Need help, advice, sympathy, MOLE

I have a mole that has worked his way under my landscape fabric. So far I have tried the castor oil spray, that made him very active for a week or so, he is still there. I put some of the "worm" poison in, he did not eat it. I pulled up an edge and put in a trap, he went further back and now he is in so far I cannot pull the fabric to try and trap him. He is making a mess and I do not know what to do. I did try the vibrating things a few years ago, the moles pushed them up out of the ground. Does anyone have any ideas at all? I will sure try them, my luck this is not a male, its a pregnant female!!!!!
Rebecca

Wish I could help you, but I can't. And I have no advice. So I will give you my deepest sympathy. Sincerely.

You might want to try this, it works for most people and doesn't kill the mole-
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page208.html

After you have sufficiently seasoned your ground to Mr. Moles distaste, maybe you might want to add one of these as a finishing touch to encourage Mr. Mole to move on to browner pastures-
http://www.plowhearth.com/product.asp?pcode=4021

The sound waves will be ineffective if used for a long period of time as they become desensitized.

Equilibrium, have you used the sonic mole chaser and have you had a dog near one?

Our dogs are house dogs that only go out to pee and poop. Our cats are all indoors 100% of the time. We've not used the brand above but we've used others and our dogs were fine. My husband has some toy cars that we don't want mice getting into to destroy the electrical wiring and such over winter. We use a more powerful sonic device that is hooked up to some sort of a device that makes it go off at intervals for a few days out in the garage. Leaving these types of devices on for extended lengths of time desensitizes the critters but they seem to be effective if other deterrents are provided simultaneously. We had no luck using these types of devices by the horse barns. But the rat zapper did work, and quite well. The RatZapper2000 will kill the rat though. I have no issues humanely destroying a rat but not a mole. Moles would be trickier to bait anyway because they like insects and not traditional baits.

The product I have not used is Whole Control. I've had friends who have used it though and they think it's great. Moles aren't a problem for me but then I've never had one get under landscape fabric. I've got them around here but I sort of like them and don't mind a little bit of earth disturbance but once again... I have never had one under landscape fabric. I'd go for the stake type sonic device combined with the Whole Control if I had a mole happily tunneling away under any of my landscape fabric.

You could get a jack russel terrier. They are great mole catchers. However, they will make as much of a mess as the mole does. ; - )

Thank Equil. My mom tried one of the sonic devices and it drove her terrier nuts. Didn't bother the retriever or doberman. Perhaps the rodent catching breeds are more sensitive to the sound.

joepye, my brother's neighbor had a jack russel terrier. It would certainly catch every creature that moved, from field mice to green anole lizards. The dog spent so much time bouncing and jumping around that I was worn out just watching him!

My dogs have all been Mastiffs or Great Danes and they are slugs. It really didn't seem to bother them in the least but then again we're talking about a product set up in the garage not the inside of the house where the dogs are. Maybe there is something to do with the breed of dog.

Forgot to mention that nothing seems to bother my cats. They could sleep through anything.

Thanks Equil,
The first link was for the castor oil stuff, I think he is still angry for the last dose, that one really made him tear things up. And the sonic did not work even for one day. I think my moles are deaf. I got some of those flare things you light and it makes smoke that is supposed to kill them. I know it probably won't work but gotta do something. He has knocked pots over out there now, I pick them up and stomp down the hills as much as possible. I want him DEAD. I have no compassion at all. I have 4 acres of woods right next to me, no reason those things cannot live there in freedom, no they have to come here and destroy my garden and it really hurts to say this, but this little blind, small, nasty rodent is just way smarter than I am....sad.
Rebecca
Will post if I ever do him in. It will be party time for me.

I read that the smoke doesn't normally work because they just move into a smokeless underground chamber until it clears. What kind of a sonic device did you buy? Those things work on just about everything over here. Did you actually use the Whole Control? People rave about that product. It doesn't work??? I've got a super sonic device that will allegedly blow their ear drums out. Would you like me to loan it to you to try and then you can just mail it back to me?

I have one of those sonic pest repellers in the house. It doesn't bother my cats in the least.

I must point out that it doesn't bother the spiders, the earwigs, the beetles, the mosquitoes, the moths, or the flies in the least, either.

A couple of questions WH:
1) Does the sonic device bother anything?
2) Did you put the batteries in correctly?

The last is in part a joke question and in part a piece that belongs with the Zen of gardening thread.....when my mom first put the sonic devices out, she thought they didn't work at all. I later figured out she didn't have the batteries in correctly. We corrected that matter and that's when it drove her terrier nuts. The device "operated", it just didn't affect the intended critter.

