Key Points
Scattering coffee grounds in your garden is a temporary fix for deterring molesA better method is adding beneficial nematodes or milky spore to your yardBuilding physical barriers, adding plants moles do not like, and using catch and release traps are also great methods
Although moles may dine on unwanted insect larvae that harm plants, these common garden pests can also damage your lawn and yard. They dig tunnels, making soil soft and stunting plant growth by disturbing their roots; plus, the holes moles leave behind can look unsightly at best, and at worst, pose as a trip hazard.
Luckily, there are a few ways to encourage moles to move on from your yard. Many people often assume scattering coffee grounds is an easy hack to deter moles, so we decided to ask pest pros to weigh in on whether this method is actually effective.
Meet the Expert
Ed Dolshun has over 12 years’ experience in the pest management industry and is currently chief trapping officer and technical director at Catchmaster.
Lucie Bradley, a gardening and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.
Do Coffee Grounds Keep Moles Away?
Nope, coffee grounds will not work to deter moles. Moles are not after your plants, as they are actually insectivores, says Ed Dolshun, chief trapping officer and technical director at Catchmaster. These animals will most likely be tunneling for earthworms and lawn grubs, he says.
“Coffee grounds might change the soil smell for a short while, but they don’t affect the mole’s motivation to find food,” he explains. “At best, it is a temporary irritant—not the best control method.”
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How to Keep Moles Away
While coffee grounds won’t work in the long run, there are plenty of other ways to deter moles.
Remove Their Food Source
Taking away their incentive for being in your yard can do wonders in decreasing the mole population on your property. Treat your lawn for grubs with a biological control like beneficial nematodes or milky spore, says Dolshun.
However, this could be a downside if the earthworm population is extremely high, since eliminating such a high volume of earthworms inevitably harms the soil. Additionally, earthworms are known to be beneficial insects since they’re great at helping to improve soil aeration and drainage.
Build Physical Barriers
You can also install underground hardware cloth or mesh around garden beds, at least two feet deep and bent outward at the base. These will help prevent moles from building their tunnels close to your plants.
“This is definitely more of a method for small gardens as opposed to entire lawns,” Dolshun says.
Add Plants
Moles have an exceptional sense of smell, allowing them to navigate below ground to find food. It is this acute sense of smell that gardeners can take advantage of when they want to keep moles from their gardens using natural methods, says Lucie Bradley, a gardening and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.
There are many smells that moles don’t like and which can be used to deter them from areas in your garden, she says. These plants can include marigolds, daffodils, alliums, or fritillaries.
“These simple measures will not harm the moles but will make the environment so unpleasant to them that they are likely to move elsewhere,” says Bradley.
Fill in Mole Holes
Another way to make the moles feel unwelcome is to fill their holes with soil, says Bradley. However, a blend of soil and sand is the best way to discourage moles from returning. This combo is harder for the moles to dig through again and can help restore the soil to its original structure.
After filling the mole hole, firmly press down on the soil and sand to completely fill every crevice.
Trap and Relocate the Moles
If your mole problem gets to be too large, you can also call in a professional to set up catch-and-release live mole traps. This method for removing moles will take patience and observing your yard to determine where the moles are most active before setting up traps, says Dolshun.
And there are a few other cons: you will have to check the traps daily for moles to then relocate them humanely, and there are added costs of including professional help.
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