European Mole (Talpa europaea)

The european mole is a fantastically well adapted mammal, contrary to popular belief the mole does not hibernate, he may have to tunnel a little deeper during cold periods primarily because his main food source (earth worms) tend to move deeper during cold weather (and during hot dry periods too).

Many people have never seen a mole and often assume (because of the number and size of the mole hills he produces) he is larger than he really is, in fact he averages between 4oz and 6oz and rarely exceeds 6" in length with dark grey hair, not black as is often supposed and is velvet-like in texture (this is because the fur does not lie flat to the body as in most animals). Colour variations do occur and occasionally a 'white' mole is caught.

Moles need to eat their own weight daily, relying mostly on earthworms, but will also eat slugs, beetles, spiders, centipedes, and leather-jackets, in fact they will even eat dead birds / mice if they stumble across them. The mole needs to consume around 50lbs of food per year!! He will not however, eat any of your plants.

The first signs of moles on a property are molehills, these are the excavations made by the mole during its tunneling activities

There will normally be a system of permanent tunnels about 30-60cm below the surface which are unlikely to be detected from above. It is the shallow, feeding runways which trouble gardeners.

 Moles are highly territorial and generally live alone in an extensive tunnel system. Molehills are created as the animals extend and repair their tunnels, which act as traps to catch their main prey, earthworms. One mole can produce a considerable number of hills, particularly where food is in short supply. Three or four young are born in the spring and these disperse, generally in very shallow tunnels in midsummer to try to establish their own territories

Mole numbers have increased dramtically since 2006 and there are now estimated to be well in excess of 30 million moles in the UK

As more and more agricultural land has been built on, the mole finds itself in and around gardens, we are in effect trespassing on the moles land.....

Moles as an agricultural pest

Contamination of silage

Arguably, the most important single problem associated with moles is the pollution of silage. In a 1970 survey conducted by the Pest Infestation Control Laboratory (MAFF), participating farmers listed the deleterious effects of moles on silage as a major concern. The problem occurs when soil from molehills is collected with grass cut for silage. Bacteria present in the soil, especially Clostridium spp., lead to the formation of butyric acid, which can adversely effect the fermentation and preservation of silage. This in turn can reduce the nutritional value of silage or, in some cases, render it unpalatable, thereby affecting both milk and beef production. Another common problem occurs when Listeria monocytogenes in the soil contaminates silage resulting in listeriosis in sheep and cattle. Up to 10% of animals in a flock/herd may be affected.

Covering of pasture 

In a survey of Welsh farmers in the late 1970’s, the reduction of grazing areas by molehills was regarded as the most serious and widespread of all types of mole damage. In subsequent field trials, it was observed that the loss of grazing area was up to 18%. It has been calculated that the amount of soil deposited on a meadow by moles to be 32 tons/ha (dry weight) with a volume of m3/ha, covering an area of almost 400 m2. Similarly, a study carried out in 1959 found that in parts of Czechoslovakia 8-10% of permanent grass fields were taken up by molehills each year, and that the loss in grass yield amounted to about 15% due to the effect of the molehills on the grass cover. In one example, 1 ha of pasture was covered with 7,380 molehills weighing 64,500 kg with a volume of 40 m3. A study in Poland in 1976 recorded 21,063 molehills on 1 ha of pasture, 11.2% of which was consequently unavailable for grazing. Clearly, this amount of surface soil will appreciably reduce the amount of feed available to livestock and thus represents a considerable loss of milk and meat to the farmer if no action is taken.

The Molemen of old are part of folklore, every area having its own well known moleman. However once poisoning become an option for mole control, any idiot could kill moles by dipping earth worms into Strychnine and dropping them into moles runs, the mole died a most painful and horrible death, in addition the potential for secondary poisoning was high, fortunately this form of 'control'was made illegal on 31st August 2006.

The use of poison gas is currently still permitted and can sometime appear to be a cheap option, however no mole body is ever produced and as the gas is only effective for a few hours and is weather dependant, this is not always as effective as it is often claimed to be. Additionally as gas is not supposed to be used near building it is often not suitable for use in gardens. As with poison there is also a risk of other species being killed.

Some companies are now offering to blow up mole runs (and Rabbit warrens), this involves pumping gas into the tunnels and then igniting it... The legality of this is rather questionable, as these devices are only to be used, after every creatures has been removed from the tunnels / warrens, this means the mole must be captured first, if this is the case why blow up the tunnel??? nobody can be 100% sure that no creatures are still within the tunnel system, so its only a matter of time before somebody is prosecuted. Besides the legality issue, the mole either has its ear drums burst by the explosion or else the oxygen it breathes is ignited causing the moles lungs to be filled with burning gas... do I need say more??

Windmills and other mole 'scarers' are sold on the basis that vibrations or noise will scare the mole into moving next door, but have you noticed how many moles live alongside major roads? a 44 ton truck produces both noise and vibrations but the mole does not seem bothered by it, is it really likely that a windmill is going to work?

Our Control methods...........

We do not use gas, instead prefering the traditional techniques of trapping, the traps are all humane and designed to kill the mole quickly. They are checked at least once every 24hrs.

Charges / Costs

We are pleased to offer a 'no mole, no fee' service or if prefered can work to an agreed hourly rate, if you would like to discuss your mole problem, without obligation, please contact us for further details.

Telephone: 01503 240769 / 07736 458 609

If you would prefer to contact us via email please click here

Http://www.cornwallmolecatcher.co.uk

http://www.devonmolecatcher.co.uk

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