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Moles in the Garden: Friends, Foes, and How to Deter Them

Mole (Scalopus Aquaticus)

Moles can be a nuisance to the gardener because they dig up the soil. Here are tips for how to get rid of a mole.

Image Credit:
Liz Weber
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Tiny underground diggers are busy at work in your garden—but they’re not after your flowers or veggies! Moles eat insects and grubs, not plants, yet their tunneling can leave lawns looking like miniature moonscapes. Curious how to tell if moles are on the move—and what to do about it without harming them? Our latest guide shows you how to identify moles in your garden and humanely deter these industrious diggers, keeping your plants safe and the wildlife happy.

What Are Moles?

Moles are small, insect-eating mammals in the family Talpidae. They spend nearly their entire lives underground, “swimming” through soil with their wide, paddle-like front feet.

A single mole can eat its weight in earthworms, grubs, and insects every day—that’s up to 50 pounds of prey in a year! Far from being plant eaters, they actually help control soil pests and even aerate the ground.

Moles are often confused with voles, but they’re very different:

  • Moles = insectivores that tunnel underground.
  • Voles = rodents that eat roots, bulbs, and garden crops.  Learn more about voles.

If you catch a glimpse of one (rare!), moles look like plump, potato-shaped creatures with pointed snouts, tiny hidden eyes, and no visible ears. They thrive in moist, loamy soils and are most active in spring and fall, especially after a warm rain.

Identification

How to Identify Moles in Your Garden

Moles don’t eat your plants directly, but their tunneling can disturb roots, create unsightly ridges in the lawn, and leave pathways for voles or mice.

Signs of mole activity include:

  • Raised ridges or surface runs near the soil surface.
  • Cone-shaped soil mounds (“molehills”).
  • Long tunnel systems—moles can dig 18 feet per hour and add 100+ feet of tunnels daily!

Moles are often found where soil is rich in organic matter. If you see them in large numbers, it may signal an oversupply of grubs and soil pests.

mole damage in a lawn

Control and Prevention

How to Humanely Deter Moles

If mole activity becomes disruptive, try these safe, nonlethal strategies:

  • Castor oil spray (humane deterrent): Mix 3 parts castor oil with 1 part dish detergent, then dilute 4 tablespoons of that mixture per gallon of water and soak mole tunnels. This doesn’t harm the animals; it simply makes the soil and tunnels unappealing, encouraging them to move elsewhere. University extension sources note that castor oil–based repellents are generally safe for people, pets, and wildlife when used properly (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension). Results can vary, so it may need to be reapplied periodically.
  • Soil vibrations: Moles dislike disturbance. Pinwheels, wind spinners, or homemade “thumpers” (plastic bottles with fins set on stakes) create vibrations that can drive them off.
  • Natural deterrents: Coffee grounds, dried blood, or red pepper sprinkled near tunnel entrances may help (reapply after rain).
  • Pets in the garden: A cat or dog patrolling the yard is often enough to discourage visitors.
  • Plant protection: Use mesh cages around bulbs or line planting holes with hardware cloth so roots grow out but moles can’t tunnel in. Hardware cloth with ¼-inch mesh is effective for this purpose.

Humane Trapping (Last Resort)

If moles persist despite deterrents, live trapping is an option. Trapping is considered a last resort because even humane traps stress the animal and relocation can be risky. Whenever possible, try deterrents first, letting moles move naturally away from your garden.

  • Identify active runs by pressing down on a ridge—if it pops back up the next day, it’s active.
  • Place a humane trap along the run.
  • Relocate the mole several miles away in a rural spot (never near someone else’s garden).

NOTE: Avoid poisons or chemical baits. These can harm pets, wildlife, and soil life, and they don’t align with humane gardening.

Prevent Mole Problems

  • Improve soil balance: Lots of moles often means lots of grubs. Beneficial nematodes can reduce grub populations.
  • Use barriers for prized plants: Line beds or holes with ½-inch mesh hardware cloth to block tunnels.
  • Expect some balance: Remember, moles also aerate the soil and eat pests. A little mole activity can actually benefit the garden.

Almanac Wit & Wisdom

Some gardeners call moles “nature’s tillers” for the way they loosen and aerate the soil. If only they could learn to plow in straight rows!

Frequently Asked Questions About Moles in the Garden

Q: Do moles eat plants?

A: No, moles are insectivores. They primarily eat grubs, worms, and other soil-dwelling insects. Any plant damage is usually caused by the tunnels themselves or by rodents that use those tunnels.

Q: Are moles good or bad for my garden?

A: Both! Moles help aerate soil and control insect pests, but their tunneling can disrupt lawns and garden beds. Small numbers are often beneficial, while larger numbers may require deterrents.

Q: Are castor oil repellents safe for pets and wildlife?

A: Yes. University extension sources indicate that castor oil–based repellents are generally safe for people, pets, and wildlife when used properly. They simply make the soil unappealing to moles, encouraging them to move elsewhere (extensionpubs.unl.edu).

Q: How can I protect my bulbs and young plants?

A: Line planting holes or beds with hardware cloth or mesh cages so roots grow out but moles cannot tunnel through. Hardware cloth with ¼-inch mesh is effective (homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu).

