How to Get Rid of Moles and Voles in the Garden

If your garden is suddenly full of raised tunnels, collapsed seedlings, and plants pulled down into the soil, you have a burrowing mammal problem. But “mole” and “vole” get used interchangeably even though they are completely different animals that need completely different solutions. Moles are insectivores that tunnel after grubs and earthworms — they rarely eat plants, but their tunneling uproots them. Voles are rodents that eat roots, bulbs, and stems, and they use mole tunnels as highways to reach your plants.

Here is the step-by-step system for getting rid of both, starting with confirming which one you actually have.

What You Will Need

• Identification: look for volcano-shaped molehills vs. shallow, inch-wide surface runways with bite marks on stems
• A mole trap — spring-loaded scissor/harpoon traps are the most reliable
• Worm-shaped mole bait as a backup where trapping is impractical
• Hardware cloth or wire mesh to protect raised beds and bulbs
• A repellent (granular or spray) as a long-term deterrent

Step-by-Step: Get Rid of Moles and Voles

Step 1: Identify the Culprit Correctly

Moles make conical dirt mounds (molehills) and deep, raised ridges. Voles make flat, well-traveled surface runways through grass and a network of shallow tunnels, plus they leave gnaw marks at the base of trees and chewed roots. If you see plants pulled underground or eaten roots, it is voles, not moles. If you only see mounds and no damage to plants, it is moles.

Step 2: Remove the Food Source

Moles tunnel for grubs, earthworms, and beetle larvae. If grubs are plentiful, moles will keep coming no matter what you do. Apply beneficial nematodes to reduce grub populations — this removes the buffet without poisoning anything. Voles, meanwhile, are attracted to mulch, tall grass, and debris that gives them cover, so keep lawns short and garden edges clean. Good soil structure reduces compaction, but it also makes tunneling easier — that is why protecting beds matters more than fighting every tunnel.

Step 3: Trap Moles on Active Tunnels

Trapping is the only reliably effective mole control. Find an active surface run (a raised ridge), press it down flat with your foot, and check it 24 hours later. If it is raised again, that is a hot tunnel. Set a scissor or harpoon trap (Victor Easy Set and similar designs) across the flattened run, following the trap’s instructions for trigger depth. Set two traps on different runs — moles move through their systems on cycles, and a second trap catches them when the first misses. Check daily and move traps to fresh runs every few days.

Step 4: Use Bait Where Trapping Is Not Practical

On large lawns or when traps keep coming up empty, worm-shaped toxic bait placed inside active tunnels is the common fallback. It mimics the mole’s natural food and must be placed inside the tunnel (not on top) — moles rarely eat on the surface. Follow the product’s safety directions carefully, especially if pets or kids use the yard.

Step 5: Protect Plants from Voles with Barriers

For voles, exclude rather than chase. Line the bottom of raised beds with half-inch hardware cloth, buried a few inches, so voles cannot tunnel up into the soil. Raised beds with a solid barrier base are the most vole-proof option. Wrap young tree trunks in hardware cloth or spiral tree guards, and plant bulbs in wire baskets.

Step 6: Repellents as a Deterrent, Not a Cure

Granular castor-oil-based repellents (like I Must Garden or similar mole and vole products) can push animals out of a treated area for several weeks. They work by making the soil taste and smell wrong, and they are most effective as a perimeter defense after you have trapped or excluded the animals already inside. Reapply after heavy rain.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating the wrong animal. Poisons aimed at voles do not kill moles and vice versa — confirm your target first.
• Setting traps on inactive tunnels. Moles rarely return to dead runs; always test for activity before setting.
• Flooding tunnels. It rarely works, wastes water, and can drive the mole into fresh territory — or collapse beds.
• Ignoring the grub connection. Control the grubs and you remove the reason moles dig in the first place.

FAQ

Are moles or voles eating my plants?

Almost always voles. Moles eat insects and worms; they damage plants only by tunneling under them. If you see plants pulled down, gnawed roots, or chewed stem bases, it is voles.

Do ultrasonic mole repellents work?

Evidence is thin. Stakes that vibrate or emit sound sometimes deter animals briefly, but moles quickly get used to them, and owners consistently report they stop working within weeks. Trapping remains the reliable method.

How many moles are usually in a yard?

Typically just one or two. A single mole can create the whole network of tunnels you see, so persistent trapping of one animal often clears the property.

Will removing grubs alone get rid of moles?

It removes the main food source and makes your yard much less attractive, but moles also eat earthworms, so they may keep working the area. Combine grub reduction with trapping for the fastest result.

Bottom Line

Identify first, then act: trap moles on active runs, exclude voles with hardware cloth, and remove the food and cover that attracted them in the first place. Repellents and bait are useful tools, but a correctly set trap on a tested-active tunnel is the difference between a season of frustration and a yard that stays quiet.

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Victor Easy Set mole traps on Amazon — mole worm bait — castor oil mole and vole repellent — half-inch hardware cloth

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