Advantage Environmental
Advantage Environmental Pest and Hygiene Management
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Pest Information:
Moles
Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in fur, with small or covered eyes; the ears are generally not visible. They eat small invertebrate animals living underground. Moles can be found almost anywhere in North America, Europe and Asia, although there are no moles in Ireland. Male moles are called boars, females are called sows.
A mole's diet primarily consists of earthworms and other small invertebrates found in the soil. The mole may also occasionally catch small mice at the entrance to its burrow. Because their saliva contains a toxin that can paralyze earthworms, moles are able to store their still living prey for later consumption. They construct special underground "larders" for just this purpose; researchers have discovered such larders with over a thousand earthworms in them. Before eating earthworms, moles pull them between their squeezed paws to force the collected earth and dirt out of the worm's gut.
Moles are considered to be agricultural pests in some countries, while in others, such as Germany, they are a protected species but may be killed if a permit is received. Problems cited as caused by moles include: Contamination of silage with soil particles making it unpalatable to livestock and the spread of Clostridium and Lysteria.
Damage to pasture with fresh soil reducing its size and yield, damage to agricultural machinery by the exposure of stones, damage to young plants through disturbance of the soil, weed invasion of pasture through exposure of fresh tilled soil, and damage to drainage systems and watercourses. Other species such as weasels and voles may use mole tunnels to gain access to enclosed areas or plant roots. However, contrary to popular belief, moles do not eat plant roots.
Breeding takes place in the spring (Feb-June) with 1 litter per year and a litter size of 2-7 pups.
They are controlled most effectively with traps; some favour gas, Phostoxin or Talunex tablets. They contain Aluminum Phosphide; these are inserted in the mole tunnels and turn to Phosphene gas.
The view of the guild of British Molecatchers and this company is that this gives inconsistent results and trapping is the more environmentally friendly solution, you cannot gas within 3 metres of buildings, underground pipes or drains, and the gas is a dangerous poison to other non target soil living creatures.
There is far more skill involved with trapping which is why some pest control companies avoid mole control.
So called humane traps which capture the mole alive so that it may be transported elsewhere are to be found on sale. It cannot be viewed as humane to remove a mole from its familiar territory and possibly place it somewhere without a burrow system, without a food source, or perhaps in a territory already occupied by another mole. Moles need to feed at least every 4 hrs so they could starve to death before being found, if left in a trap for 24hrs or more. As solitary animals which only come together in the breeding season they will fight to the death should they be forced together, and the weaker mole will be the stressed one who has just been dumped in a starving week state. The live trap should be banned; indeed DEFRA’s own recommendation is that moles should be humanely dispatched from live catch traps.
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