- LAST UPDATED: December 14, 2023
Moles can destroy your garden or create unsightly holes all over your front yard or backyard areas. While moles are a lot more interested in the earthworms that live in your dirt than your flower, vegetables or lawn, that information usually doesn’t provide much solace for homeowners who have to replant the garden or reseed the lawn after a mole infestation.
Getting rid of moles and keeping them away isn’t an impossible task though. DIY mole removal, as well as keeping moles from coming back to your home, is something any homeowner can handle.
Keep reading to learn more about DIY mole removal and how you can banish the moles even if you’ve got a serious infestation.
Contents
Home Remedies
Moles burrow beneath your garden and can quickly dig a large number of holes in your lawn, both in the front yard and backyard. This can be unsafe for children and pets playing in the area, and for you, it creates an unsightly scene in your otherwise well-manicured yard.
Learning how to get rid of moles naturally isn’t all that hard though. DIY mole removal with homemade mole repellents is often an effective solution.
Homemade Repellents
One of the easiest ways to handle moles in your backyard is to make your own homemade mole repellents. These solutions can work in a number of different situations, though the right solution may take a little bit of effort to find.
The best part about homemade mole repellents is that you likely have most of the ingredients you need at home already. Active ingredients that you don’t have should cost you less than $20 online or purchased through a local hardware store or garden-related retailer.
DIY with Castor Oil
When it comes to DIY removal of moles castor oil is a top ingredient that you’ll see in many homemade remedies. That’s because moles are very sensitive to its pungent scent and will do almost anything to stay away from it.
Using castor oil for DIY mole removal is a relatively easy process:
- Combine 1/4 cup castor oil with one tablespoon cayenne pepper and two tablespoons liquid dish soap. You can combine this mixture in a blender or shake it vigorously for about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Add the castor oil solution to one gallon of water and shake again to combine.
- Place the mixture in a spray bottle or simply pour it into mole tunnels, holes or into your garden area. Make sure you flood the tunnel and cover the top soil around the entrance to the hole or tunnel as well.
- Make a second batch of the castor oil mixture and keep it handy for future use. You can add it to one gallon of water right before you want to use it in your garden or backyard.
Hot Sauce Helper
Like castor oil, liquids that contain hot pepper are serious repellents for moles who tend to have earthier tastes than us humans. It’s important to point out that this solution is often best reserved for small garden areas or single mole holes or tunnels since it may not be cost-effective or feasible for an entire yard with multiple holes.
Here’s a DIY mole removal recipe that contains basic Tabasco sauce and dish soap. The dish soap helps the mixture soak into the soil quickly, making it more effective since moles tend to burrow a little deeper than the top layer.
- Combine six tablespoons Tabasco hot sauce with six tablespoons of dish soap in one gallon of water. Shake or stir the mixture to fully combine the ingredients.
- Pour the mixture into tunnels or holes or around your garden area where you have spotted moles. You may need to do this more than once over the course of a few days to make sure the moles don’t come back.
Keep a bottle of this Tabasco mixture handy in your garage or garden shed after you use it for the first time. You’ll want to use it at least one more time in the next few days to make sure moles don’t find your garden or backyard inviting again.
Don’t Forget About the Tunnels
DIY mole removal can seem pretty simple with the right homemade mole repellents, and in many cases, these solutions are quite effective. Many homeowners forget to do one simple thing when they use these homemade methods though. That’s making the tunnels or holes created by the moles you’re trying to get rid of less inhabitable.
A metal stake or small garden shovel can help you destroy the hole so a mole has to think twice about returning to the same spot. With your homemade mole repellent in place, the scent in the top soil will likely be enough to keep them away, especially if you reapply the mixture regularly.
DIY Mole Killers
DIY mole removal is often effective with natural solutions, but in some cases, killing moles is necessary, especially when you’re dealing with a large infestation.
There are a few common ways to kill moles using DIY methods:
- Kaput Mole Gel Bait – inject Warfarin gel into mole holes and tunnels. This method is designed to relatively quickly kill moles by inhibiting internal blood coagulation. Moles typically die inside holes or tunnels, though they may leave the hole as well.
- TALPIRID with Bromethalin – treat mole holes and tunnels. Bromethalin worms are commonly sold to be used as bait at garden supply stores, but you can buy the poison on its own and add it to a mole tunnel where worms are prevalent. Be careful to follow instructions when using bromethalin, as it can be dangerous for pets and other animals in the area.
