A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 A moley problem

Okay, I've tried my best to be understanding and patient, but I've had it, this cotton-pickin' mole has got to go!! It digs up all my flowerbeds, gardens, and my entire yard. I'm constantly twisting ankles in hidden-depressions or tunnels that suddenly sink in. (Not to mention walking outside after a recent rain and finding myself ankle-deep in mud.) I can't even get my grass/weeds to grow because the mole is constantly digging through the roots. The mole dug up 2 well established tomato plants, tore through their roots, and kill them along with 2 pepper plants, a pumpkin, and my watermelons. It continually digs under my veggie garden causing seeds to wash down into collapsed tunnels (our soil is extremely sandy). The latest incident involves the addition of close to 50 new mole-mounds in the past 48 hours to my yard. What do I do to get this nasty creature out of my life?? (My neighbor sets these very sharp traps for the moles but I've got wee-children that I wouldn't want to be trapped.)

Please, help me! I'm going to go crazy otherwise!

Sarah, moles are very difficult to get rid of. I've only managed to ever get rid of one by being lucky enough to see one digging and getting him with a pitchfork. I have them too, but have never really noticed them killing any plants. I try to keep up with mashing down their tunnels through my beds and lawn which helps. Moles can actually be of value by relieving soil compaction where they tunnel and by eating grubs. Moles don't eat plants or roots, only insects and as far as I'm concerned, they can eat ALL the grubs they want.

Sarah....There is help for this problem, Here are a few suggestions:
1-You get a cat or two..my cats are always changing moles and killing them, but then you have to contend with cats in your flower beds.
2-You can get some spearmint gum and place it into any of the tunnels, they hate the smell of the gum.
3-moth balls will also hold them at bay, if placed in the tunnels
4-You can grow caster bean plants....which is a mole repellent, they look great when they are growing, but the seeds are very toxic, so if you have little ones (kids) be sure to use caution. You can plant a plant or two in your veggie garden and that would solve your problem there.

I just spent the past hour (thank god is so beautiful out!) knocking down mole-hills and smashing tunnels down. Fun. Fun.

John, maybe I should invest in a pitchfork and just wonder the yard all day long... Neighbors might think that I've lost what little sanity I had left though...

Comfrey thanks for the ideas! I'd love to get some more cats, but we've got several neighbors with mean pit bulls, rottwiellers, and some unfriendly labs and the owners don't feel inclined to keep their animals consistantly confined/supervised. I hate to see a cat get devoured by one of those animals.
The gum and mothballs are a good idea...would either of those be bad to have in the ground though?
My neighbor also plants castor beans. Do they kill moles? Because last year he planted tons of them and I remember finding a dead mole by my a/c.

I really do not think that the Castor bean plants kill moles...it just keeps them away, that is proabale the reason you have so many, they moved to your yard from your neighbors to get away from the castor bean plants. The moth balls might not be good in the ground, but the gum should not hurt anything.