Scooter, Caught a Mole

We have trouble with moles digging in my flower bed, vegetable garden, and lawn. They look like rats with razor-sharp claws which makes them excellent excavators. They desire grubs, insects, and worms, but not plants; however, their desire causes us nothing but destruction via digging.  The tunnels are usually about 10 inches deep but when they come close to the surface, it creates a mound.  If you accidentally step on one it's easy to fall and twist an ankle. If you hit it with a mower, it creates a cloud of dust and might sling a rock or two.

Mound made by moles.

My yard is full of rocks so they either dig below or go around.  The soft soil in the vegetable garden is their favorite area (along with Scooters...).

Soil pushed up around the edges of a rock by a mole.

These monsters have torn our yard to pieces, uprooted vegetables, and killed many of my favorite flowers.  Over the years I have been desperate to find a solution.  There is so much worthless advice on the internet, I have decided to share what works and what doesn't.  

*Juicy Fruit chewing gum in the tunnel - it was supposed to cause choking but it only freshens their breath.

*Peanut butter - I don't know if it was to repel them or mire up their paws but it only attracted ants.

*Cayenne pepper - supposedly would burn their noses but in reality, didn't bother them.

*Dried blood - drove the rabbits away, but not moles.

*Both mole and rat poison repulsed them so they burrowed tunnel's around the pellets.  No matter where I poured it, they avoided it.

*Sprayed the ground with Dawn dishwashing liquid - it only cleaned my grass.

*Coffee grounds - didn't bother them but the caffeine made them dig faster.

*Mothballs - This was the worst.  I put them two inches apart in the tunnels and it made my garden stink!  The moles powered through the stench, but then my butterflies disappeared.  

*Grow plants that repel them such as castor beans or garlic - castor beans are deadly to humans and I have children visiting my garden - it was too risky.  As for garlic, it only works on vampires.

*Dog and human urine - I won't even discuss this one.

I became desperate and tried more drastic measures.

*Put the garden hose down the tunnels to drown the moles with water.  (Thank goodness we have cheap well water.)  The tunnels caved in and the yard became a mud puddle. They are fast diggers and always got away.

*Carbon dioxide poisoning - backed the car up to the flower bed and put a tube from the exhaust pipe down into the tunnels.  They scurried away, found a fresh air hole then returned the next day.

*Noise and vibrations were also suggested as deterrents - I put a radio under a metal washtub and turned the volume up loud.  Classical, Country, Rap, and even talk shows were blasted into the ground but the moles partied until the battery ran down.

*Grub killer - It's a poison that kills the grubs in hopes the moles will starve and move on to greener, grubbier pastures.  It was going to cost about $300 to treat my 2-acre yard.  They would probably have just eaten earthworms or other insects so I didn't waste the money.

*We purchased traps that were designed to kill them but they were rarely successful.  It was hard to know which tunnel was going to be used next.  They move from area to area looking for fresh bugs.  Sometimes it is months before they burrow again through a particular tunnel. The traps would stay in the ground and would be sprung by rain or vibrations. We wouldn't know it. 

*Place metal barriers under the ground - I dug a trench around part of my flower bed and buried a chicken wire fence.  The moles dug deeper, went under the fence, and then it began to rust.

*Sit quietly, watch the ground for movement then tiptoe over and start digging.  They can feel the vibrations of your steps so they stop digging when you approach.  It is possible to catch them if you have endless free time to sit and stare at dirt; however, the digging must match their lightning speed. Bill and the boys could dig fast enough to catch them as long as the moles didn't burrow under a rock or tree root. I never had enough speed.

*The most fun of all was shooting at the ground when the soil was moving.  Alas, our 22-caliber bullets never hit them because we couldn't see exactly where to aim.  We never tried a shotgun.

The only thing that has ever worked well at catching moles is SCOOTER!

He is fantastic. He loves to sniff, track, then suddenly pounce while digging as fast as possible. He bites them on the tail, jerks them out, and then gives a good shake. Slinging rocks and mud makes it more exciting.

This is one he caught, covered in slobber and blood.  Looks harmless but it is destructive.

Whenever Scooter catches one, I quickly rush into the house, grab food from whomever happens to be eating, (hamburger, steak, fried chicken, doesn't matter) pull it from their mouth and rush back to the yard.  He gets the privilege of devouring his special treat while gloating over his vanquished enemy.  After his victory dinner, he is treated to nonstop praise and hugs.  Later, when all the excitement is over, he gets dumped in the bathtub.

Then the victorious warrior basks in the sunlight and awaits the next invasion into his territory.

Scooter Feels Bad

Scooter Visits Nana