This sounds like the perfect tip for gardeners in a pinch! Behind this supposed “miracle ball” is usually a well-known home remedy: mothballs (or special repellent balls from the hardware store).

The theory behind it: Moles have extremely sensitive noses. The intense smell of naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene in mothballs is supposed to disturb the animals so much that they run away.

While this trick sounds tempting, there are a few important caveats you should be aware of:

Why this trick often backfires (and poses a danger)
Moles are a protected species: Moles are strictly protected in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They must not be caught, injured or killed. While the use of subtle scents to repel moles is permitted,…
Chemical warfare in the garden: Real mothballs are toxic to soil, groundwater and other garden inhabitants (such as hedgehogs or birds). If they get wet, the chemicals leach directly into the soil in your garden.

“Escape effect”: If you just throw a single mound into a molehill, a mole will rarely leave the garden completely. Most of the time, they will simply dig a new mound two metres away to escape the smell.

Legal and environmentally friendly alternative: Make your own “stink balls”

You can use this scent trick completely legally and environmentally by replacing the mounds with scented barriers. Moles hate the smell of whey, buttermilk, garlic or essential oils.

Here’s how: Make your own scent carriers: Take old rags or absorbent organic paper towels and shape them into small balls (your “balls”).

Soaking: Soak the moth balls in a buttermilk and mugwort mixture or a few drops of pure clove or garlic oil.

Strategic placement: Carefully open up a few mole holes and press the scented balls deep into the tunnels.

Important: Work from the wall of the house/patio toward the property line. This will lead the mole back to the open meadow instead of chasing it in circles.

Did you have this particular mothball trick in mind, or have you heard of another method (such as sound- or vibration-sensitive devices) that you’d like to try?