Gardening Answers Knowledgebase

From your description of the dirt mounds, it sounds as though the critter in your yard may be either a mole or a gopher. The easiest way to tell the difference is by the type of mound you have.

Quoting from "Of Bugs and Blights" (in Balls and Burlaps, February 1988, pp. 4 and 14):

A gopher mound fans out from a hole near one edge of the mound. This hole remains plugged while the gopher is on the runway system. The gopher mound is relatively flat compared to the mole mound. Gopher mounds vary from 1 to 3 feet in diameter...several mounds often will be found together. They are not regularly found in a line as are mole mounds. The mole mound is somewhat conical and not much over a foot in diameter. The hole is not evident when you look at the mound. Push the soil aside and you will find it under the center of the mound. Each mound is connected with the other in a line by the moles' runway system.

According to the article quoted above, moles are more likely to be found in gardens in Western Washington than are gophers. We have the journal Balls and Burlaps in the Miller Library. The article discusses the problems and benefits of moles, as well as control methods.

I also consulted the Western Garden Problem Solver (Sunset Books, 1998) to see if I could identify your mound-maker. Ground squirrels leave their burrows open, so if your mounds show no opening, you probably don't have squirrels. Mole mounds appear volcano-like, with signs of soil excavation.

Here is a link to information on ant nests, which you might look at to see if the description more closely matches your problem.

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Date 2007-12-13
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Here is information on preventing squirrel snacking, from the International Bulb Society.

Excerpt:
Q. How do I keep squirrels from digging up bulbs?
A. Squirrels can be terrible pests! They won't bother daffodils and other narcissi bulbs (which taste terrible to them!), but they find tulips and crocus in particular to be worth the effort to sniff out and dig up.
The only sure-fire way to protect tulips and crocuses and other tasty bulb treats from squirrels is to lay wire mesh such as chicken wire on top of the bed. The squirrels can't dig through the mesh and the flowers will grow neatly through the holes.
Bulbs are most vulnerable in fall immediately after planting when the soil is still soft and worked up. Digging then is easy! Squirrels often "chance" upon bulbs when burying their nuts in soft ground. Or they are attracted by "planting debris" such as bits of papery bulb tunics and other bulb-scented bits from the bulb bags. Don't advertise your plantings: clean up and keep those squirrels guessing!

Here's one neat trick that garden writer Judy Glattstein has found to work: after planting new areas, lay old window screens in frames on the ground, covering the newly-worked up soil. The screen weighs enough to foil the squirrel, but allows for air circulation and rainfall. Once the ground has settled, remove the screens and store for future use.

Another remedy that some find successful is to feed the squirrels during the fall and winter. The theory is that the local squirrel population, when offered a handy plate of peanuts or other easy-to-get treats will leave your bulbs alone. At the White House, the gardeners put up six peanut-filled feeding boxes to satiate the furry denizens there -- and reduced squirrel damage on bulb beds by 95 percent! Many gardeners claim success with commercial repellents, but these are often sticky and unpleasant to deal with, or wash away in the rain.

Home remedies include sowing cayenne pepper into the soil or on the bulbs before planting and scattering moth ball flakes on the ground. You will find advocates and detractors of both methods. A favorite Dutch remedy is to interplant Fritillaria imperialis. This tall dramatic plant gives off an odor that squirrels (and deer too, reportedly) find repellent. There is a book on the subject, Outwitting Squirrels, by Bill Adler, Jr. (1988 Chicago Review Press, Chicago, IL). It's aimed at owners of bird feeders, but you may find some helpful hints.

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Date 2007-09-26
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