Moles are not welcome in the garden. Their mounds are an eyesore, especially on well-kept lawns. Anyone who has a mole in their garden is looking for ways to get rid of it. Find out below whether you can fumigate your mole and what environmentally friendly alternatives there are.
Can you smoke out moles or are there alternatives?
Fumigation of moles is not recommended and is potentially dangerous. Instead, strong smells such as mothballs, essential oils, garlic or buttermilk can be used to drive moles from the garden.
The mole is not a pest
No matter how bothered you are by its mounds: the mole is a beneficial insect, not a pest. Through its digging activity it aerates the soil, it destroys pests that can be dangerous to your crops and crops and keeps real pests such as mice away. In principle, anyone who has a mole in their garden can consider themselves lucky. In addition, the mole is under protection. But if you can't stand the molehills and want to get rid of the little animal from your garden, is fumigation an option?
Fumigate a mole with carbide
Carbide looks like a stone and when it comes into contact with water, it releases gases that neither you nor a mole can tolerate. Since carbide does not kill the mole, it is not banned. However, you should definitely avoid fumigation of the mole with carbide because:
- The gases released when carbide comes into contact with water are highly flammable and even a cigarette butt carelessly thrown onto the lawn can cause an explosion.
- The gases from carbide are toxic and corrosive and can severely irritate both your mucous membranes and those of the mole.
- Carbide can hardly be stored because even a little moisture leads to gas development.
- The use of carbide is prohibited near bodies of water due to its toxicity.
So fumigation with carbide is definitely not a good option against the mole. You should completely avoid toxic gases such as exhaust fumes from the car - anyone who tries to smoke out a mole in this way can face fines of up to €50,000.
Repelling moles with smells
Alternatively, you can use home remedies to get rid of the mole. He can't stand strong smells at all. Good options are:
- Mothballs
- essential oils
- garlic
- Buttermilk
Make a scent bomb against moles
- Grind your chosen ingredients in a mortar or with a blender.
- Add some water to form a slightly runny paste.
- Locate up to five molehills.
- Carefully expose the entrances.
- Add one to two tablespoons of your scent bomb into the aisle.
- Carefully close the passage again.
- Repeat the process once a week.
- If you no longer see any digging activity, continue the measure for at least two weeks to prevent the mole from returning.
