How to remove moles from your garden
Comments(36)
I always feel a bit sad when I find a dead mole in the garden. With its soft velvet coat and long sensitive nose, the mole seems such a small loveable creature. The Min Pins catch them and then toss them aside for their human pet to collect. Clearly they are not as appetising as the guinea pig that they killed in the garden and carried into the house for an impromptu bacchanal on a pretty pale yellow button backed chair. But that’s another story.
Occasionally we get an active mole in the garden. They can be a real pest, especially if they are in the kitchen garden. Years ago, when I lived here with just one elderly Min Pin, I engaged the services of a mole catcher with good results. I was under the impression that trapping moles is a skilled countryman’s pursuit.
I am working locally at the moment in a lovely house set in a large garden bursting with wildlife, including an adventurous mole. My clients are busy people with schedules that do not include scratching around in the garden. So I was amazed when the lady of the house pulled on a smart pair of Wellingtons and announced:
“You probably won’t approve but I’m going out to kill the mole.”
Disapprove? Not wanting to get my hands dirty, I had hired an assassin in the past.
Moles do not spread disease like rats but they can wreck a lawn in a few days. Left undisturbed, the mole bongo drums must throb because coach loads soon arrive and you open your door to more hills than the Himalayas.
I watched her stalk across the lawn wearing a pair of marigolds and holding a mole trap.
When she returned she was instantly interrogated. Had she caught a mole in the past?
“Well, yes.”
I was impressed.
She sat down and explained. Moles have a finely tuned sense of smell. Basically the secret is to always wear gloves when handling a trap. Wipe a new trap and put it in the garden to get rid of all human smells. After a couple of days you can set it.
To do this you need to locate the underground run between a couple of molehills. This is easily done using a bamboo cane if the ground is soft. Then, using a slim trowel or ultra fat dibber, make a hole into the run and place the trap. The general idea is that the mole will tootle along the tunnel and into the trap. Within seconds the mole will be investigating that great mole hill in the sky.
The mole in question is clearly a relation of Einstein. She has not been caught. She spotted the trap and turned around sharpish. She is now tunnelling across the paddocks beyond the garden perimeter. The perfect outcome for those who love and those who loathe moles everywhere.
Tricks and tips:
- Mole claw traps are inexpensive. If you cannot buy them locally, scissor type mole traps
are available here. - I was advised in the past that old fashioned moth balls dropped into the runs deter moles. A reader has emailed me from New Jersey to say that it’s a bad idea to put mothballs in the soil as they kill beneficial microorganisms and earthworms.
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I have been bemoaning our resident groundhog for years since he’s always eating whatever I plant (and I’m a terrible gardener, so it’s never much to start with). The kids liked to watch him from the kitchen window. But he was hit by a car a few weeks ago (not mine, I swear). I felt really bad, but now at least my garden will have a fighting chance.
Moles look a lot more destructive.
Danny and I had heard about groundhogs. Well the famous one (Groundhog Day). This morning we discussed them:
F “Are they real? Did you see groundhogs cavorting when you were living in California?”
D “I don’t think I did…Why don’t you look them up.” Danny was enjoying his toast and homemade Seville orange marmalade and didn’t want to be proactive.
I fired up the laptop and checked Wikopedia. Groundhogs are real and big – in comparison to a mole. A sort of beaver/giant rat cross. Moles don’t do so much damage. They don’t eat vegetation. Groundhogs look as if they could eat my mother if we pegged her out on the lawn.
Moles are a pest when they forage beneath a lawn. The British tend to get worked up about their patch. We don’t, as our lawn is not flat. It is more like a seascape that has been cleverly turfed. I only worry about it when it’s full of large holes (Inca, the baby Min Pin hunting for wildlife – she is similar in size to a groundhog, just has longer legs. If we had them in the UK they would be definitely be hunted and you might be reading groundhog recipes rather than tis comment). Then it’s not the look of our lawn that worries me, it’s the possible litigation when an adventurous visitor stumbles during an expedition in the garden. We do provide crampons and full insurance cover from an Independent Financial Min Pin advisor (IFMP) but you never know.
