June 4th, 2010 by Shaun Day

Moles account for the majority of the small mammal Talpidae family. They are around 6 inches to 12 inches long, dependant upon their age and, and are covered in a short, dark hair. Although the mole does have ears, they do not extrude from the body at all, and cannot generally be seen because of the fur. Moles are almost completely blind – they do have eyes, but the quality of vision is extremely poor. As a result of this moles will be able to tell whether it is night or day, but probably nothing else. They have wide, flat feet and their naked nose extends well past its mouth on the front of their face. Moles use tunnels to travel and also to find food, which is limited to small invertebrates such as Earthworms as it is an insectivore. They can be found in Europe, America and Asia, however due to speedy sea level rises after the last Ice Age they do not appear to have colonised Ireland. As a result of deforestation and increased urbanisation, more and more woodland habitats are being destroyed and replaced with urban areas. The creatures that once lived in the woodland remain local, but move into the recent urbanised developments such as city gardens. Moles are not tied to one location, so will happily move to find food or comfort elsewhere. Due to this lack of ‘home territory’, moles often move between many gardens and areas, sometimes giving residents the assumption that they have left, or have been sent away by age old ‘remedies’, such as glass and razors, which do not deter them. Further to this, moleicides also have unsubstantial evidence backing them, meaning they are not a good investment. You can identify a mole in your garden by finding molehills, which are the only real method of identifying their presence. Mole hills are caused by moles either digging new burrows, or repairing tunnels and burrows because of damage. The soil removed is aerated and tilled, so in some cases this has a positive externality to, for example, gardeners who want good quality soil for potting. Molehills are not necessarily found directly above the burrow, but will not be too far away – perhaps at the end of a small side-tunnel. It should also be noted that moles share tunnels, so even when you are sure one mole has gone, the problems may still remain. Bearing all of this information in mind, it’s clear that the only option is to trap the moles in a purpose built mole trap, which are available at all specialist DIY and garden stores. Mole traps are very efficient, target only moles, and have a very high success rate. Placement can be arranged by locating a mole hill, then locating the tunnel beneath it. Clearly some models may differ, and instructions will be included with the device, but the general principle of all mole traps is that a trigger is placed partially blocking the tunnel. As the mole passes beneath the trigger, it will push upwards in the tunnel, sending spears into the tunnel, killing the mole. Not all traps come with small spears, but all work on the trigger principle. There are also various other products available on the market, each with various levels of success. By searching some more blogs, you will see that the general consensus of eradicating moles is to trap them.