Mole – Talpa europaea

Moles are common to mainland Britain, particularly areas of permanent grassland such as private lawns and gardens, golf courses, parks and playing fields. They have a highly developed sense of touch and hearing even though they no external ear flaps. Their bodies are cylindrical, 12-16 cm long from nose to tail and they weigh 70-110g.

Each mole inhabits its own underground tunnel system covering an area 400-2000 square metres. It patrols these tunnels on a regular cycle searching out food such as earthworms and grubs for a period of 4 hours then resting for 3 hours. The mole is most active just after sunrise and again just before sunset.

The mole’s breeding season is from February to June each year and litters of young will leave the nest at 5 weeks old.

Worms are the mole’s major foodstuff and each mole must find around 200 worms a day to survive. They can produce as many as 1.5 hills a day, each hill containing roughly 5 litres of loose soil. Males and female moles live apart most the year, but in breeding season males dig over large areas in search of a mate. They can create 20 metres of fresh tunnels every day.

Why Control Moles ?

• The moles’ tunnelling activity uproots seedlings and young plants
• Valuable pasture land is lost as mole hills prevent grass from growing
• Lawns become disfigured allowing weeds to become established
• Molehills may interfere with harvesting and the stones brought to the surface can cause considerable damage to farm machinery
• Mole tunnels can collapse under the weight of horses, cattle and sheep, causing tendon/ligament damage to valuable livestock

Methods of Control

• The control of moles is through eradication
• This takes the form of either gassing or trapping
• Moles are very territorial. Any neighbouring moles may move into the cleared area which is why we often recommend a longer term monitoring and prevention plan

To find out more about how we can help you on a one-off job basis or with a longer term preventative Service Plan please call us on freephone 0800 0283 703. Alternatively just complete our online contact form for a free survey and detailed quotation on how we can eradicate your pest problem.

Professional Pest Solutions Since 1979

Cramond, Rectory Close, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 3EA