Moles are primarily loners so it is unlikely that there is more than one or two in your yard, although at times it can appear to be an army with how fast they can tunnel around your property.  And, unfortunately you might think they only show up in warm weather, but the truth of the matter is that they are year round pests. They just dig deeper into the earth in search of their food sources: grubs, beetles, and earthworms. Their only real natural predators – and the only ones that can stand their taste—are owls and snakes.  Cats and dogs are natural predators as well, but don’t worry about Fido or Fluffy eating them because they don’t taste good.  

Traps can be effective, but you have to have patience and be persistent. The best time to trap them is in the spring when the first mole ridges appear. There are three types of commercial types you can try: Choker traps (like the Nash mole trap), scissor-jawed traps (such as the Out of Sight mole trap) and harpoon traps (like the Victor mole trap). They all basically work when the mole sets off the trigger when it goes through the run. You’ll just need to experiment with works best for you.

Some people have even been known to lay in wait for them and try digging them out of the runs and flipping them into a bucket for their impending demise.

“My neighbor says she swears that black pepper or tabasco sauce will get rid of certain kinds of harmful insects on your plants and vegetables.  While that sounds good, wouldn’t that get kind of expensive after awhile? Why doesn’t a company come out with a product along the same principal?”

Well it’s funny you should mention that because there is such a company based out of Greenville, Pennsylvania, who has just the answer for you and your neighbor: Hot Pepper Wax, Inc.  I stumbled upon them when I was looking for a natural way to eradicate insects such as aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, cabbage loopers and beet armyworms from my flowering plants and garden vegetables.  This Hot Pepper Wax product is a combination of hot Cayenne Pepper, other natural repellents and a highly refined food grade wax that makes the pepper stay put for up to two weeks or more.  It’s biodegradable and, of course, contains no harmful chemicals, so I was pretty excited about the find. It’s concentrated, so it goes a long way on your pocketbook as well.

They also have an animal repellent product too that works great on those pesky, but cute rabbits and tree squirrels as well.  Go to www.hotpepperwax.com for more information on their products and availability.

“Do whiteflies hibernate or do they just die out?  It seems like I’ll just get rid of them and then they’ll pop up again without notice.”

In the South, where you reside, the nymphs do hibernate throughout the winter and then emerge in the spring when the air temperatures get above 65 degrees.  So you probably really didn’t get rid of them after all.  In the North, while they can’t over winter in the severe Northern climate, whiteflies are more normally a greenhouse pest in the winter and find their ways into our homes on infested bedding plants or transplants.

“I’ve heard my grandmother talk about using garlic spray to ward off pests in her garden. Is there a special formula that was used or is this just an old wives’ tale?”

No, it’s real. Just think about what kind of an effect garlic and onions have on our breath! Homemade sprays from garlic, onions and even chives have been proven to work effectively on repelling certain insects.  Try finely chopping up about ½ cup of any of these items and mix it with a pint of water. I let mine sit for at least 24 hours, then strain off the particles and spray. I have found that by using garlic cloves and adding an insecticidal soap is also very effective for those pests that are especially tough to get rid of.

”I’m not really crazy about bats or toads, but I heard they are actually beneficial to a garden. Should I be more sympathetic to their existence in our rural environment?"

You betcha!  Bats can eat up to half their own weight in insect pests in one single evening and are especially great mosquito control.  Don’t let their swooping bother you as their radar is constantly scoping out their meals and humans aren’t on their menu!  Toads like aphids, caterpillars, cutworms, slugs, spiders and squash bugs, so let them in on your garden and flower bed smorgasbord.

“What is Neem Oil?

Neem Oil is a natural alternative to pesticide control for insects, mites and fungi. It doesn’t directly kill the pests, but it does strongly discourage them. Neem Oil is pressed from the seed of the neem tree (Azadiracta indica Juss), which is native to eastern India and Burma and has a 4,000 year history as a medicinal herb and insect repellent.

The Neem Oil discourages pests from feeding on treated plants. When the pest ingests it, neem disrupts the molting and reproductive cycles of many of them. Tests revealed that some pests would sooner starve to death than eat plants treated with neem!  And, Neem Oil has proven remarkable non-toxic for birds, mammals and beneficial predators like spiders, bees, wasps and ladybugs.  As a result, you can safely use it on vegetable and flower gardens, in your greenhouse, on your ornamentals and even in orchards and field crops!

Barbara Sue Schubert is a human resource professional, free-lance writer and a garden and plant enthusiast from southern Wisconsin. “To me, HR and gardening have a lot in common, both feed my family! Writing, on the other hand, feeds my soul.”