by Derrick |
Last Updated: August 15, 2023 Nothing can be worse for a farmer or the owner of a beautiful yard with a perfectly manicured lawn than waking up in the morning and having it destroyed by moles. Moles are rodents that show no mercy on the yard or grass, making it almost impossible to keep the lawn looking good. Killing moles with marshmallows is a simple yet surprisingly effective way of getting rid of moles.
Table of Contents
- Knowing A Little More About Moles
- Can I Trust The Marshmallows To Kill The Moles?
- What Steps Should I Follow To Kill Moles With Marshmallows?
- Why Do Marshmallows Kill Moles?
- How Do Marshmallows Kill Moles?
- Other Common Methods For Killing Moles
- A Final Thought On Killing Moles With Marshmallows
Although it is not official that marshmallows can kill moles, they inevitably drive them away if they do not kill them. Testimonials from people who use this method agree that it is a great help in reducing the number of moles.
Moles are famous for damaging yards where they appear; they are also good at destroying fields and/or crops. They even go so far as to bite people and transmit diseases like rabies. With this brief introduction, we invite you to learn more about techniques of how to kill moles with marshmallows.
Knowing A Little More About Moles
If we want to get rid of these pesky little critters, we should start by knowing a little more about them. Moles are small mammals with huge front legs that help them quickly dig through the soil.
Moles are world-famous among people for being a pest that can destroy everything related to agriculture: crops, gardens, and lawns. Only by understanding the behavior and habits of these animals can we successfully attract and exterminate them.
The Diet Of Moles
Moles base their diet on ingesting earthworms, lawn grubs, and other insects they find in the soil. Moles are not interested in tubers or plants. The purpose of continually digging tunnels under the ground is to trap insects and earthworms to eat.
Although moles do not seek to eat plants or tubers, the tunnels they make damage plants and their roots.
The first sign that someone has a mole in their garden is finding a molehill in the center of the yard, an unpleasant warning of trouble.
It is a common misconception that moles eat plant roots; the plant roots are not eaten by moles (although they are by voles!).
Mole Reproduction
The reproduction period of moles occurs mainly between February and May. The process of male courtship consists of searching for females by making tunnels in the land they find.
The paradox is that these same months are the best time of the year to plant new seeds. Once winter ends and spring begins, the farmers prepare to plow the land and plant new crops. And farmers aren’t the only ones who spend time planting; gardeners are also busy reinventing the lawn by planting fresh flowers.
Can I Trust The Marshmallows To Kill The Moles?
Moles are naturally burrowing mammals. They are animals that have a very poorly developed sense of sight. When moles start digging in the yard, they have no idea they are tearing up the lawn, as they only do it to get food to survive during the day.
No matter how much you clean and trim the lawn if moles are in your yard, they will ruin it anyway. It is essential to clarify that moles do not seek to eat the plants since they are only interested in the insects they can get. Due to this, moles make tunnels under the garden to look for all the insects they can swallow. The deeper the tunnel, the more messy and destroyed your garden will be.
There are several methods to eliminate moles, one of which is using marshmallows; yes, moles will eat marshmallows. The method of using marshmallows may be the least controversial of them all. You must be clear that killing a mole is one of the most challenging and demanding tasks any yard owner will face.
The reason for the complexity of this procedure is that moles are always under the ground, so we will need tons of patience to eliminate these elusive animals.
Whether or not marshmallows will kill them will depend on what type of moles you have in your yard and their tolerance to marshmallows. In any case, what is guaranteed is that marshmallows can reduce the number of moles on your lawn.
What Steps Should I Follow To Kill Moles With Marshmallows?
The way to get rid of moles with marshmallows is quite simple; we only have to follow the steps detailed below.
- Before any action to exterminate moles, the first thing you should do is clean the garden very well. In this task, you must eliminate the dirt and any damage the moles did. This cleanup aims to bring health and order back to your garden and quickly locate the mole holes.
- You should eliminate all potential food sources in the garden as soon as possible. In other words, you must look around to find and remove insects, snails, or other bugs. If moles notice abundant food sources in your yard, the marshmallow method may not be as effective as you hope.
- You should also make sure that there are no potential food sources for moles in the yard; they especially like to eat grubs that live within the ground under your lawn. They will tunnel from grub to grub, snacking along the way.
- Look for mole holes, count them and ensure those openings have no other potential hazards around them.
- Put marshmallows in each of the open holes or tunnels. Experts recommend that it is best to place three to five marshmallows per hole. One marshmallow in each hole will not be enough to eliminate the mole that inhabits it.
- Place marshmallows in the exit or escape holes of the moles. This measure will make the moles want to get as far away from your yard as possible. These actions will only have the expected effect if we place enough marshmallows in each hole we find.
- Mole removal represents a real challenge for farmers and yard owners; however, the marshmallow method can help reduce the number of moles if we follow these steps correctly.
Why Do Marshmallows Kill Moles?
Homemade marshmallows have sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and egg whites as their main ingredients. However, we find a different picture when discussing industrially produced marshmallows. This type of marshmallow uses extenders, flavorings, and auxiliaries in addition to the corn syrup and gelatin that help to emulsify the final product. These emulsifiers are carrageenan, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and gum arabic.
There is still no scientific evidence to confirm the action of these ingredients in the elimination of moles. Still, some elements help us understand why people use marshmallows to eliminate these animals.
- Recent discoveries suggest carrageenan can cause bloating, food allergies, cancer, and inflammation. This fact may lead us to deduce that if moles eat significant amounts of carrageenan, they will slow down their digestive system, resulting in death.
- Other marshmallows use tetrasodium pyrophosphate as the main ingredient. Many experts believe that this ingredient also can kill moles. This ingredient is a reagent that reacts with mineral-based sorbents, clay, dirt, and soil.
- Marshmallows contain artificial flavors and other ingredients that moles cannot process.
How Do Marshmallows Kill Moles?
My theory behind why marshmallows kill moles, moles eat marshmallows, and they were not designed to do so; the marshmallows go into the digestive system of the mole, and they cannot pass them, so it bloats the stomach, and the mole cannot survive (often they will try and drink water and this will only compound the problem). Think about it this way if it doesn’t work, you can always resort to mole traps as a backup plan.
Other Common Methods For Killing Moles
Another common home remedy for killing moles is with gum, specifically juicy fruit gum. I have had better luck with marshmallows than juicy fruit gum, but it is something for you to try out and test which works better for you.
Another standard method shared is castor oil; I haven’t personally tried this method, so I cannot share any thoughts on it.
Removing food sources is another possibility; moles love to feed on grubs. Treating your lawn for grubs can effectively drive moles away, as they will go where grubs are more plentiful.
If all else fails, calling a professional exterminator may be the best option for long-term success.
A Final Thought On Killing Moles With Marshmallows
Killing moles with marshmallows is one of the simplest and least controversial methods to eliminate moles. Scientifically there is still no solid evidence of the effects of marshmallows on moles, but people who have tried it swear it is the best way to rid your yard of moles. Nevertheless, reality tells us that with this method and a lot of patience, we will be able to diminish the presence of these animals in our garden.