How To Kill Moles With Castor Beans
Things Needed
- Package of commercial earthworm insect food nuggets
- Container of earthworm bait
- Raw, whole castor beans
- Blender or food processor
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Face mask
Tip
Castor beans are definitely hard to find. It is best to visit a specialty nursery or do an Internet search to find them. Earthworm nuggets are used as food for certain small pets and can be found at certain pet stores. Admittedly, castor beans are not the most effective way to control or kill moles. Moles may not eat the castor beans and the procedure will usually need to be repeated to have any real effect. Castor bean-based repellents are available for moles. These are named Scoot-Mole and Mole-Med.
Warning
CASTOR BEANS ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC! Take every precaution to protect yourself and others when using them. Do not perform this in your kitchen. If possible, do not use your home blender or food processor. Use an older one that is not regularly used. In either case, wash it thoroughly after and then wash it again. Make sure that your hands, eyes, nose and mouth are well-protected at all times when handling castor beans. Keep all children and pets out of reach of castor beans.
Moles can be a very troublesome pest to a home garden or lawn. They feed on the grubworms and earthworms that reside in your backyard. There are many techniques and strategies that have been invented and suggested as good remedies for mole problems. They ranged from the practical (Sevin dust) to the whimsical (chewed bubble gum). But one mole removal technique is particularly interesting ... and dangerous. It involves using castor beans–the source of the toxin ricin.
Creating the Castor Bean Nuggets
Step 1
Put on your gloves, goggles and face mask.
Step 2
Insert one castor bean into each of the commercially produced earthworm nuggets.
Step 3
Create your own earthworm morsels if you cannot find any commercially produced. Place the earthworms into the blender or food processor and process on low until the worms are finely chopped. Shape a teaspoon-sized ball of the worms into a ball and insert a castor bean. Place the nuggets in a refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
Using the Castor Bean Bait
Step 1
Locate as many of the molehills in your yard or garden as you can find.
Step 2
Place the earthworm-castor bean balls directly into the molehill openings, at least two or more in each hole.
Step 3
After two weeks, observe any decrease in the numbers of moles, if any, that you see or the amount of damage to the garden or lawn to see it has lessened.
Step 4
Repeat the application of the castor beans if desired.