- PROZAP with Zinc Phosphide –
put tablets into mole holes and tunnels to quickly kill them within two to three hours in most cases. These tablets create a chemical reaction in the soil that that generates a gas that will poison moles when trapped in holes or tunnels.
put tablets into mole holes and tunnels to quickly kill them within two to three hours in most cases. These tablets create a chemical reaction in the soil that that generates a gas that will poison moles when trapped in holes or tunnels.Homemade Poison
Mole killers used in the process of DIY mole removal can be effective, but in some cases, it can be hard to get the moles you’re dealing with to subject themselves to the poison. That’s why making your own homemade poison can be beneficial.
There aren’t too many poisons that are safe to handle for humans, but there are a few different options that can be effective in poisoning moles:
- Poison peanuts.
Treating peanuts with a poison like Warfarin, bromethalin or zinc phosphide and placing them into a mole hole or tunnel can be effective. It may take a few attempts to find the right mixture and safe handling of these materials is always required. - Castor oil pellets and earthworms. Adding castor oil pellets to earthworms that moles want to eat can result in poisoning the moles because of their generally poor eyesight. Breaking castor oil pellets into small pieces and combining them with earthworms before adding them to a mole hole or tunnel is usually the most effective way to use this combination.
Treating peanuts with a poison like Warfarin, bromethalin or zinc phosphide and placing them into a mole hole or tunnel can be effective. It may take a few attempts to find the right mixture and safe handling of these materials is always required.
Adding castor oil pellets to earthworms that moles want to eat can result in poisoning the moles because of their generally poor eyesight. Breaking castor oil pellets into small pieces and combining them with earthworms before adding them to a mole hole or tunnel is usually the most effective way to use this combination.DIY Mole Traps
When it comes to trapping moles, the spring season is often the best time to do this since this is usually when the animals mate. The moles that you catch at this time can allow for DIY mole removal of pregnant females, reducing the population in your yard.
Pre-made mole traps are often effective, but DIY solutions can work as well. Making your own mole traps usually doesn’t present a lot of options. While spring traps and scissor traps can be effective for killing moles, making your own generally isn’t the best decision. With a simple jar or canister however, you can make a mole trap that can either be used to remove moles from the area or keep them from escaping a tunnel where poison or homemade mole repellents have been already applied.
- Clear out an area to the entrance of a mole tunnel with a garden shovel until it’s just the right size for a canister or jar. Something the size of a pickle jar or coffee tin is often the best solution for garden moles.
- Place the jar into the hole and tightly pack dirt around the jar. You can even cover the top of the jar and place a marker in the area so you can find it later.
- Check the mole trap several times per day. When the mole has entered the jar, you can quickly cover it and remove it from your property.
Effective Tips for Garden
Garden moles tend to look for earthworms in your backyard or garden area, and while they are destructive, they don’t really want to eat your plants.
Getting them off of your property is generally the smartest choice:
- Use mole repellants like the castor oil mixture or Tabasco preparation. Applying these to areas where you know moles tend to go is your best bet for removal and long-term prevention.
- Have homemade traps ready to go for when a mole does arrive in your area. You want to respond quickly to one mole or a small group of moles instead of dealing with a much larger infestation.
- Use fencing for garden areas where you don’t want moles. Surrounding the fencing with your castor oil or Tabasco mixture is often more effective than treating the garden area itself.
Use mole repellants like the castor oil mixture or Tabasco preparation. Applying these to areas where you know moles tend to go is your best bet for removal and long-term prevention.What is the Best Home Remedy for Ground Moles?
You have a variety of options when it comes to yard mole removal around your home. In general, the best option really depends on how many moles are calling your space home and how destructive they are being.
If you have one or two moles in your backyard with an equal number of holes or tunnels, DIY mole removal solutions like homemade castor oil or Tabasco mixtures will likely work very well. For homeowners that can be diligent with their use, these choices may be all you’ll ever really need to take care of moles when they pop up in your yard.
However, if you’re dealing with dozens of moles who have seemingly taken over your yard, you may need to turn to more serious DIY mole removal options like homemade traps or poisons to get rid of moles. For most people, it’s best to start with the simplest, safest solution and work up to more serious methods of removal like poison if necessary.
