Moles r Back, Improvement on Mole Deterent

Early plants and flowers blooming. Early Mole return.

1/4 cup castor oil
2 Tbs liquid dish soap
Mix in blender. This is a must or it won't mix properly.
Add 10 Tbs water
Mix in blender again.
Pour solution into container
When ready to use add 2 Tbs of mixture to 1 gallon water.
Pour around flowers and plants. If a widespread area, can use hose end sprayer.

I have tried this, it kept the moles away for 21 days. They are supposed to get the idea eventually and go elsewhere. If anyone has mole trouble and tries this let me know how it works. The moles are not as active yet, but I wanted to let them know early, they are not welcome here. This solution coats the bugs and things they eat and make them sick and they leave for tastier morsels.

I don't really have a mole problem here, cats get em, but i have a friend that would love this.
thank you
Vicky
^_^

I personally say, hug your mole!

These guys are voluntary rototillers, just rake their piles out, filling the hole or leaving it open. The tunnels get more air and water into the soil, and move some out so you can rake it out.

While I do understand when 10,000 invade, but I only have 2-4 most of the time. And I love their industrious nature. Long live the mole.

Rob
who can't believe I just posted this.

You did LOL

Well, I agree with Rob. I love my moles. I understand that people consider them a nuisance. I consider them free insect control and soil aeration. Plus, they are cute. I never have more than one or two at a time. If only I could get them to tunnel under my 'lawn'. Alas. The soil is too compacted even for them! I love it when I catch them tunneling and see the dirt mound up in front of me! So cool! I've never lost a plant to a mole.

Where I get a little spun up is when the VOLES follow the mole trails and access the bulbs - like tulips. I no longer put tulips into the ground, but when I did - I lost an entire clump of them while they were in bloom. I dug up a couple that were wilting and discovered the "volish" chew marks.

I have a friend who claims she lost a rhody due to mole tunneling. Who am I to argue w/ her reality? I just know that when you have acres in the country, you end up w/ acres of mole hills. I can't fathom walking around and doing anything to the 100s of hills. Nope - just is not a time worthy option - because they WILL be back. It would be an entirely different issue if I lived w/ civilization!!

For me, I pick my battles - and moles and moss are not on the fighting list. I have learned to live with them, if not always lovingly. The M&Ms of the garden - moles and moss. Where else but in the evergreen PNW!!!????

You could drive in deterrants like the plastic dividers that are used. I have also heard that coyote urine is good. Our dogs only have access to the backyard, and all our moles/voles have moved to the front yard consequently.

We could work out a trade with your plants and my dogs if you want. They get to mark your turf, and I get a few plants, a good gardening BS session, and a few pops. In return the moles get driven away. Or invite your local friends with dogs or cats, but I recommend not on the same day.

My furoldcodger dog used to dig up the burrowing creatures and leave big holes in the yard that you could twist an ankle in. He is too arthritic and deaf now to wreak such havoc. I'd get a cat to deal with the voles (the moles around here are angels compared to them) except that the dog is a one-pet kind of guy. Also, he's had enough trauma in his life, and at the moment is recovering from surgery and needs even more love and attention than usual. I wonder if the deterrent formula would do anything for voles. It seems like it would smell rather nasty with the castor oil.

Oh, the voles sound nasty. I don't believe i have seen them yet. The operative word being 'yet'! I would definitely want them gone!

Pixy - the only times I "see" them in person is when one of the cats leaves one for me at the doorstep. Unlike moles, though, they will eat plants, bulbs, roots, and cause a whole lot of havoc as they opportunistically use the mole runways.

Sounds like the fact that I push the mole tunnels in is a good thing. Actually I don't see any moles yet this year.

That's because they came to my place for an extended visit.
i will send them back soon enough.

i have lost a few plants to Moles - they tunnel through a root mass & up to the surface, allowing air to start killing the roots. This has only happened a few times over the past 20+ years, but i don't like to lose prize plants to them. I don't trap or catch - the cats have been on top of population control over the years. But now that Pixy's came to visit - I'll have to have a little heart to heart with them.
They are cute in a funky sort of way. I'm sure most people do not share that opinion!

I thought I knew the Diff. of the two? which one has the razor teeth?

Which one is this.

The reason I ask is awhile back, before I got a camera. I notice Sassy trying to get something from under the bookcase, I started to put my hand under it ( thought it was a mouse) them I heard a hissing sound, Okay not gonna stick my hand in there I got a large wooden spoon and got it out, and put in a jar. It had the biggest teeth I ever saw. What I thought was funny is how did the cat get it in the house with out getting bit. LOL

Do moles/voles develop a preference for which bulbs they eat? We occasionally find "mole holes" in our lawns or in the garden beds so I know we do have them. I love spring bulbs and I have a good variety growing in my garden beds. However, I have almost given up on growing any type of daffodil because they bloom the first year and never reappear again. A lady who claimed she had the same problem said she protected her daffodils by planting allums with them. I did that two years ago. Some did come up for the second year (last year) but so far this year they are a no-show. The allums are thriving.

Tilly, I think that picture is of a mole. The voles have two long upper front teeth with which to gnaw vegetable matter. The ones I have are brown, not black, and they have a stubby tail.
PhilsFlowers,it is also my experience that they do not eat alliums, but they have not bothered my daffodils either. They may have eaten up my lilies in one bed, all my new and more unusual varieties of course, as only one has pushed up any leaves yet. I am still holding out hope that they simply haven't broken soil surface yet,since I planted deeply. I did find a tunnel near that bed, which is why I am nervous about it. During the summer, the voles are so busy getting a share of my vegetables that they do not bother other plants.
Pixy, My voles seem to prefer the meadow habitat, though they do like brush piles. I'm not sure they would venture into your more forest-like yard, possibly because an owl might get them in that kind of environment.

That's a cute little mole, Tills. Their coats are like velvet. We do have owls,Mauryhill. I love them! If they keep the voles away, so much the better!

See a lot of voles at:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=vole&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Depending on the species, the vole's diet consists of seeds, tubers, conifers needles, bark, various green vegetation such as grass and clover, and insects.

A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller ears and eyes. There are approximately 70 species of voles; they are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in America.

For some of you, I the feel the same way about o'pposums. People think they are filthy and disease ridden, but the research I did said you could catch more diseases from your pet dog. They are transient so they will move on eventually and they eat all the bugs, slugs, snails and snakes that are bothering your garden. They don't dig, and they are only out at night so you don't even have to get used to how ugly they are. I had to do research cause one visited my garage when the door was open after sundown, he finally got out of there came straight to the backyard and went under my house. Seems we moved in on him not vice versa. I never had to use anything for varmints or slugs until "Jack and kids" moved on. Now I'm wishing I had a couple more.
For others of you, lots of stray cats in the neighborhood. My friend has dogs bred for getting these kind of creatures, but all he does is dig up the yard trying to get them.
For most of you, I have never lost a plant to moles, but some have become very sick because their root system was compromised(sp) but I did plant large areas of grass that now have big bare spots of dirt in them because of moles. I found 6 mounds and 3 rises in one morning. I am disabled and it's takes a lot for me to plant anything and to see a mole come and destroy it minutes, is the only thing that has ever made me want to have a gun and use it against any animal. The neighbors do not do anything with their yard so I think I have all the moles in the block at my house. The solution does not kill them, just makes them a little sick.
Thanks Vicki

Sounds like a good solution to me if moles are destroying your good work. It would be very disheartening to have things destroyed that you've worked so hard to do. Last week I lost 4 fish, one of them my favorite koi, to a heron. I was furious. I really love herons. But I didn't love this one and was sorry they are protected, I can tell you!!