Well the snow has melted and... dear doG, the lawn on one level of our garden has been entirely covered in molehills. All this in a few weeks.
From reading a bit, it seems that having moles in the garden is actually beneficial, as they are insectivores rather than herbivores. While molehills are esthetically unpleasant and the tunnels underneath dangerous to the mutts, moles ultimately may help keep the greater threat to my garden - grubs and slugs - at bay.
I don't really want the moles to leave, I just wish they were more considerate landscapers.
I want my nice green lawn back, as it is the only place Robin Goodfellow can safely run free. I can't have him getting a leg caught in tunnel hole while running a breakneck speed, possibly injuring himself.
So other than raking over the piles of tunneled-up mud and re-seeding, what else can I do?
(No toxic chemicals, both to safeguard the mutts as well as on principle. No lethal traps, also on principle. No ultrasonic deterents, as these are bothersomely audible to my delicately-eared neighbor as well.)
All non-toxic, non-lethal, non-audible and otherwise 'gentle' suggestions most appreciated!
Many thanks.
Short of killing them, and with all your restrictions, cod liver oil and coffee grounds are an old way of repelling them.
Swimming pool chlore shock tablets.... works every time.
Apart from the mess they make, we spent thousands on vets bills and surgury to one of our fur babies after he put is front left leg into a mole hole.
So, start at the closest mole hill to the house, gently scrape back the earth to see the tunnel, and pop a tab in and poke it up the tunnel as far as you can, then replace the earth. The moisture in the ground will be enough activate the tab but very, very slowly, and not enough to be fatal, but Old Mr Mole, won't like the smell as they are hyper sensitive. He will start to travel in the opposite direction to the smell, so Repeat the process, heading in the same direction as Mr Mole.... ALWAYS BEHIND HIM & TO THE SIDE so you can steer him out of the garden, and he'll find a new home. The chlorine in the existing tunnels in your garden will repel him, and wil stay in the tunnels for quite some time, and as they are territorial, once he finds a new home, is unlikely to return.
It can take a few weeks, but as long as you leave him an escape route, you should be able to move him on safely.
Years ago my beautiful lawn was devastated by molehills - like you I had dogs and also didn't want to hurt them ( One of the nicest experiences I had was when I was standing in the garden and the earth started to move and out popped this little face and paws - it was amazing).
I tried lots of things from leaving drops of eucalyptus oil to leaving human hair from my hairbrush. They did eventually leave but I was told that it was probably because of my dogs peeing over the area as that is a deterrent apparently. Maybe your pooches will do the job for you.
They really are quite adorable creatures..
Look up "humane mole traps", the ones that look like a pipe with two one-way doors at each end. They work and don't mess up the lawn but this takes practice.
As for detente, they never surrender. If they've arrived it probably means they're all over the fields and forests nearby and catch one and another will be back in a month or two.
1) buy, borrow, or steal a 2-stroke powered device
2) attach a hose to the exhaust
3) insert hose into mole hole
Even if it doesn't kill them, they don't like the smell and will leave.
Tom