by Karen Bledsoe

Created on: January 28, 2008

Call me blasphemous, call me any name you want, but in my book moles are a gardener's friend. I'll tell you why, but if you are still determined to control of them, I'll tell you how to do that, too.

First, let's dispel some mole myths:

1) Moles aren't rodents. They're insectivores. That leads us to Myth #2.

2) Moles don't eat your root crops, nor do they eat the roots of your prize gardenias. If something has been at the roots of your plants, it's probably voles or pocket gophers. In the meantime, the moles have been busy gobbling up the grubs that would otherwise eat your lawn. Remember, they're insectivores not rodents. However, they may dig at the roots of plants in their search for grubs.

3) Moles are not out to get you. In fact, they probably don't even know you exist. All they've done is move into that wonderfully enticing area carefully designed with all the features that moles just love: your vast, manicured lawn.

4) Moles are not discouraged by inserting strange and dangerous things into their tunnels, including chewing gum, mothballs, lye, broken bottles, fumigants, car exhaust, and poison bait (which they don't eat). Flooding rarely works. So don't risk injuring yourself or poisoning your kids or pets with any of these treatments.

Next, let's look at what moles can do for you.

1) Moles are earth-movers. The conical mounds that pop up in our yards are only the tip of the iceberg. Mole tunneling activity mixes soil layers, aerates dense soil, and provides great drainage. Would you rather wrestle the rototiller and ditch digger, and lay concrete drain tiles, or let the moles do all that work for you?

2) Moles eat grubs. Lots of grubs. Grubs eat your lawn and vegetables. You could spend lots of money and time trying to rid your lawn of grubs, or you could let the moles do all the work.

3) Velvety little moles with their pointy noses and big front paws are just darned cute.

Convinced yet? Um... no? Still want to know what to do about those pesky moles? Fine. Here are some things you can do that actually work:

1) Stop attracting them. Moles love meadows, and your lawn is the perfect meadow. Reduce your lawn and you'll reduce your mole problem. Sorry, lawn-lovers, but this is the most effective control of all.

2) Repel them. The only safe repellent that has been tested and found to be reasonably effective on moles in the eastern U.S. is castor oil. This can be poured into mole runs. It has not been tested in the western U.S., so results may vary.

3) Trap them. A scissor-jawed trap placed in a main run will most likely catch a mole. Moles are somewhat territorial, though multiple moles may live in the same lawn. Be aware, though, if you trap one mole, another may move in. Also be aware that the contents of a sprung trap are rarely pretty.

Finally, you could:

4) Just live with them. So there's a mole mound in your lawn. Grab a metal rake and rake the spot smooth. There. It's gone. You'll have to repeat the operation every time you see a mound, but if you're going to insist on having that huge lawn, you're going to have to face the fact that it's the greatest mole-attractor of all. If you can come to terms with letting them have the below-ground part while you enjoy the above-ground part, you can both share the same habitat in peace.

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