Eliminating Moles With Marshmallows (Unconventional Solution)
A mole infestation can cause significant lawn damage and diminish your landscape aesthetics, as the tunnels and molehills are usually an eyesore. Moreover, these pests interfere with grassroots as they dig, potentially causing growth problems for your lush green lawn.
Conventional methods for mole control, like trapping, digging, and baiting, while popular, can be expensive and environmentally unfriendly. A good alternative is using cheap marshmallows as homemade mole poison with no negative ecological impact.
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Killing moles with marshmallows
What makes marshmallows an effective method to kill moles? Marshmallows, however, work by bloating and inflammation, preventing digestion and killing moles. Marshmallows contain carrageenan, which is attributed to its effectiveness in killing moles (industrial marshmallows). Recent studies deduce carrageen can lead to food allergies, cancer, inflation, and bloating, slowing digestive system processes. Other marshmallows contain tetrasodium pyrophosphate that reacts with mineral-based sorbents, clay, dirt, and soil, which experts believe can kill moles effectively.
Moles are attracted to lawns with cool, moist soil, enabling them to regulate their body temperatures since they live underground. Common insects typically found in the yard/garden soil will also reel them. They include grubs, beetles, and earthworms.
Moles dig up tunnels that can cause extensive aesthetical damage to your lawn and landscaping. And the problems don’t end with the unsightly holes and molehills, as these pests interfere with the root systems of turfgrass as they dig. A mole infestation can, therefore, also cause dead patches of grass on your lawn.
Common methods of controlling and limiting moles include trapping, baiting, eliminating food sources, and applying mole repellent. You may also dig a trench around the garden to prevent the moles from burrowing in or reduce irrigation to limit worm activity that attracts the moles.
Marshmallow main ingredients
Marshmallow contains sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin, plus some air. According to Richard Hartel, a food Engineer, “A marshmallow is basically a foam that’s stabilized by gelatin.” Gelatin is made by breaking down collagen and serves as the scaffolding that gives it a stretchy soft, and sticky texture.
How to use marshmallows to kill moles
While the mole control methods mentioned in the previous section are the most commonly used, people are continually developing new, innovative ways to keep these destructive pests at bay. One of these control methods is the use of marshmallows.
Marshmallows can kill moles, but their level of effectiveness hasn’t been scientifically determined. If you want to eliminate moles in your garden completely, you may want to consider harsher control methods.
However, if you’re opposed to harsh, poisonous controls and prefer an all-natural method, you may as well try killing moles using marshmallows. These confectioneries kill moles in two ways. First, when you plug the mole holes with marshmallows, the moles will either suffocate or starve to death.
If not, they’ll nibble on the marshmallows, which are sweet and attractive to the senses. However, marshmallows contain carrageenan, which corrupts the digestive system of moles, causing the pests to die after a few days. However, note that sometimes, plugging mole holes with marshmallows only temporarily drives them away rather than killing them. This adds to the argument that marshmallows aren’t a very effective mole killer.
Implementing the Marshmallow Method
Once you’ve identified mole activity in your yard, that is, the presence of tunnels, molehills, and dead patches of grass, it’s time to start marshmallow treatment. Start by removing other food sources for moles, such as snails, grubs, beetles, and larvae.
Then, locate the tunnels and insert 3-5 marshmallows into each hole. Also, put some marshmallows in the places the moles use to enter and exit the yard. You can tell that the moles have eaten the marshmallows if you notice that some of the pieces are missing.
It would be best if you repeated inserting 3-5 marshmallows into the mole tunnels for a few more days. The reason is that even if the original marshmallows have been eaten, it doesn’t mean that most or all the moles ate them. It could be that only one or a few of the moles nibbled on the confectioneries. Ideally, you want to do this repeatedly until all the moles are affected.
When using marshmallows to kill moles, one of the goals is to plug the holes (like a cork) so that the moles suffocate or are trapped inside. As such, use standard-size, commercial marshmallows since they’re about the same size as a mole hole. Avoid using mini marshmallows, as they won’t fit tightly into the tunnels.
Commercial marshmallows are also more effective than homemade marshmallows; since the former contain carrageenan. This ingredient slows down the digestive system of moles, causing them to die.
