Are you noticing piles of soil or disturbed lawn appearing overnight? You may have a mole problem. Apart from pests like insects, disease and rodents, moles are sneaky underground pests, making themselves known once your soil is dug up. For this specific problem, nothing other than a garden mole repellent solution will work. With this guide, we teach you how to identify, plan and treat the mole ridden area — for good.
See a hole? It’s probably a mole
Unlike rats and mice, moles are not rodents. Moles are in fact solitary subterranean insectivores that feed on earthworms, grubs, ants and mole crickets. If you do have a rat and mouse pest problem, refer to our rodent control 101 guide. You can identify a mole by its velvety fur, long pink hairless snout and a small potato-like body with what appears to be an eyeless head. But you are more likely to see the piles of disturbed soil between spring and autumn — or notice your frustrated dog digging in your lawn and flower beds. To save you, your lawn and your pet further grief, an action plan using a garden mole repellent is a must.
Getting the mole out the hole
Use these steps to create an uninviting space for moles.
1. Locate the activity
You will notice two distinct signs of moles in your garden, one being molehills and the other mole tunnels.
- Molehills or mole mounds — these appear as irregular trails/ridges of lifted soil about 8cm wide.
- Mole tunnels — look for cone-shaped mounds of soil about 15-60cm in diameter and 5-20cm high and are usually found on the edges of fields and lawns.
2. Reduce attractants
Once you have identified the spots of activity, you will need to work around these areas. In addition to using a repellent, apply these methods to discourage moles.
- Compact loose soil — this will help make the ground difficult to dig through for the moles.
- Replace soil and mulch with clay or gravel to improve your drainage systems.
- Reduce the moisture content of the soil — we suggest improving your drainage systems.
- Avoid watering the lawn excessively — as soft and damp ground attracts moles and their prey earthworms, watering control is quite important. Use the recommended 2.5cm of water a week in early mornings so the water evaporates before nightfall. This helps keep the soil just wet enough but not as damp for moles.
3. Use repellent
While there are many home remedies, none are as effective as using an expert-designed repellent. Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre, endorses Efekto’s Mole Repellent as the most effective product. It contains a 40% pure garlic extract that repels the moles, which does not kill them. “Putting whole garlic cloves into the holes might also help, but it is not as effective as a repellent to rid your lands of the moles,” says Dr Verdoorn.
Garden mole repellent
Efekto Mole Repellent is a liquid mole repellent designed to work against pusher and surface moles. Start by levelling the mole heaps — stomp and flatten all visible piles of soil. You will need to be patient to observe where the next heap appears and treat those areas. By doing this, you will be able to assess which direction they are moving.
Next, form a half-moon shaped ‘barrier’ of extract-drenched soil opposite to the direction you are chasing them (which should be close to the active tunnels). Make sure the soil is loose when applying repellents.
For pusher moles, move the molehill soil away. Locate the entrance to the tunnel and pour 10mls of Efekto Mole Repellent into the tunnel deeply as possible. Then, cover the opening with soil and stomp it down.
As for surface moles, look for the mole run and locate the tunnel entrance. Pour 10mls of the repellent down the tunnel and cover with soil, stomping to compact.
Continue to level mounds that appear and apply the repellents behind the holes, chasing the moles out of your garden space. For larger spaces like golf courses and sports fields, additional applications will be necessary. And for more information about this product, refer to our fact sheet.
Maintain mole-free gardens and lawns
Make sure to follow our guidelines and use our garden mole repellent correctly for mole-free spaces. If you have more questions on other pest control solutions, contact us.
