A mole raises unsightly mounds in the garden and more than one lawn lover comes up with the craziest ideas to ward him off. Flooding molehills is one of those not-so-advisable methods. Find out below why you should refrain from using water to scare away a mole and what more effective alternatives there are.
The chances of success in repelling a mole with water are infinitesimally small
Really drive away moles?
Before you set about chasing moles out of your garden, consider their added value:
- Moles are hungry insect eaters and keep the garden pest free
- Through their digging activity, moles ensure good aeration and increased soil quality
- Moles keep "real" pests like rats, mice, and voles away
For all these reasons, the mole is officially considered a beneficial and if you can see over the hills, it's best to keep the mammal in the garden.
Drive away moles with water?
A widely recommended method of repelling a mole is to flood its burrow. In principle this is possible, but it is a bad idea for two reasons:
1. Mole burrow has drainage
A mole's den is a clever system of passages and multiple chambers designed to let rainwater seep down. In order to completely flood a mole's den, you would have to fill several molehills with water at the same time, in order to possibly flood all the chambers - including the sleeping chamber.
2. Mole is under protection
In addition, the mole is protected and must not be killed, hunted or caught. If you manage to flood the burrow completely, there is a risk that the mole will drown and you will be liable to prosecution. Fines of up to €50,000 await mole killers. However, moles can swim and also dive, so drowning is unlikely. However, if the mole has young, there is a real danger and you must not water the hills between March and June!
Conclusion: Better keep your hands off the water
Summing up, it can be said that the chances of success in driving away a mole with water are extremely small, and the eventual consequences - the death of the mole - are by no means worth it. Instead, you should try to drive away the mole with gentle means. Promising methods are:
- Windmill or something else that makes noise
- Buttermilk or whatever stinks
- mothballs or essences
- garlic