Case Studies: Success Stories and Testimonials
The impact of marshmallows on moles hasn’t been researched scientifically; hence there are no quantitative or qualitative data to prove their effectiveness. It’s one of the homemade mole control methods, alongside juicy fruit gum and vinegar, that homeowners use on a trial-and-error basis. Those who’ve used marshmallows to kill moles have reported mixed results.
Some say that the confectionery kills most, if not all, of the moles, while others essay it barely works and has to be supplemented with harsher mole control methods.
Marshmallows are a good option if you’re looking for cheap mole control methods. Commercial marshmallows cost way less than poison-based mole baits, while the ingredients for making homemade marshmallows cost even lesser. However, marshmallows aren’t nearly as efficient as mole baits and traps, thus, should be used alongside other methods for total mole control.
Criticisms and Controversies
The proponents of marshmallows as a mole killer note that moles aren’t known to consume plant-based foods like marshmallows in their natural habitats. Thus, consuming marshmallows is unnatural for these pests, making the confectionery an excellent control method. However, skeptics cite the lack of scientific evidence and the variation in results for past users as a reason not to consider marshmallows an effective mole killer/repellent. Conservationists criticize the marshmallow methods and consider them inhumane since it kills by interfering with moles’ digestive system, leading to constipation.
Environmental Considerations
Marshmallow is an excellent alternative if you’re worried about the ecological impact of your mole control methods. Unlike poisonous mole baits that contain toxic ingredients like bromethalin, marshmallows are plant-based and entirely safe for the environment.
Precautions and Safety Measures
When deploying marshmallows, ensure the mole tunnels have no other hazards around them. Additionally, wear thick safety gloves when inserting marshmallows into the mole holes since these pests can bite when threatened. A mole bite can cause a rabies infection, which can be fatal.
When controlling moles using marshmallows, keep your kids and pets off the yard, as the carrageenan tetrasodium pyrophosphate in marshmallows disrupts the digestive systems of humans and pets. This ingredient causes gastric inflammation, stomach upset, diarrhoea, vomiting, diabetes, obesity, etc in dogs. Therefore, you might want to keep your pet on a leash while you apply this mole control method.
Does juicy fruit gum kill gophers?
Juicy fruit as a gopher killer is based on anecdotal evidence. Some say gophers can smell and detect the gum as a foreign substance, thus usually avoiding it. Others say that gophers will eat the gum, which blocks their digestive systems, leading to choking and death.
Does juicy fruit gum kill moles?
Juicy fruit gum also kills moles, though some have reported having better luck by using marshmallows instead. Simply chew some gum and place it inside the mole hole. The moles will eat but won’t be able to digest it, resulting in their death.
Does Killing moles with marshmallows only attract MORE animals?
Using marshmallows to kill moles might attract other animals that also like this confectionery. Examples include rats, mice, raccoons, and opossums.
Does Dawn dish soap kill moles?
Dawn dish soap is a powerful and effective way to eliminate moles. The soap is safe to use on your skin and gentle on pets. It penetrates through the fur and dissolves the skin cells killing the mole.
What are the Alternative Approaches to Mole Control?
If you’re interested in other alternative mole control approaches that don’t involve traditional methods like baiting and trapping, consider the following:
- Gas bombs– a practical yet poisonous method, as the gas bombs emit toxic gases into the mole holes to kill them.
- Vinegar– mix one part vinegar with three parts water and spray inside the mole holes.
- Juicy fruit gum– contains ingredients that block the digestive system of moles.
- Dawn dish soap– Once you have identified moles tunnels, you can apply Dawn dish soap to eliminate ground moles.
Final thoughts
Mole control using marshmallows is essentially trial and error, with no scientific studies to prove the same. Still, you can use marshmallows to reduce mole populations or even eliminate them totally if used repeatedly. Note that results tend to vary from garden to garden, but you’re more likely to be successful if you use store-bought marshmallows that contain carrageenan.
References
- Robert A. Pierce: University of Missouri Extension: Controlling Nuisance Moles.
- American Chemical Society: What’s in Marshmallows?
