![\"mole\"](\"http:\/\/images1.blisstree.com\/files\/2009\/12\/mole.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe good news is that you don’t always have to deal with garden moles. Many moles are actually useful garden pals. They munch on harmful bugs that will hurt your plants and they even improve soil through aeration. Plus to be honest, I think they’re kind of cute.<\/p>\n
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Some moles are a problem though. Here in the Northwest where I live a common mole is the Townsend’s mole<\/a> (I believe the largest mole in North America) and this guy does eat quite a lot of garden goods and vegetation along with bugs.<\/p>\n Other problems moles may cause include eating up your beneficial earthworms, pulling up little seedlings, disfiguring your lawn – although make sure that a mole is your actual problem. Sometimes gophers and \/or field mice<\/a> cause damage and it looks like a mole did it.<\/p>\n To fix your mole problems:<\/strong><\/p>\n First make sure you need to get rid of your mole. If he’s not being a problem – i.e not munching on your plants badly you may want him around. Mole damage is only really noticeable if you have a lawn so having only garden plots and no lawn is one way around this. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has an excellent piece on Practicing Mole Tolerance<\/a> that I highly suggest reading.<\/p>\n If you like your lawn better than the mole though you can try planting\u00a0hyacinths and castor oil plants which moles don’t like or try a castor oil repellent<\/a>. Castor oil repellents only have a so-so success level, but it’s a non-toxic way to go so try it first. After that you can try wire mesh or let your dog cruise the garden. If using wire mesh (1\/4-inch mesh) bury it about 20 inches deep around the perimeter of your garden plot or lawn. My local Oregon extension notes that people with dogs report fewer mole issues, so maybe dogs scare them off.<\/p>\n Lethal mole trapping, poisoning and stunning all seem extreme<\/a> in my opinion plus in some states you need a permit from the Department of Wildlife and Fish to do so. PLUS you could catch an innocent animal or even a family pet. Lethal<\/a> is lethal to all small animals not just moles so I’d think long and hard before going that route.<\/p>\n Do you have useful garden moles or pesky ones? <\/em><\/p>\n [image via wiki commons<\/a>]<\/p>\n Post from: Blisstree<\/a><\/p>\n