Having read your interesting bit about catching moles – I thought you readers may like to know of a new website which helps those with a Mole problem in garden, smallholding or paddock find a TRADITIONAL Molecatcher in their area. Not always easy these days.
http://www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk
Kind regards
Webmaster for British Traditional Molecatchers Register.
do not use moth balls they are useless the moles will earth them up.sonic units are no good unless the sub soil is perfect to the specification of the unit!i have tried one, the moles crawl past it!the only way is to set traps. set them in the mole tunnel run,at the base of the run,and cover gently with the top layer of grass earthed up. then cover over with a flower pot with a brick on top to stop it blowing over, also this helps to darken the run with the trap in. check first thing in the morning lunch time and early evening. you will catch the little suckers be patient!.
Hi Bryan
That’s a great tip, putting the flower pot over the trap, to darken the run. I’ll try that next time. Thanks.
Hi Fiona,
Reading this reminded me of my Grandfather’s method for catching moles. He would take his gloves as well as his mole traps out and bury them in a hay stack for a few days to remove the human scent from them, and then set the traps.
If you are like me and are squimish about killing them, I recomend one of the mole repelents that you spray on your lawn. They usually have a castor oil base, and the point of them is that the castor oil is absorbed into the food source that they are after (grubs, worms, etc.) and it makes them taste bad to the mole.
Also following this logic, you may want to check you lawn for bug infestations. After all, they are just going where the food is.
Hi Michelle
Your grandfather’s method sounds perfect. Burying the gloves and the traps in the hay stack to remove the trace of human scent.
If we have a mole problem again, I’ll look at the option of repellents. Thank you.
Last year we had a few in the kitchen garden borders and the Min Pins caught them all within a few days.
The problem with repellents is that your mole retreats to your neighbor’s yard (and he will not love you for it). Then he has to use a repellent to send the little beggar back to your yard. Whereupon you have to do it again. And so on.
There is no substitute for a dead body. Anything else is just sharing the misery. And if you send the pest to my yard, shame on you!
Hi Al Kalar
Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated.
Help!!
My garden is over run with moles!
The landlord called in a ’specialist’, who has put several mole traps down, guess what? They are multiplying by the minute aaarrrrghh!!
Any advice..
Dont make me beg!!!!!
Kind Regards
Emma
Emma – Same happening to me and ’specialist’ has been on the job for a few days now and caught noting. Can see 5 traps from my window. Perhaps they aren’t multiplying just a very clever mole making more runs to avoid traps?
Hi Emma & Joan
I am The Mole Lady of Lancashire.
Have a look at my web site.
http://www.Lancashire-molecatcher.co.uk
I do not know who your landlord has called in to catch your moles so I cannot comment on their experience but I would expect any mole expert would expect to catch the majority of active moles within 24 to 48 hours.Depending on the area covered there is the occasional mole that may take a few more days to catch.
Its all to do with setting the trap correctly and in an active run.
I have been called out by homeowners that have tried traps from their local ironmongers but set them incorrectly in the tunnel.
I only specialise in catching moles and I am happy to answer any questions if I can on moles if anyone would like to email me.
Its the speed I catch them that amazes my clients.
If anyone reading this has mole problem, email me and I maybe able to give you a phone number of a traditional molecather in most areas over the UK.
I am accredited by the British Traditional molecatchers Register (BTMR)
how deep will a garden/paddock mole be under the surface?
Just got a mole problem this week. Love the correspondence. Just wondered though, if you’re a mole busy in your nice new, or lovely old hole, how do you bump into so as to court, woo and team up with, another mole?? To make it worse, at least half the other moles will be the wrong sex I guess. Any ideas folks?
Living on a small holding,with horses,moles are a dangerous and unsightly visitor.With great sadness at first did i use the devishly fiendish ‘mole depth bomb’.Basically a simple device where a small explosive on the end of wire connected to detonater,set of by movement underneath.Success everytime.
The best success I have had with getting rid of moles is using the bait and applicator from http://www.mole-be-gone.com
Hope this helps!
There are no ‘baits’ approved for use in britain today.
If you have moles, save yourself alot of time and trouble by employing a traditional mole catcher. As the lady molecatcher in an earlier comment has pointed out, it shouldn’t take long to resolve the problems, and is fairly cheap.
Anyone who needs help or advice is welcome to visit my site: http://www.uktrapper.com, or the Guild of British Molecatchers who work hard to promote mole welfare and high standards.
Whatever you do, do not employ anyone to use gas fumigant – it is expensive, and unlikely to resolve the problem.
