Moles tunneling under your lawn can be incredibly frustrating. You spend hours planting flowers and sowing grass seed only to have mole hills and tunnels pop up overnight, ruining your hard work.

While there are plenty of ways to get rid of moles, many common methods like poisons and traps can harm other wildlife or pets. So you may be looking for a natural, non-toxic way to deter moles without causing them harm.

This is where the idea of using marshmallows comes in.

I know it sounds crazy. How could something as soft and sweet as a marshmallow possibly deter those relentless digging machines? But hear me out. There may actually be some logic behind this unorthodox idea.

Understanding Mole Behavior

To understand how marshmallows could work, we first need to understand what motivates moles and causes them to tunnel in the first place.

Moles spend almost their entire lives underground. They dig elaborate tunnel systems to hunt for food, primarily earthworms and grubs. Their tunnel systems include main runways for traveling, smaller feeding tunnels, and deeper nesting chambers.

Some key facts about moles:

• Moles have a high metabolism and need to eat frequently. They can consume up to 100% of their body weight in food per day.

• Their saliva contains a paralyzing toxin that immobilizes earthworms, making them easier to eat.

• Moles rely heavily on their senses of smell, touch, and vibration detection to find food and navigate tunnels.

• They are active year-round, even under snow, though they slow down in extreme cold or heat.

Why Marshmallows Could Work

Knowing that moles constantly hunt for food sources, marshmallows could potentially serve as an appealing treat.

The scent of sugar may attract moles to tunnels baited with marshmallows. And the soft, easy-to-eat texture would make marshmallows a tasty snack...at first.

This is where the problems come in. Marshmallows offer no nutritional value. They are pure sugar with no protein, vitamins, or minerals.

Consuming too many marshmallows could give moles an upset stomach or digestive issues. And with their high metabolism, moles need substantial nutrition from protein-rich foods like worms or grubs.

Over time, moles may associate those delicious-smelling marshmallows with feeling sick afterwards. This could deter them from returning to spots where they’ve found marshmallows before.

Essentially, the strategy is to turn marshmallows into a treat that moles learn to avoid, prompting them to seek food elsewhere. It’s a non-toxic form of aversion training.

Step-by-Step Mole Marshmallow Plan

Convinced this marshmallow method may be worth a shot? Here is a step-by-step guide:

Locate Active Tunnels

Walk your lawn looking for obvious signs of mole activity:

• Raised ridges or dome-shaped mounds of dirt from tunnels just below surface
• Sunken areas where tunnel has collapsed
• Mole hills pushed up from deep tunnels

Use a lawn probe to test suspicious areas and verify the presence of tunnels. Focus on areas with fresh tunnels to ensure moles will encounter the marshmallows.

Prepare the Marshmallows

Buy a bag of regular large marshmallows - avoid flavored or colored ones.

For about every 10 square feet of active tunnels, you’ll need:

• 1 cup of marshmallows (about 24 regular marshmallows)
• 4-6 golf tee-sized sticks

Bait the Tunnels

Use a trowel to open a hole into an active tunnel. Drop 3-4 marshmallows inside, using the sticks to push them deep into the tunnel if needed.

Cover the hole with dirt and pack gently. Mark the spot with a flag or garden staple.

Continue baiting other active tunnels, spacing holes about 5 feet apart.

Monitor and Maintain

After 2-3 days, check the baited holes. See if marshmallows are gone, indicating moles found them. If so, rebait those spots with fresh marshmallows.

Keep baiting and monitoring the tunnels, replenishing marshmallows as needed. Over 2-3 weeks, mole activity should decrease as they learn to avoid marshmallow-filled tunnels.

For best results, maintain baiting through the moles’ active seasons. Combine with other deterrents like vibration spikes or castor oil for added effect.

Be patient and persistent. Repellents rarely work overnight, but you should see a gradual decline in new tunnels over time.

Balance Mole Control With Wildlife Stewardship

While marshmallow baiting offers a harmless method to deter moles, it’s also important to maintain perspective. Moles aerate soil and eat harmful insects - they have an ecological role.

Seeking coexistence and deterrence, not eradication, allows us to resolve conflicts while still respecting wildlife and our shared environment.

With a humane, eco-friendly approach, a little clever thinking, and some sticky-sweet treats, you can have your yard back while keeping your conscience clear.

So give the marshmallow method a try! Those frustrating moles may have finally met their match.