Encouraging moles to dig MORE

I’ve sheet mulched a large area in order to kill the grass/lawn to make way for a forest garden and have noticed a great many mole hills. I was thinking of somehow trying to encourage the moles to dig more in order to till/aerate the area so I don’t have to pay for a truckload of compost or top soil in order to plant. Is there a low impact way of encouraging the moles to do MORE digging. I know this is kind of the opposite of what people want regarding moles but hey I’m trying to work with nature here.

Thanks y’all, any input is appreciated!

Hi Daniel,

This is an interesting way to till an area and the moles likely won't chew or eat any of your plants. I have also heard that they are good at eating garden pests but I have no personal experience with that area. That being said, I think discouraging natural predators of the moles would be an effective way to help them. If they are already in your area then the conditions are already good and avoid using any insecticides to prevent killing their food sources.

Dogs, coyotes, snakes, owls, and raptors can all make a meal out of any moles you have. A physical barrier can be used for dogs and coyotes while removing nesting areas could help reduce the raptors or owls in the area. Both of these are a big undertaking for a large area so the simplest solution could be to try and buy dead insects in any quantity to feed the moles, you might even be able to toss them food down into known burrows.

You might also want to check if you have gophers and/or voles as well, as those will munch on your plants. They generally won't eat insects but if you are enabling any predator reduction in the area they will also benefit overall.

Hope this helps,
Eric S.

You want moles?

You got to get what moles like.

What do moles like?

Earthworms.

How do you get earthworms?

Organic Material

You got this!