Once a mole has settled in the garden, it usually doesn't take long for the characteristic mounds of earth to appear in the middle of the lawn. Since targeted action against moles is actually not permitted due to current species protection law, the imperial crown offers a gentle alternative.
How does the imperial crown work against moles in the garden?
The imperial crown (Fritillaria imperialis) helps against moles in the garden because its intense, garlic-like scent deters the animals. Plant several imperial crowns in flower beds, between bulbous plants, or around young fruit trees to create an effective scent barrier.
Poisonous onion with a strong smell
The imperial crown (Fritillaria imperialis) is not only poisonous, it also warns possible pests against eating the particularly poisonous tubers with a strong smell of garlic. It is this smell of the onions that keeps small rodents such as voles and moles at bay. It is therefore particularly effective if you plant several imperial crowns in the flower bed at the same time.
Attention: limited effectiveness
The use of imperial crowns as a biological rodent defense cannot directly compete with the effectiveness of brutal methods such as snap traps or banned poison bait. Critics of this method therefore quite rightly object that the smell of imperial crowns only has a local effect and therefore cannot completely drive voles and moles out of the garden. However, the pleasant side effect of these plants, which bloom in April and May, can certainly be used to protect rodent treats in the form of other flower bulbs from access. To do this, simply place several imperial crowns between other bulbous plants or around the roots of young fruit trees so that the scent barrier is effective.
Part of a strategy of deterrence
Although the imperial crown alone may not immediately drive away the annoying mole from your garden oasis, the use of attractive plants can at least be a building block in a strategy for biological mole defense. After all, nature offers you numerous other options with which it is entirely possible to “deter” the unpleasant soil disturbers without violence. So, in parallel to the smell battle with the imperial crown, you can also:
- hinder the construction work of the earth tunnels with manual filling or the garden hose
- Pour fermented elderberry manure into the openings of the grave passages
- When cutting hair, pick up hair and put it in the mole ducts as a deterrent
- build an acoustic wind-powered mole repellent
Tips & Tricks
So that you can use the scent of the imperial crown against moles as widely as possible, you should allow the plants to self-sow or force them to multiply via emerging bulbs.
