Last year my neighbor got a mole in their lawn. I didn’t think anything of it. I noticed it but it really was no big deal to me. Then he came over to my lawn. Then I started worrying about it a bit. I didn’t know how to kill moles. I stepped its tunnel down but that’s about all I did. Then one day I saw my neighbor working with the mole tunnel and it looks like they killed the mole.
Fast forward to this spring. I saw no new mole activity so I must have been right and they did kill the mole. I was happy to not have to worry about it.
So…spring came but my wonderful creeping phlox that always covered the area in front of our rock didn’t come up. That was weird. It was so prolific last year. Then I looked closer.
There was…a tiny bit trying to live but for the most part, the plants were a goner.
After looking more carefully, I realized that everywhere under the plants were shallow tunnels. That mole had gotten into the flowers. I went to the nursery and asked what to do.
They suggested cleaning out the dead stuff that was there but if there was growth on it to leave it. They suggested planting new next to it.
The mole also killed the salvia plant you see in the middle of the photo.
So I bought three creeping phlox plants and Gannon and I planted them. I did most of the planting and Gannon did most of the watering. Rosie was the supervisor.
Gannon told me he was the construction worker making waterfalls. Notice the rock even got watered too.
While I was fixing on the flower bed, I deadheaded the peonies.
On a side note…I just love that Rosie can hang out with us when we’re outside. When Buck was home he told me that Rosie seems so much happier and I would totally agree. She is.
There ended up being just a tiny bit of the salvia plant so I scooted that as far to the left as possible. I thought it was dead so I had bought a purple aster to put there. I ended up planting that as far to the right as possible. Hopefully, the two will grow and hang out happily together.
So this was as far as I could complete it for now. I need to get a couple of bags of red mulch to put over it all. I’m pleased with the updo and thankful that dreaded mole is gone.
It was a great little project to do with Gannon. He just loves being outdoors and rather than just sit and watch him play, this allowed me to get something done too. We make a great team.
At our home in Salem, Oregon, we had a mole problem in our back yard. One night I was walking by the dog door & looked down at what I thought was one of our dogs toys. We had yorkie sisters who were about 10 or 11 at that point. I looked closed & yelled for my husband to come look at it. Turns out our elderly yorkies found & killed that mole — and he was UGLY. They killed it and then carried it in to us to admire what they’d done. We were both shocked that they were able to do that, especially at their age. Needless to say, we praised those 2 to the sky and back for their hunting abilities. Never had any more problems after that! Deb & Mike
This growth in Gannon and the improvement on his health challenges is quite nice. What a loss for you and Rosie when his pre K begins. My bet is that his development with Grandma Joey far outweighs pre K. Will he see his quilt and pillowcase while in progress or be a surprise? You’re doing a great job of keeping their grandfathers memory alive as well
I think his quilt will be a surprise. I am going to really miss Gannon when he goes to school in the fall. Luckily I’ll still have him on Wednesdays…and the new baby is coming!! That should take care of my grandma fix.
I love Gannon’s little feet there on the edging! And Rosie is so interested. Hope the mole is gone for good.
We had moles once. Our neighbor came over and put a good sized hose in the tail pipe of the car and the other end in the mole hole. No more moles.
I love it when you show and tell how you and your grands work together. You’re teaching them how to work and never have to say I’m teaching you. Great way to learn and have fun.
Gannon looks so much healthier than he did last year! I’m glad good care and good grandmothering have helped him grow!
When you have one mole, you have many. They are like mice and rats. They don’t live alone. And, you sure don’t plant more food for them until they are all gone. There are various methods online of how to get rid of them.
Your Kramer rock is rocking with all the new plants. So glad that the mole issue has been handled. How nice to see Gannon and Rosie helping you.
We never had moles until the end of last summer, in SE Iowa. This summer they have become a real problem in our yard and gardens. I hope you don’t have further trouble with them, Jo.
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I’m sure everyone has lots of home cures for moles. I had them 20 years ago in Ill and got rid of them with castor oil. I guess they hate the smell. I just poured it in the hole. I love Gannon. He is a keeper.
Rosie looks relaxed and happy. She even looks like she’s smiling.
Love seeing your little helpers. Helping is others is so much better than having them play all the time – both are valuable times. Besides helping, it is teaching. You are a great grandma!
When we see mole tunnels, we throw down some bits of Juicy Fruit gum. They love the gum, can’t digest it and die because the gum gets trapped in their digestive track. No more moles.
THANKS for this tip Rosemarie!!
While I admit getting rid of moles Caddyshack style would be fun (to watch, not on my property), the solutions other readers have come up with will hopefully work (if they come back) without more damage to your beautiful yard. Love seeing the grands out in the garden helping you – great way to spend quality time together doing what you all enjoy!!
I think you can mix hot sauce and water together and spray it on plants. I’m not sure if ratio but it won’t hurt plants and no animal likes the taste. I think it even works for deer.
Gannon is such a good helper! We had moles a few years back and hubby eradicated them with mousetraps baited with peanut butter which he put next to the foundation behind the plantings. Seems like he caught one or two a day that way for several weeks. Where there’s one, there’s more.
What you have is a vole problem. Voles eat vegetation (plant roots). Moles eat meat (beetle larvae). Both are nasty pests. I have had some success using Juicy Fruit gum (no kidding) placed into the holes you find. Got this tip thru my garden club.
Hope the mole is really gone. Our daughter is having problems with an armadillo. They thought they had solved the problem, but it is back. Not only is it eating her flowers, it has dug holes in the yard.