Does anybody have a solution for getting rid of moles en masse? I've got hundreds of the little darlin's ripping holes in my little slice of heaven, and I'm getting just a bit tired of it. I'm talking ten acres here. I'd prefer not to use poison if I can help it, but the ground up here is starting to thaw, and I thought planting a garden might be a good idea this year, but with the infestation I've got, nothings going to last very long. Any help would be appreciated.

-- Julie (rjbk@together.net), April 16, 2001

Answers

Response to Nasty Little Varmits

Jucie Fruit chewing gum in their active runs...It works here

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.

Response to Nasty Little Varmits

My sister-in-law mixed castor oil, a couple of drops of dish detergent and water. The dish detergent helps the oil stay in suspension. She used a pump sprayer and sprayed about a gallon over her entire yard (1/16 acre.) By the next day all the moles moved next door. Castor oil causes abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Apparently the castor oil gets on their fur and when they groom themselves...

-- DMT (dmtaylor@fanninelectric.com), April 17, 2001.

Response to Nasty Little Varmits

Ground vibrations will drive them far away. Down here there are a lot of small scale "windmills" that stand 5' high. The wind turns the blades and that makes vibrations that are transfered into the ground beneath via a pipe or rod. I used to think they were small pumps! someone told me the real use for them. I just stick mint gum into the trail tunnel, trying to disturb it as little as possible. The little furry guys have great smellers and hate the strong mint smell. Daddy used mole traps (killing kind). Good luck.

-- Eve in FL (owenall@lwol.com), April 17, 2001.

Response to Nasty Little Varmits

what worked for me was putting used cat litter in the tunnels being careful to disturb them as little as possible, and placing those little plastic wind toys in the ground widely spaced about every 50 to 100 feet or so. try it, you'll like it !!! teresa

-- teresa (t1noodles@aol.com), April 17, 2001.

We have tried the castor oil w/dish detergent, it works very well. For a large infestation, you have to repeat the process after every rain. I found some caster bean plant seeds and planted them near the garden and yard area. They worked excellent!!! Although, not an attractive plant, they do the job a lot easier on a large area. Good luck!

-- Kitty in FL (wheate@earthlink.net), April 17, 2001.

I find moles very useful in the garden. Sure, they can do some damage, but they also eat lots of grubs. They are mostly carnivores. Gophers, on the other hand, are vegetarians, and they are most UNwelcome

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), April 17, 2001.

In Australia we have a sweet called jelly-beans. They come in a variety of colours, and are just the size and shape of castor-oil seeds. Castor-oil seeds contain a very VERY potent poison called ricin (used at least once by Bulgarian assassins to kill enemies of the state in London). Two seeds (jelly-beans as far as a child is concerned) are certainly enough to kill a toddler - even one will do severe permanent damage, and might kill. If you plant Ricinis communis, please be very sure that the results are going to be what you want.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 17, 2001.

The only thing that has worked for me is plowing the garden EVERY year---- now my husband doesn't think this is true and planted fruit trees in the middle of the garden so we can't use the tractor in there anymore ........ arrrrrrrrggggg men!!!

I work full time now so he is in charge of the garden - by next year I already know I will have to biting back that " I told ya so!!"

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), April 21, 2001.