the instructions carefully when handling gas bombs because they contain poison. Make sure to use it as per directions.

Contact a wildlife professional.

Sometimes the fastest way to get rid of moles is to enlist the help of professionals. Contact a wildlife professional specializing in mole control for quick, easy, and safe removal.

The professionals will help you determine the area of infestation and the best way to get rid of the moles. After analyzing the scope of your mole problem, they will combine both prevention and treatment methods to address the problem. Within no time, your yard will be mole-free.

Wrap up

If you pride yourself in keeping a clean and tidy lawn or yard, then moles are perhaps your biggest adversary. Do not let a mole problem get out of control in your yard – because then removing them will take too much work.

Repel moles before they establish themselves in your territory.

However, remember that mole repellents are not a cure for your mole problem. Use then as a preventive measure. Should you need to treat the problem, combine repellents will other methods learned in this article.

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