How to get rid of moles and gophers when they appear in your yard to cause damage might be easy. Moles usually destroy young plants, especially because they keep feeding on the roots and gophers can destroy underground utility. Deter both of them if their presence endangers your outdoor area with the following elimination ideas.
How to Get Rid of Moles and Gophers with These Natural Methods
Use Your Cats and or Dogs
Eliminate moles and gophers with the presence of your pets, either cats, dogs, or both of them are better. Your pets can be used as natural deterrents for those pests because dogs barking would definitely scare and annoy them. Meanwhile, your cats can be positioned near the pests tunnels to hunt moles and gophers.Use Neem Oil
Neem oil as a vegetable oil from the seed kernels of Neem tree is effective as an indirect pest deterrent. You don’t spread them directly to the tunnels or pests, but use this to reduce the pests’ food source. When you succeed at eliminating grubs and other insects, your yard won’t be attractive anymore for pests to come back.Use Castor Oil
Another type of oil that you can use as a natural deterrent for pests is castor oil. Obtained from the seeds of the castor bean plant, many people use this oil to keep moles and gophers away. This oil combined with other ingredients can be made as a spray deterrent and help you to eliminate pests.
Prepare a gallon of water and pour castor oil (8 ounces) with liquid soap (2 tablespoons) to be combined. Place the solution in a big-sized spray bottle so you can spray them over the garden. Spray this solution over your lawn, each side of the yard, and even the tunnels at least once a month.Grow Certain Plants Disliked by Pests
How to get rid of moles and gophers naturally can also be done by growing plants the pests dislike. Moles hate daffodils, alliums, and marigolds, so you can decide to plant them in the yard as borders near tunnels. Meanwhile, gophers dislike lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, pine, and thymes which means you can plant them in your outdoor area.
Alternatively, you may choose to grow a Mole Plant that is known to be poisonous. This type of plant might succeed at keeping moles and gophers at bay, but you should also be careful. If you’re afraid this plant would endanger you, your kids and your pets, go for garlic or chocolate lilies.Set Up Traps
Setting up traps to catch the troublemakers is a traditional way that you should try, especially by having mouse traps. However, make sure you already wash them if you used the traps before to get rid of the smell. Put any food the pests might like as bait so they can fall for the traps and be controlled successfully. Afterwards you can release them elsewhere far away from your home.
How to get rid of moles and gophers in your yard needs proper methods. You don’t have to kill them because you only have to control them effectively. Have a nice try with the recommended techniques above so you can save your lawn, garden, and even your crops from moles.