Most of the work I do involves catching Moles by trap which I much prefer, however I am sometimes asked to gas.
The problem with gas is not a fault of the product but of the user. It is used frequently by pest controllers who don’t trap for whatever reason. Unfortunately the treatment is often done badly and produces poor results.
A recent client I trapped for had paid a pest controller twice for trapping and twice for gas, neither worked. Why? Simple, the Moles tunnel system ran across three gardens, and the gas was only administered in hers. If the tunnel system cannot be treated in its entirety, it won’t work. Clearly his trapping abilities were just as poor.
Gas is a very effective method if used correctly, much the same as with traps. The disadvantage with gas, is you cannot directly see the results.
With so few Traditional Molecatchers, some people simply don’t have the choice!
Thank you all Mole Catchers for dropping by.
I’ve employed mole catchers in the past and they have always done the business with traps. Generally they tended to put the dead moles into the runs and this did the trick in days – there were no more mole hills.
Now I have the Min Pins who are pretty good mole catchers. One or two mole hills in the morning means a day of digging and hunting. The bodies are always laid out on the path or me to see in the morning. And this is the hard part. Moles are attractive, velvety creatures. They might have been digging up the veg patch but when I see them I always feel sorry that they are dead. Rather likes squirrels – I enjoy seeing the bound through the trees ut hat to see them digging up my bulbs.
Luckily we don’t see moles alive. If we did you might be out of a job!
Moles in the garden are not harmful as such, but they can make a right mess of your garden by the tunnels and chamber systems they dig. They are attracted to gardens because of the earthworms and other insects that live beneath the soil but they are not harmful to plants and roots – the havoc they can wreak upon your garden is simply a by-product of the kind of lifestyle they lead.
There are several different methods of dealing with moles and ways in which you can deter them from using you garden in the first place.
I’ve been using solar powered mole repellers that I bought from http://www.ukgardendesigns.com
The seem to be working very well, my lawn is completely untouched!
Hi,
Could any one please tell me where I’m going wrong.
I’m a gardener and recently have been asked by a customer whether I would be able to get rid of some moles on her large front lawn.
Until now I have only caught 1 mole within her lawn: unfortunately there has got to be more than one as more mole hills are appearing.
I have placed up 10 traps at one time and every time the moles are up earthing soil exactly where all my traps have been placed. (this is happening on every trap ).I’m using the scissor traps.
I’ve left the traps under a hedge to get rid of smells,
I can find the tunnels with ease, (with a stick)
I place the scissor trap perfectly where the tunnel runs and cover with the fine soil from where I’ve dug,
I cover with buckets,
I never put my hands in the hole.
The moles still fill my holes with soil! Any advice would be greatly appreciated as these crafty little buggers are driving me mad! Thanks, Charlie
Hi Charlie
are you wearing rubber gloves that have been laid under the hedge for a few days? That might be the secret.
Years ago in my youth (17)when i worked on the farms, my saturday afternoon “overtime” was to set mole traps in the fields to catch the critters. I did this one such a regular basis that as soon as a mouldy set-foot on our land i had him! To make sure i had cleaned the run out completely i used to take a rake and rake-out the hills, if no more appeared i knew i had them. Apparently my reputation spread,(possibly by gossip at the farmers mart) and soon i had a sizeable round built up. If i got a field to clear that was really infested,(some looked like they’d been ploughed there were so many of them)i used to chain harrow it first, then i could see exactly where the mouldys were working. the longest it took me to clear a field was 9 days, this was because of one mole i named “bl**dy Bert” (for some reason!) he led me a real dance! and i was slightly sad when i finally outsmarted him.
Strange thing is, reading about the scent thing on here, i never used to wear gloves or bury the traps before hand, maybe my hands were so ingrained with muck back then that human was the last thing they smelt of!
Hi from France, yes we have the same problem hear,however this year seems to be worse than any of the last three years i’ve lived here.last monday i heard a loud bang and went outside to investigate, my neighbour who also has a problem with them was proudly walking up the garden with the corpse of a mole (Taupe in France)he had been patiently watching the swine pushing up his hill and shot it with a twelve bore. effective but not advised, you might get blood on your boots!thanks for all the other ideas and good hunting.
I operate a “no mole no fee” service, using no gas or poison, just traditional trapping, this is as humane as possible with a kill trap.
