All you need to know
The European Mole (Talpa Europea) is the only mole in the British Isles. It is only found in England, Scotland and Wales. There are no Moles in Ireland. The mole is the only pest that has not been introduced by man. It is currently estimated that there are between 35 and 40 million moles in the British Isles. Moles live entirely underground and are able to function in complete darkness using their highly developed senses of hearing and smell. They do have covered eyes and can differentiate between light and dark. Moles are very good swimmers who not only can cross rivers but also survive if their tunnels become flooded. Moles are in the main solitary animals. They closely guard their territory and will on occasion fight to the death to protect it.
breedingMoles breed once a year normally in the early months and the females normally have a litter of 3 to 5 pups. The pups are fully matured after approximately 5 weeks when they are fully weaned and leave the nest to find their own territory. As a result this is the time of year that their activities become more noticeable. Mole pups do not normally breed in the first 12 months of their life. It was estimated some time ago that there are 15 to 20 million female moles in the UK. If each of these have 3 to 5 pups a year that could mean that at least 45 million moles are born each year, which means a lot of molehills!
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activityMoles feed on worms and grubs and are classed as Insectivores. They have to eat 60% (approximately) of their body weight daily to survive. Moles do not hibernate. They work 365 days a year on a 4 hourly cycle. The tunnels they dig are purely dug as worm traps. The worms drop into the tunnels and are then caught and eaten by the mole. If he does not eat them immediately he stores them in a worm larder for consumption later. Moles will tunnel until they find a food source. One mole can tunnel up to 20 yards a day in search of food. The molehills they produce are the result of them creating new tunnels.
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Moles can travel above ground especially during mating season when they are searching for a partner. This can be potentially hazardous for the mole as it is exposed to predators such as cats and birds of prey who it would not under normal circumstances have to contend with. Moles are cannibals. If a mole comes across a mole in a trap it is not unusual for them to eat the trapped mole. The mole population has grown substantially since the ban on the use of strychnine for mole control in 2006 and also the reduced use of insecticides on farms.
about molecatching
The first recorded mole catchers were the Romans who used upturned pots sunk into the earth which moles would fall into and not be able to escape from. There are gadgets on the market such as plastic mole windmills and vibrating probes which are claimed to scare moles away from gardens. However, look around and see how often molehills appear next to busy roads, the moles that create these are not scared off by vibrations so it is unlikely that a mole will be scared off by a vibrating probe.
There are also a number of old wives tales surrounding scaring moles away which include flooding their runs with water from a hosepipe, this doesn't work as moles can a) swim and b) have a complicated tunnel system made up of a number of levels which avoid them being flooded out. Another favourite is upturned bottles on canes, although how this is supposed to scare a mole away I do not know!
The only way to effectively attempt to control the mole population and therefore minimise the damage they cause is by employing a mole catcher who understands how the mole thinks and works.
When mole catching, I rely in the main on good quality barrel traps which are placed underground in the moles run. When triggered the mole is despatched humanely. As the mole is both a haemophilic and very susceptible to trauma his end is both quick and clean.
Contact me for more information and to find out how I can help with your mole problems.
There are also a number of old wives tales surrounding scaring moles away which include flooding their runs with water from a hosepipe, this doesn't work as moles can a) swim and b) have a complicated tunnel system made up of a number of levels which avoid them being flooded out. Another favourite is upturned bottles on canes, although how this is supposed to scare a mole away I do not know!
The only way to effectively attempt to control the mole population and therefore minimise the damage they cause is by employing a mole catcher who understands how the mole thinks and works.
When mole catching, I rely in the main on good quality barrel traps which are placed underground in the moles run. When triggered the mole is despatched humanely. As the mole is both a haemophilic and very susceptible to trauma his end is both quick and clean.
Contact me for more information and to find out how I can help with your mole problems.
Large garden in Salcombe with an escalating mole problem. Following an initial phone call to Gren, the South Hams Molecatcher, I received a speedy response and work started very soon after. Within two weeks the mole problem had gone. A knowledgeable, professional and discrete service. Thank you. KM Salcombe
SOUTH hams molecatcher
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