Moles are mammals that belong to the Talpidae family and spend most of their lives underground due to their excellent adaptations for digging. In this sense, they have a cylindrical-shaped body, the snout is flexible and not so elongated, they hardly have a neck, and the forelimbs are much more developed than the hindlimbs. The eyes are tiny and in some species they are covered with skin. This aspect is not strange, since vision is not really necessary given the type of underground habit of these animals. On the other hand, they also lack the external auricle. Moles are animals that are mainly guided by their senses of smell and touch, which are highly developed.
Due to the type of habitat in which they live, in some cases they are considered pests, since they can cause certain inconveniences in land arranged for crops and even in gardens. If you are interested in knowing certain non-harmful strategies to repel these animals, continue reading this article on our site in which we will explain how to drive away moles
Why do I have moles in my garden?
Moles inhabit natural spaces such as certain types of forests and grasslands, however, the condition to be present in these areas has to do mainly with the characteristics of the soil, which cannot be rocky and must allow these animals to dig their burrows.
For all these reasons, an ideal type of soil for moles is that of crops and gardens, since in these places they can dig its network of tunnels easily due to the fact that they are non-rocky soils and that they have been removed for planting, which facilitates excavation. Their presence in these cultivated areas is also due to the fact that they generally contain animals such as worms and insects, which represent the main diet of moles.
On the other hand, moles are excellent soil bioindicators, since they are found in he althy soils and with the presence of a certain type of biodiversity. In addition, they are susceptible to environmental contaminants.
What if there are moles in my garden or orchard?
These animals can be favourable, as long as their population is kept under control, since by digging up to an average depth of 70 cm, help with soil aeration, which is quite beneficial for the plants present. On the other hand, they are biological controllers of certain insects that are usually harmful to plantations.
However, they can also cause harmful consequences in planting areas, such as:
- The presence of many mounds or burrow entrances affects the aesthetics of gardens.
- Although they are exclusively carnivorous, they can cause damage to young growing plants while they are building their burrows.
- They affect plants used as livestock feed, making them less palatable to these animals.
- When they dig, they eventually bring rocks to the surface, which can cause damage to farm machinery.
- Sometimes they tend to affect the irrigation system for plantations.
- Mole tunnels are sometimes used by other animals that do feed on plant roots, which ends up affecting them.
Likewise, it is important to know that moles are not easily visible in the places where they live, as they only come out when they need water or when the young must look for their own burrows. The rest of the time they remain hidden underground, both day and night. In this way, their presence can be identified by the mounds they form at the entrance of the burrow.
Devices to repel moles
It is important to keep in mind that the methods to drive away moles, as well as any animal, should not be lethal or harmful. In this sense, we must avoid the use of toxic or poisonous products that, in addition to ending the life of the mole, can affect other animals, including domestic animals. On the other hand, these types of products are also harmful to humans and the environment. For all these reasons, we propose these ecological methods to drive away moles:
- Place a mesh: Placing wire mesh 70 cm deep and 30 cm high around the area of interest will prevent the advance of moles to the planting area.
- Windpinwheels: Another option is to install pinwheels at the entrances of burrows. The turning of the pinwheels will cause vibrations, something that these animals do not usually tolerate.
- Iron Bars: The use of iron bars placed in glass bottles upside down, on the mounds of earth, also generates vibrations that scare away moles.
- Ultra sounds: Artifacts that emit ultra sounds can be useful for eliminating moles when placed in strategic locations.
If in addition to moles you have snakes in the garden, we recommend you read this other article on our site on How to drive away snakes and snakes?
Homemade repellents to ward off moles
Some homemade repellents can be useful to eliminate moles from the garden. Below, we show you some of the most effective natural repellents:
Garlic Repellent with Cayenne
One option is a garlic macerate with cayenne pepper. To prepare it, do the following:
- Mix 1 liter of vegetable oil, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and a whole head of garlic.
- Wait 15 days.
- After this time, remove the garlic and pour a tablespoon of soap (can be dishwasher).
Once you have your homemade repellent, ideally spray it on burrows.
Repel moles with vinegar
You can also repel moles with vinegar. To do this, you just have to mix the vinegar with a part of the water. As in the previous case, the mixture should be sprayed at the burrow entrances.
Castor oil and water repellent
A third option to repel moles with natural repellents can be to spray the mounds with a mixture of equal parts castor oil and water, also adding two tablespoons of soap.
Plants to repel moles
On the other hand, the planting of certain plants can be an effective action to drive away moles from a particular area. Thus, the effectiveness of the following plants : has been verified:
- Tartago or mole grass (Euphorbia Lathyris).
- Imperial Crown (Fritillaria imperialis).
- Incarvillea (Incarvillea delavayi).
- Elder leaves (Sambucus).
In the case of elderberry leaves, one kilo of leaves should be left in 10 liters of water for 3 days. The liquid is then sprayed resulting in burrow entrances.
Depending on the area in which we want to ward off moles, one or another of the suggested methods will be more effective, so it is very important before putting any of the options into practice,make an assessment of what would be more appropriate , depending on the size of the land and the number of moles that could be estimated by the number of accumulations of land, since these do not usually share their burrows, they only make some extensions of certain tunnels to be shared with other individuals, but in general they lead a solitary life.
