I've had a garden full of moles for 15 years. No problems. At times I have to press down pushed-up soil, and it's good to check for air pockets around the base of plants and fill them in, but that's it. What moles mean is that your soil is at least pretty good or better--loose enough for moles to go exploring. Good soil is a good thing.

I am feeling better - but I did go buy some anti mole treatment - castor oil based- and spread the seeds around, watered well to hopefully make them leave the area - of course - they will just come back if I don't keep it up I guess. I did push down the tunnels and lightly push a pitchfork around the whole area - since they had basically raced underground everywhere in the garden last night.

Thank you Jacqueline and hoov for giving me some encouragement!

No problems from Moles here...

Moles can devastate a rose garden in a hurry. I've had numerous reports from last year of folks who lost over 50 roses to them....

what do they do to the roses, Steve?

I definitely need to know - because the tunnels were just everywhere this morning. I did treat the ground and water it well with the mole and gopher deterrent - but what if it doesn't work?? I am worried again!!

OK- I just read an article about using traps and it sounds like only one mole could have been in my garden making all those tunnels. Who knows about using these traps and has actually tried using them?

If they are moles and not gophers I wouldn't worry about them.

I used water to oust Mr and Mrs Mole from my yard. I flooded their tunnel and out they popped. I caught them and put them in bucket and released them in a wooded area near a marshy area near my house.

For me, they weren't as much of a problem as the voles that follow. And the snakes that hunt both.

Thank to this post I now know what that critter was that I found in late fall. Looked them up. They eat invertebrates like worms, grubs and so on. Some nice soil you have there.

Thank you everyone - as for the moles - I have called the Master gardener volunteers at our Pitt County Agriculture Extension office - left a message for them to please call with advice. I haven't heard back yet - but I will report whatever information/advice they give to me. This morning - the tunnels were back and I stepped all through the garden pushing them down. I worried about maybe packing the dirt too hard around the newly planted bare roots but did it anyway. The ground is still moist from the application of the castor seeds and 15 minutes of hand watering with the hose - but drying in our 61 degree sunshine weather today.

We had a fair amount of moles running around but they never bothered anything here... Our cats roam and catch them now...

I hope you or your neighbors have no pets. Castor seed are highly poisonous, it only takes 4 to 8 seeds to kill an adult.

Patty - thank you for your concern. I have the package photographed so you can see that the ingredients are not poisonous - there is castor "oil" but not castor beans. Castor oil is in most cold processed soaps - adds a sudsy factor (I am a soap maker) I followed directions on the package carefully. I think the 20 minutes of watering aided the tiny slivers of seed to sink into the ground into the tunnels. I was supposed to repeat the process today but did not have time to do it. I do plan on doing it again tomorrow.

Thank you lane22, I worry too much about pets.

I had moles a couple of years ago. I tried everything but nothing worked. They completely distroyed my lawn overnight. Untill I decided to stick a gardenhose into one of the tunnels and let the water run for an hour or so. I succesfully drowned them. That finally worked for me and I have never seen them since.

Hello Hans,

My problem is - I evidently have very shallow tunnel building moles - once I dig a little into the popping up area - it looks just like dirt - I cannot ever find a real tunnel. My agriculture extension agency did get in touch with me only to say the same thing you are saying - try to find a tunnel and wash it out. We put down another layer of fine wood chips this weekend and I can't see any digging through the pine bark!! We did have 3 days after I spread the mole deterrent and watered it down I have not seen anymore puffy tunnels - and that was before we put down the mulch layer on Saturday. The Agriculture agent said that the moles like to go through and eat all the grubs/worms and then move on to another area. I hope he is right!!