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Moles: Public Enemy No 1......
Things that you maybe don't know about that perisher...
 Since
the last outbreak of Foot
and Mouth disease, when rural pest controllers
were unable to gain access to vast areas of countryside, there has been
a massive increase in recorded Mole numbers throughout
Great Britain. Combined with the exceptionally wet and mild winters
of late - this has contributed
to this population explosion. With abundant food supplies
and little in the way of control taking place, they have been free to
multiply to plague proportions. Moles have been reported appearing in
places that previously had never had a Mole problem - gardens, grass
verges, playing fields, bowling greens, all have been invaded. The once,
finely
manicured lawns, have been reduced to mound strewn eyesores - with a
never ending supply of fresh molehills.
 Love him or loathe him, Mr
Mole (Talpa europea) is a mysterious and
interesting creature to most - with very few, even countryfolk,
ever having seen one. The closest most get to seeing any evidence
of this fascinating member of the Talpidae family are the roadside
fields
and
verges that
are covered with mounds of earth - the result of hours of unseen toil
by this diligent little worker. The Mole has a long and colourful history
and has long been the the subject of myth and legends. A common superstition
was that to carry
the dried front feet of a Mole in one's pocket would ward off rheumatism.
This custom is still carried on today in England, in parts of East Anglia.
Mr Mole was also famously responsible for a Royal
catastrophe - causing the accidental death of William III, Prince of
Orange, when the King's
horse stumbled on a molehill in Hampton Court Park - William died of his
injuries 16 days later on March 8th 1702. It is not recorded whether
the King passed comment on Mr Mole - but the molehill is
portrayed in the King’s
statue in St. Jame’s
Square, London. As a result of this exploit - the Mole was held in high
esteem
by the
Jacobites and
a favourite toast of theirs was to, “The Little Gentleman in Black
Velvet”.
The average Mole weighs in at approx. 4oz. and is about 6 Inches long,
with dark grey hair, not black as is often supposed and is velvet-like
in texture. Other colours have been recorded, including white and black
and white - with apricot coloured specimens being occasionally found,
mostly in the Oxfordshire area. The Mole is not blind as is commonly
thought - but its eyesight is decidedly poor. Which is only
to be expected in a creature that spends most of its life in
subterranean darkness. It needs to eat its own weight daily, relying
mostly on earthworms, but will also eat slugs, beetles, spiders, centipedes,
and leather-jackets. It will eat carrion, usually a dead bird or mouse
which it comes across on an expedition above ground, but surprisingly,
it will not eat vegetable matter. Moles mate from March to May and 3
or 4 young are born, usually in June, but they are unable to fend for
themselves until they are five weeks old. The average life span is around
four years.
The molehill covered fields that we see, are the
result of endless hours of tunnelling as the Mole digs
more and more worm traps ( for this is all they are) and deposits the
excess soil on the surface.
In light soil, a Mole can dig around 100 Metres in a day. Moles usually
work for 4 hours and rest for 4 hours, being most active at dawn and
in the evenings. It’s the result of all this hard work that
brings the Mole into conflict with man - damaging lawns, golf courses,
cricket
pitches and in the case of agriculture, ruining valuable silage crops.
As a full time professional pest controller, it’s at this point,
I get called in to try and control the number of Moles that
are causing a problem. Note I use the word control,
as the object of the exercise is not to exterminate totally or
persecute to the point of complete eradication.
The sights that greet me when called to remove a Mole from a garden
never ceases to amaze me. Windmills and bottles stuck in the lawn -
the brown
stained grass where creosote or Jays Fluid has been poured down holes.
This combined with the unmistakable smell of Moth Balls, that have
been
thrust down into the ground to try and deter the Mole from further
excavations - makes me think that maybe a molehill was far less unsightly!
Catching Moles
Over all the 30 years that I have been catching Moles the
one thing I’m
reasonably certain of - is that these home made remedies handed down
from previous generations just don’t work! The reason they don’t
work is this; in the Mole's underground labyrinth, there exist many
varying depths of tunnels, some very shallow, almost on the surface -
whilst
others are quite deep, 12 to 18 inches down not being uncommon. The moment
the Mole detects a strange smell or sudden vibration,
he retreats at remarkable speed, to the safety of the deeper runs, blocking
the tunnel behind him
as he goes. He then proceeds to excavate further tunnels in his quest
to avoid the danger area, thus creating even more unsightly molehills.
The latest (alleged) sure fire method of Mole control - is a sonic
device that you stick in the ground. This is somehow
supposed to scare the living daylights
out of them. Save yourself the trouble and the cost - because, you've
guessed it - they don’t work!
 Apart from Aluminium Phosphide gassing compound (training
is required before use) the only other successful method of control
is to trap them using a variety of different traps and techniques. The most common Mole
Trap being
the scissor or tongs type - obtainable from most garden centres. Before
using - any new trap first has to be weathered to remove any
trace of scent or oil acquired during manufacture. The easiest way
to do this is to bury the traps in the ground or compost heap for a
few weeks, until they lose that brand new look and smell. You are now
ready to start.
Firstly
you need to locate the Mole
run in which to set your trap. This
you do by probing the ground between the molehills with
a metal rod or cane, until you feel the earth give - this is when a run
has been detected.
Carefully remove a square of turf, about the width of the mole trap to
expose the Mole run - removing any loose soil in the
process. Taking the Mole trap,
insert the trigger ring as near to the centre as possible and set it
as fine as you can - so that very little effort is required to trigger
it. Then carefully place the Mole trap in the run,
making sure no stone or root can prevent the trap closing instantly.
All that remains to do
is
break
the piece of turf in half and place one segment either side of the Mole
trap, to prevent any light from entering the tunnel and cover
with any remaining
loose soil. Always mark the location of the Mole trap, by pushing
a cane into the ground next to it - as you really don’t want to
run over your trap with a lawn mower.
And that’s about all there is to setting a Mole Trap. Obviously
the more traps you set, the more confident you will become. Don’t
expect to catch a Mole at every attempt - and be patient. Sometimes it
may be days before a trap is triggered, and even then, the jaws may have
missed it, just reset, and try again.
To learn the art of successful mole trapping why
not buy the dvd? It contains all the information needed to become skilled in
the traditional methods of mole control.
Buy the Book
If you'd like to purchase a copy of Steve Caple's book, Rural Pest Control, it is available by sending a cheque (made out to Countryman Pest Contol Ltd) for £17.50 + £1.70 postage and packing (UK only) total £19.20 to: Steve Caple, Countryman Pest Control Ltd, 25 Eldean Road, Duston, Northampton, NN5 6RF, England, UK. Alternatively, you can Buy Now via Paypal here.
Or if you have an enquiry and need to talk to Steve, Telephone & Fax: 44 + (0)1604 756411 or e-mail:
NB: If you are outside the UK and want to order Steve's book, please contact Steve directly by any of the methods listed above and he will discuss and agree payment methods and postal charges with you.
Buy The DVD - Trapping Techniques Part 1
The dvd
covers the
trapping of Moles, Squirrels, Rabbits and Mink. During the 1hr 15 minute
programme professional pest controller,
Steve Caple gives the viewer the benefit of
his 30+ years of experience in pest control.
The dvd is available by sending a cheque
for £25 including VAT, postage and
packing to:
, The Old Barn, Vicarage Farm,
Brington Road, Flore, NN7 4NQ, Northants, UK.
Or call 01327 340401 or e-mail: ian@breezeandfreeze.co.uk.
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