By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener
There are no guaranteed results when it comes to getting rid of moles. What works great in one location may not work at a different location. There are, however, two methods for me that seem to work time after time. The first is Talpirid, a worm lookalike product, usually purchased online. If a mole eats a Talpirid worm, they simply lay down, go to sleep, and die.
Critical to success is that the bait must be placed in a primary run. Primary runs are often used and can normally be found alongside a driveway, sidewalk, fence with a concrete base, and the foundation of a house.
First, use a screwdriver to punch a hole in the primary run. Then, take a worm from the package and drop it in the hole. Invariably, the worm will hit bottom, leaving approximately one inch above ground, which becomes your flag. Check back later or the next day. If the flag is still visible, the mole hasn’t come across it yet. If it’s gone, scratch one mole. Keep using the bait, because mole families generally consist of 5-6 moles.
A procedure that makes them leave without killing is apple cider vinegar. Note white vinegar is not recommended. Apple cider vinegar repels without killing by its strong odor which gets on mole noses and bugs them for weeks! Further, the apple cider vinegar has higher concentrations of acetic acid than white vinegar. The higher concentration can irritate and burn mole skins. To
use, mix two parts vinegar and four parts water. Spray the top of portions of the primary run every few days until the moles leave.
In either case, moles will return at some point, so be prepared to continue at some point in the future. Oh, the odor will repel other rodent pests too!