Rebecca, are your moles the really big ones?

Here in Minnesota we have rather small moles - about the size of a mouse - but they can still tear up a lawn pretty bad. I poke small holes every few feet into the newest part of their tunnel and drop in wads of chewing gum -Juicy Fruit works pretty well, about half a stick rolled into a ball. The smaller moles try to eat the gum because it smells like food, but they can't swallow it so they choke to death in their tunnels where they are already buried nice and neat.

That trick did not work for my aunt in Washington State, though. Her moles were so big they just ate the gum and went about their business.

Another idea is oil of peppermint - the real stuff, not an extract. Put a few drops onto cotton balls and push them into the tunnels wherever you can. I have a chipmunk problem and heard about the oil pf peppermint solution from my cousin. When I went to the natural food co-op to get some, the lady working there told me she orders about 40 bottles a month during the summer months because it is becoming such a popular method to get rid of mice, chipmunks, moles, squirrels and other furry critters. She carries two grades of oil of peppermint now, one for human consumption and one for fragrance and rodent repellant.

After hanging peppermint-soaked cotton balls in my tomato plant, I came into the house and tried to pet my cat - she would have nothing to do with me until I had washed my hands about half a dozen times.

Jeannine

We also put Juicy Fruit gum down the holes....No more moles..Don't know if they went to Juicy Fruit Heaven or just moved,....but they're gone..

Well I am definatly going to try the peppermint. And I may buy stock in the company that produces it! If this works they are soon to be making millions!
A couple years ago someone told me to use mothballs. If anyone tells you that I want you to know that it did not even annoy them, they tossed them back up in the mounds and went about their business as usual.
Rebecca
My moles are the big, fat ones. I got one last year, for some reason he was above ground. My dog saw him and grabbed him. He was 6-8 inches long and nice and fat from eating all my earthworms.

I want to try the peppermint oils too.

Equilibrium, I just went out to Google, typed in "Oil of Peppermint" and got about 10 or more hits.

Whatever you choose, be sure it is the real oil of peppermint - not a diluted extract. You don't need the grade refined for human consumption, but you do need the pure oil of peppermint. If the ingredient lists anything in addition to peppermint, it may not work - e.g. I saw one that eucalyptus oil in it.

I noticed that if I touched my face after handling the cotton balls, I could feel a sensation much like a muscle rub, so be careful not to get it into your eyes.

I just put out cotton balls yesterday, and today the chipmunk holes where I inserted cotton balls are deserted. There were no chipmunks in the garage all day, and no chipmunks running over my feet as I watered containers out front. The lack of chipmunk chatter was almost eerie after a summer of being overrun, but I think I can get used to it really fast - like by tomorrow! My kitties are sort of miffed, though - no more fun little critters to watch.

I had tried moth balls, too. Didn't work more than a couple days - if that.

Jeannine

This message was edited Sep 7, 2006 9:21 PM

Hey, yall, I have a Jack Russell Terrier that I will rent out to you by the week. I guarantee you that if there is a mole in your yard, it will soon be history. However, he likes to bring them back to you to show you, so if you are squemish, this wouldn't work.

Ewwww ick!

Stomp down all the tunnels in the morning and wait with a potato fork. If you're lucky he will start moving and you can fork him. DH got rid of ours this way.

Moles eat bugs. Gum doesn't work. Yes, they move to a smokeless tunnel and I honestly don't think any sonic device works.

You also have my sympathy!

I thank you for all the support and especailly the sympathy. I did put in 3 smoke bomb things and it did amuse me but had no effect on Mr. Mole at all. I am going to get some of the peppermint oil. I know it won't kill him, thats what I really want, but if I can get him out from under my landscape fabric then I can try to trap him or fork him or curse him or something. I really hate it that he is under there and I cannot get to him to even try and kill him. Its just not playing fair. If I EVER get a dead body I am going to post here, may even send you a picture....lol.
rebecca

I love pics of dead moles!!

Wow - glad I read this thread! I have moles so bad in my yard that it looks like a road map of the US with all the dirt mounded up all over the place. Peppermint oil is something I already have, too! You can order it only from an aromatherapy site or go to a Whole Foods or other health food place to find it. I've even found it at some of the larger supermarket chains in their "natural" section.

Gonna try the peppermint oil on cotton balls today!

Thanks again -
Linda

I went out today and removed my traps. Empty of course. I got the peppermint, that stuff was NOT cheap, $12 for a really small bottle. I dosed up about 8 tunnels. Will let you guys know if it worked. I am so upset I don't even care if it only works for a little while, I be grateful if I can at least BOTHER them back a little.
Rebecca

I have moles!!! First time ever. So I eagerly await your report!!!

