How do I stop moles ruining my lawn?

Let us be straight with you first: moles are hard to deter, and most of the gadgets sold for them do little. That is not what anyone wants to hear when the lawn looks like a ploughed field. But the lawn is rarely as wrecked as it looks. The grass between the hills is usually fine, the hills rake out, and there are a few things that genuinely help. The rest is deciding how much mole you can live with.

What the molehills are telling you

Moles live underground and eat mostly earthworms and soil grubs. The hills are spoil pushed up as they dig and repair their tunnels. Lots of hills does not always mean lots of moles: one mole can push up a great many as it works its patch.

Moles also turn up most where the soil is healthy and full of worms. If you are next to fields or woodland, new moles can move in from the land around you whatever you do. That is why “for good” is not a realistic goal on a plot by a forest. “Under control” is.

What helps

1. Rake the hills flat and firm the soil back down. Do it when the soil is dry. The loose soil is fine, crumbly and free of weeds, so use it for pots and seed trays rather than throwing it away.
2. Roll or tread down raised runs on the lawn in spring, so the mower does not scalp them.
3. Protect the beds that matter. Buried mesh is the most reliable barrier. Lay strong wire or plastic mesh under a new lawn or raised bed before you fill it, or bury mesh upright around a precious bed, deep enough that a mole will not tunnel under it.
4. Re-seed bare patches once the hills are raked out. Grass recovers well.

What does not help much

Sonic spikes, windmills and buzzers. The idea is that vibration drives moles away. In practice moles tend to carry on around them. We do not recommend ultrasonic or sonic devices for any animal.

Smells, mothballs and household remedies down the holes. Moles simply dig a new run, and things like mothballs add a poisoning risk to pets and soil. Skip them.

Poison and gas. They are cruel, can harm pets and other wildlife, and in many countries are restricted to licensed professionals or banned for moles. Not an option here.

Is moving a mole far away the kind thing?

It feels like it. But a mole dropped somewhere unfamiliar has no tunnels, no food store and no shelter, often in someone else’s territory, and it may not survive. Moving wild animals can also be against local rules. So if you have caught one by chance, the kinder choice is usually to release it close to where you found it, at the edge of your land, in soft soil.

A mole above ground in daylight is unusual. It may be a young one looking for its own patch, or one flooded out, or one that is unwell. Do not handle it with bare hands. If it looks injured or weak, call a local wildlife rescue for advice.

Kids and pets: do not leave chemicals, mothballs or anything poisonous in mole runs. Dogs dig at molehills and children play on lawns. Wear gloves if you handle molehill soil and wash hands after.

If a mole really has to go

Sometimes a mole is in the wrong place: a sports pitch, a show lawn, a bed you depend on for food. Then use a professional, and ask them plainly what method they use, whether it is legal where you live, and whether it is humane. Rules on moles differ by country, and in some they are protected. We do not recommend any trap built to injure, so we will not suggest a DIY one here.

For other diggers, foxes and raccoons after grubs leave scattered holes and lifted turf rather than mounds. See how to stop foxes or raccoons digging up the lawn, and the garden visitors guide for the rest of the cast.