Drive Moles Out of the Garden with Yogurt

May 22, 2026, 2:26 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

Moles are actually beneficial for the garden: They eat slugs and grubs, and they also aerate the soil. However, for many hobby gardeners, they are a nuisance. The reason is the mounds that moles leave at the end of their long tunnels. On a well-maintained lawn, these mounds—at least from the perspective of many garden owners—are unwelcome. To gently drive the animals out of the garden, you can use a specific home remedy—yogurt.

Moles in the Garden

Wild animals do not distinguish between the greenery in front of and behind the garden fence. For them, this boundless world is divided into different territories only by smells and scents. Keeping this in mind, the already questionable chemical means to kill mice, foxes, moles, and the like seem even more cruel. Fortunately, you can resort to gentle, eco-friendly, and more cost-effective methods. To drive moles out of the garden, you can use yogurt.

Note: Moles are protected by law. Capturing or even killing the animals is therefore legally prohibited by the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Flooding mole tunnels with water or using similar methods is also not allowed. Anyone who violates this ban can face a fine of up to 65,000 euros.

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Why Yogurt Works Against Moles

The reason is quite simple: Moles cannot stand the smell of yogurt, especially sour yogurt, which is particularly effective. For a creature with such a fine and sensitive nose as the mole, there is no choice but to vacate the area when faced with such an olfactory nuisance.

Using Yogurt to Drive Moles Out of the Garden

To drive moles out of the garden with yogurt, proceed as follows:

First, carefully open a molehill by removing some soil. This will expose the tunnel.
Place some yogurt in the tunnel.
Then cover the molehill with soil again.
Repeat this process with the various mounds at regular intervals.

Over time, the smell of the yogurt will fade. Therefore, it is advisable to replenish the food at regular intervals. Alternatively, you can also place garlic cloves in the molehills. Nettle slurry also emits a smell that the small animals cannot stand. Cloths soaked in vinegar can also help gently drive moles out of the garden.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.