Here is my report. I still have moles. I have "pepperminted" about 10 tunnels. I think they are not using those tunnels, they just made new ones. I did get a dmail about the castor oil. I have 2 jugs left and think I will use it again tomorrow. Last time it just make him nuts and he tore up the area. But it worked for this other woman so I will try it again. I guess my moles are blind, deaf, don't have a sense of smell or taste and immune to any poisen and too smart for traps. Hopefully they are not making tons of babies....
Rebecca

My chippie under the candy cane factory... er uh... composter is doing just fine. He seems happy as a lark there and is unaffected by the peppermint oils I mail ordered.

Well so much for the peppermint oil, it was not so cheap either. I wonder if people think something is working because they do not have activity for a few days, but if you do nothing that is often the case. But it was worth a try and I spent more money than that on things that didn't work. At least this made my gloves smell nice, lol
rebecca

Glad to hear the reports. I almost bought some peppermint oil today, glad I waited.

I only spent around $30 which included shipping and handling for 20 ozs of concentrated peppermint oil. Better to spend the money and find out it doesn't work than to not have spent the money and have about 20 people post that it's working like a charm. I can tell you that I loaded his holes. When he didn't move out, I literally started sprinkling it everywhere and I poured it down his exit and his entrance hole. He is unphased. I've got considerably more expensive failures around here so that's a drop in the bucket. I'm always game to try something new.

Who wants a chippie?

Maybe you are using the wrong ratio of the castor oil. I got some Mole Out from Gardens Alive and it cost me $17 including shipping and handling. When I got it I looked at the ingredients and it was 10% castor oil and 90% inerts. So, I just went out and broadcast it, it was a granule, and the moles took off to the other side of the house and it looks like a mine field there now. But, they left my garden.

Then one of the DGers told me to plant castor beans. So, I got some of those seeds but it is too late in the year to plant them. I finally found some castor oil , one of the DGers said to use 1/2 cup of that to 2 gallons of water and spray it. So, that is next. I do think it is time to try again. It has been about 6 weeks since I put the Mole Out on and it would not surprise me to see one one of these days.

Jeanette

I googled on uses for peppermint oil and found these:

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/article/46.html
http://www.kingtutshop.com/Egyptian-Herb/peppermint.htm

I it doesn't work on your moles, apparently you can find plumbing leaks with it.

Rats, I got a little free with the peppermint oil (poured it, sprrinkled it, and sprayed it everywhere) when it wasn't working on chippie and don't have much left! 20 ozs gone in a poof and chippie is still there mocking me. Here I could have treated my entire family for irritable bowel syndrome, "'complaints of the stomach, such as wind and vomiting", and doused them with the peppermint oil to repel mosquitoes and if the peppermint oil didn't work to cure my family... I could have passed it on to our friend who is a plumber to take to work with him. Thanks garden_mermaid... for starting my day with a big smirk on my face. Pretty funny stuff you dug up there.

Thanks for the thread, I do have some peppermint left, if I had a lot I think I would just get a paintbrush and paint my whole body with it. And then drink a bit as well. And I would be in good shape to go out and battle the mole...
Rebecca

So, whatcha really gonna do with your leftover peppermint oil rebeccanne? Tee he, money well spent if we can all get this many laughs from failing to rid ourselves of our pests.

I am considering adding the peppermint to my castor oil for the mole. May as well just toss it in, it might bother some rodents and it would sure smell nice. I use coffee grounds, lots and lots of them on my lawn and garden in the back of the house and it always smells so nice. Mr. Mole is working in the front so could be peppermint there. And I did try coffee grounds as well, just in case it would bother the moles. I poured as much as I could in the tunnel and added water, didn't seem to bother him at all. Like I said, I have tried everything. Maybe he enjoyed a bit of coffee with his fresh tasty earthworms.
rebecca

LOL rebecca!
You might have just made him hyper from all the caffeine in the coffee grounds!

Umm, careful with the peppermint oil. We've been hosing the area down trying to reduce the candy cane factory smell and it took quite a long time to beat it back. What's that old adage, water and oil don't mix. And no... we were unsuccessful in drowing out chippie. I must admit that I stuck the hose down in his entrance hole for about 5 hours hoping and dreaming he'd make a break out the other end. I took the hose out when I looked behind me and saw him sitting on the rim of a pot looking me square in the face. My husband even said, "wouldn't it have been ironic if dousing the area flushed chippie out". That would have meant that the peppermint oils did in fact work in a back door kinda way.