Q: Is trapping a good first solution?

A: Trapping is effective but considered a last resort because even humane traps stress the animal and relocation carries risks. Try deterrents first, allowing moles to leave naturally.

Q: Will reducing grubs and insects get rid of moles completely?

A: Not necessarily. Grubs make up a portion of their diet, but moles will also eat earthworms and other insects. Reducing grubs may lessen mole activity, but it won’t always eliminate them.

Learn more about moles and what they do in your yard. Do you have comments or questions about moles? Let us know below!

Garden Pests

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Randy</span> Fri, 07/06/2018 - 11:10
Buy some Havahart traps. Bait them with cabbage leaves, put a tarp or blanket over the top of the trap to simulate underground. Take them far away from your house and dump them in a wooded area.
<span>Ladale Mccaleb</span> Tue, 05/01/2018 - 14:17
My grandfather used to grow a Castor bean plant or two every year just to get rid of moles, When he found a new hill he would put a couple of the castor beans sown in it and soon the moles were gone. I dont know why, but it worked.
<span>Doc Carter</span> Wed, 11/29/2017 - 09:29
2 years ago I came across a product called Gopher Out. It is a liquid that is poured in the mounds of gophers, moles, and voles. Then 10 gallons of water are put in the mound. The moles have not been back since. It does NOT kill them it only repels them. And it is safe for all animals and people. I don't remember where I bought it but I'm sure Google can help.
<span>Ronald Gonshorowski</span> Wed, 09/27/2017 - 13:26
The person who rents my farm does me no favors as he uses sulphur and then a weed burner to chase them out of their tunnels or kill them. The results are that they end up in my yard area and I have to do the same.
<span>Rob Short</span> Thu, 06/29/2017 - 00:25
Everyone here talking about "humanely" getting rid of moles on his or her property, listen up: it isn't possible. Even if it *were* possible to deter moles from tunneling your lawn or garden by tarring corncobs, planting gum in the ground without touching it, or setting up pinwheel wind-farms—which it most definitely isn't—all you've done is solve your problem at the expense of introducing a problem for your neighbors. Which is a crappy thing to do to someone who lives next door to you. So, the "humane" solution would be to trap and re-home the critters, right? Wrong. The reason why moles do so much damage is because they have to _constantly_ be actively searching for prey. Moles must eat 60-100% of their body weight DAILY in order to survive. If you were to trap a live mole (good luck!) and then drive it to the woods to "re-home" it, you've more than likely already signed its death-warrant. Moles dig those incredibly complex underground systems of tunnels for one reason: to maximize their chances of catching enough food to survive. If you take an established mole out of the ground and force it to start over in a new place without its existing tunnel system, it has to start completely over by digging a new tunnel system. The chances of the mole being able to sustain itself without its existing tunnels and the food they provide (mainly by way of earth worms) is just about zero. So: you either 1) love moles enough to leave them alone, in which case they'll constantly dig up your yard/ruin your garden, or 2) you like your lawn/garden without mole tunnels and mounds MORE than you love moles, which means getting rid of the moles by either trapping/re-homing them (which, as I said, will kill them 99 times out of 100) or setting kill traps. Those are your only options. If you love your yard/garden, suck it up and exterminate them yourself. If you can't bear the thought of killing a mole, then you'd better get used to having your yard tilled up at random by blind, subterranean rodents.
<span>Priscilla Coff…</span> Tue, 10/01/2019 - 10:25
I want to kill them, I love my lawn and garden much more than trying to save a mole. I am looking for ways to KILL them.I will try any suggestions.
<span>Kellie</span> Fri, 08/10/2018 - 19:05
thanks .. don't have time or desire to spend time catching and actually never seen one --- only massive damage doing to lawn and beds. Ruining my lawn which is too large to micromanage, and now attacking front yard and mulch beds full of plants -- all turned over to dirt mounds. Is there a Chemical treatment that works?
<span>Dan Harless</span> Mon, 10/22/2018 - 14:56
cayenne pepper castor oil what big holes in front yard with dirt mound what
<span>Kathy</span> Thu, 06/15/2017 - 09:02
I am having very good luck with dried peppermint or spearmint sprinkled over active areas. When it runs them farther into other areas, I follow with the mint. Water it in or do before rain. You'll see! I buy the mint from Penney. Kathy
<span>Jeremy Johnson</span> Fri, 08/10/2018 - 22:37
I used 2/3 a bottle of extract and mixed it with some gallons of water and spread it around my plants then later on that night because I didn't think I had enough to do it for another time I mixed it in with my plant food. And I saw absolutely no activity all the way up until this morning and I started doing the mint somewhere around Tuesday or Wednesday but yes I hope I end up having the faith you do in it because it seems to work okay now I just hope that it keeps working. The question I have though is I have seen no Mounds around my house I know my dogs have been digging around the base of my shed and you don't like my pathway and stuff but there's been no Mounds or anything the first sign other than my dogs digging I've seen was in my garden and then there was no Mounds in there either the only evidence I had of them being in there was that my littlest plant was completely pushed up like it had been pulled up on the stock but I know that not to be the case so it had to be some sort of rodent I'm hoping a mole that way they won't mess with the roots anyway.