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How to Get a Mole to Leave

We’ve had an influx of mole activity in recent days. Perhaps the dry weather has something to do with it. I wouldn’t mind if not for the mounds of dirt they make throughout the lawn.

Over the years, I’ve tried various means of “encouraging” them to go elsewhere—such as to my neighbors’ yard. One such recommendation was to put a mothball in their run. They would be adverse to the odor and leave.

It sort of worked. They would definitely leave that run—only to dig a new one nearby.  The “mothball” technique actually resulted in an increase of mole activity, not less.

As I was “planting” the mothballs, I pondered their effect on gophers (or are they chipmunks?). So I rolled a mothball into the opening to their burrow.

The next day, I noticed  the mothball sitting on my lawn, about a foot from the opening. So, I rolled it back down—and watched. About 30 seconds later, the mothball erupted from the ground with a spray of dirt. 

Amused, I returned it—and the gopher promptly ejected it. I did this a couple more times and the last time it didn’t reappear.

The next day, I noticed that they merely dug a new entrance. Now I had another hole in my yard.

So, moles, as well as gophers/chipmunks, don’t like mothballs, but not enough to leave, only enough to do more digging.

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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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