Natural England DO NOT reccommend live traps or mole relocation.
Sonis booms, Jeyes Fluid, whistling bottles etc, etc rarely work,if at all-trust me.
I have a new garden I am landscaping. The moles are living in a raised area; 5 feet above the lawn. I do not want to kill them, just protect my new lawn. As long as they will not damage the new trees I want to plant in the raised area, what is the best way to protect my lawn? How deep do they dig down? Appreciate some help please!
As a Traditional Molecatcher covering the south Wiltshire and West Hampshire areas, my experience is that methods such as solar powered buzzers, moth balls, gas etc are ineffective.
I use tunnel/cylinder type traps – never scissor traps. I usually get results within 48 hours.
I follow the 3P’s method;
Placement – ensure you place the trap in an active tunnel, the main run to and from the fortress – usually coming off hedgerows, fencelines, shrubbery.
Precision – the traps MUST be fitted precisely into the tunnel, a tight fit, no gaps, with each end of the tunnel cleared of debris. Seal the trap with mud / damp soil to cut out light and airflow, cover with loose soil to reduce external noise. The tunnel must retain its original structure, once the trap is in place – if anything is not right, the mole will soon know it, and fill the trap with soil!
Persistance – even the experts dont get him first time. You must be persistant, check the trap regularly, ensure it hasnt been filled, reset it, and keep your eyes peeled. Sometimes you will come across a mole who is very clever, very aware of what you are up to.
It all comes down to attention to detail in setting the trap. Mole knows his tunnels intimately – if something isnt right, he will know it.
Your trap MUST replicate the tunnel, and not give itself away.
Lee
http://www.wessexmolecontrol.co.uk
Hello Steve
Thanks for sharing your fascinating experience.
You clearly had a real feel for mole catching. Well done.
Hi Clark
Great story! I’ve found that the scissor traps work well.
Hello Tony Wood-Wright
I agree with you 100% traditional trapping is the kindest, quickest answer. Mole relocation would be unfair on moles and the people who own the land.
Hi Jane
Moles can do untold damage. You need to get rid of them before you plant anything. If you don’t want to kill them then you have to wait until they move off your property of their own accord. This may take some time. Meanwhile you are harbouring the problem and passing it on to someone else with knobs on as the moles breed.
Don’t waste your cash on sonic devices. Once they have got the most out of your land they will move on and then you can plant whatever you want. However, they will be back.
Our Min Pins hunt and kill moles that venture onto our land. Moles are intelligent they haven’t returned since the Min Pins declared war.
Hello Lee
Thank you so much for your contribution, much appreciated.
i am trying rhubarb to get rid of one very persistent mole..i am hoping that will drive him off to my neighbours garden..!rhubarb worked last year..so heres hoping…!!!
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If you are looking for a local Traditional Molecatcher look no further than “Country Moles”. Country Moles is a unique directory of Uk Molecatchers accredited by The Guild of British Molecatchers.
Listings on Country Moles are free to all members of the guild accredited to level 2 and above.
I suppose I’m being biased but calling in the professionals is not at all expensive. The times we have being to jobs where the customer has given it a go and has wasted money on products from their local diy store. The best advice is if you think you can do it yourself get a few quotes first from a local pest control firm, then price up how much it is do go the diy route, you may be surprised by the results. Happy hunting
Ipswich Pest Control
Hello Hugh
I’ll remember that next time we have an invasion. Although the Min Pins always seem to dispatch them fast.
Lots old wives tales on here.Just to make things a little more confusing I never wear gloves when catching moles. A top tip is people buy there trap from the local DIY store and do not tune them correctly. First of all buy a good half barrel trap and not the cheapest one then tune it so it goes off at the slightest touch.Alot of traps that people buy are not set right and once the mole hits the trap and it does not go off the mole will burrow down, avoiding the trap all together.This will look like he’s buried your trap but he’s just avoided it. hope this helps.
http://www.ipswichpestcontrol.co.uk
Two additional ideas have revolutionised my success rate (which was 0). Drop a handful of worms in with each trap. (thats why the tunnels are there).
Secondly having got your first mole place the trap in a different set of tunnels. The moles there will not appreciate the smell of an intruder and will hit the trap with a force that makes me wince.
Hi Toby
Thanks for yiour great tips!