Moles
The mole (Talpa europaea) is a common British mammal and although
rarely seen, due to its subterranean existence, its presence is well
marked by the appearance of ‘molehills’ above ground,
produced as a result of its underground tunnelling activity.
Molehills
and tunnels can be a real nuisance in gardens, golf courses, race-courses
and other amenity areas.
Moles are territorial creatures, living alone in an extensive network
of tunnels covering anything up to 4 acres, in soils suitable for
tunnelling. Almost blind but with a good sense of smell, moles feed
predominantly on earthworms which they unearth during their tunnel
digging activities. Several young are born every spring but within
five to six weeks they move out, over-ground, to establish their
own territories. If you have a mole in the garden it is probably
only one mole.
Controlling moles
There are predominantly three main methods of controlling moles and
each method has its advantages and disadvantages. I have listed
them briefly below, followed by more detailed explanations.
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Strychnine - Not allowed in gardens, a license has to obtained by
us from DEFRA for each area treated. THEY WILL NOT ISSUE LICENCES
FOR GARDENS OR SIMILAR TYPES OF ENVIROMENTS. Strychnine is being
withdrawn September 2006 but may be re introduced at a later date.
Gassing
Success rate of about 80%, no digging but not residual.
If it is successful in killing the resident mole (it usually is)
then the area may be re infested at a later date.
Trapping
Very labour intensive, traps may have to be moved several
times before the mole is caught but the traps last a long time (You
get to keep the traps with our ‘trap treatment’ price.)
Strychnine is subject to the Poisons Rules 1982 and the Poisons
Act 1972. Only those who have been trained on how to use the product
and who hold a licence certificate can apply for a permit to purchase
strychnine and use it for mole control. All technicians at Berkshire & Basingstoke
Pest Control have been trained by ADAS in Mole control. Use is strictly
controlled and only permitted on agricultural and horticultural land
and other extensive grassland areas where specific authorisation
has been granted. Only the right amount of strychnine to do the job
in hand can be purchased so there are no stocks out there that are
not for immediate usage. So even if it is decided to use Strychnine
it can take 2-3 weeks to obtain a licence. It is the most cost effective
method og control in large areas.
Gassing
As an alternative chemical control method, aluminium phosphide
is all that is currently available on the market. Luxan Talunex (aluminium
phosphide) comes formulated as a pellet, which reacts with moisture
in the soil and gives off phosphine gas. Talunex is very expensive
compared to Strychnine and not quite as effective.
Trapping
Although trapping is regarded by some as old-fashioned
it is also regarded as being the ‘cheapest’ form of control
or is it? Although the traps themselves are relatively cheap, using
them is labour intensive, more costly site visits are required and
there are frequent loses either from people pulling them up or by
them getting dragged down by the mole or damaged by machinery.
There are a number of different types of traps that are used, we
use the ‘Tunnel’ type. It fits under the soil so it can’t
be seen as can most others. There is a humane trap available but
it rarley works. |
