Mole netting is an effective way to deal with an uninvited guest

The inhabitants of the “dungeon” loosen the soil and thereby contribute to its aeration. They also eat invertebrate garden pests. However, moles often damage the roots of vegetables, flowers and fruit trees. How to get rid of moles on the site?

As children, many of us were touched by the cheerful animal from the popular Czech cartoon directed by Zdenek Miler. But then we grew up, bought a summer cottage, and with it the “local residents” - moles. That's when the cute mole turned from a friendly animal into an annoying pest that destroys the lawn and spoils the beds.

Preventive measures

Humane methods of European practice, which prohibits the killing of these animals, offer painless methods for effectively getting rid of moles.

Green helpers

Some plants have a powerful repellent odor. With the arrival of spring, they need to be planted in the problem area. After a month of exterminating harmful insects, the production of an expelling aroma will begin. When planting, use dill, basil, celery, hyssop, marigolds, and legumes that are not tolerated by the blind.

Repellent devices

Let's look at methods that recommend how to get rid of moles on your property yourself. Monotonous sounds drive away unwanted guests, so you can use reed tubes. Two-meter reed trunks are cleaned and buried, leaving 50 cm above the surface. The wind, “playing” in such devices, will negatively affect individuals.

Purchased and homemade propellers work great. The plastic container is equipped with cut out “blades”. They are bent by placing the neck on any pin stuck 0.5 m into the soil in the area of ​​the holes made. The sound from rattles rotating in the wind disturbs mammals, being transmitted to the stick and increasing the resonance. Cans suspended on a pole also work.

An easy way to get rid of moles is to install a buried metal pipe with a sound element from a battery-powered alarm clock. This will ensure constant noise, even in calm weather. The structure is covered with a plastic bottle to prevent precipitation from penetrating.

An electronic store repeller is a microwave generator whose frequencies cause panic among pests, forcing them to leave their habitable properties. An elementary cheap option is to bury empty bottles at an angle of about 35 degrees; when there are gusts of wind, they make a sound that is painful for the animals.

Exposure to water

Before planting vegetables, you can use a water flood. Using a hose, the passages of the underground inhabitants are filled until the water remains on top. This will either scare them away from their usual place of residence or destroy them.

Undermining pests

Moles are indeed considered by all gardeners and farmers to be extremely undesirable guests on the site.

Description of the mole.

These animals tend to make destructive digs for many plants (or rather, for their root systems), touching root crops and the underground part of plants, thus damaging the crop and garden farming as a whole.

And this despite the fact that moles themselves could be considered useful animals, since they are insectivorous mammals that destroy many pests and their larvae in a day. Unfortunately, including causing considerable damage to gardening with its underground lifestyle.

These reasons force farmers and gardeners to include the mole in the list of their enemies and to use various methods of combating careless underground diggers. There are actually a lot of such methods, and they all differ in both the total cost, the principle of operation and the level of efficiency.

How to install a mesh in a mole-proof area?

The main task of the protective structure is to prevent animals from entering the area and stop their “activity” if they already live on your lawn.

There are several types of mesh laying:

Digging in the structure along the entire perimeter of the site is protection from outside shrews.

This option is suitable for owners of small plots (up to 30 acres). If the property is already fenced with a full-fledged fence (with a solid strip foundation to a depth of 60-90 cm), and a road adjoins one of the sides, the task becomes easier.

You will have to dig in the mesh only from the unprotected side to a depth of approximately 80 cm vertically, bringing the edges of the mesh to the surface by 20-30 cm

Important: if moles already live on the site, before digging a net around the perimeter, you will have to catch all the moles and take them outside the site. Otherwise, they will continue to ruin your lawns and gardens.

Laying the mesh horizontally - to do this, raise the soil by about 10-15 cm,

install the structure and cover it with earth again. A mole, bumping into a net, cannot throw the soil to the surface, turns to the side and can only get out where the “barrier” ends - your lawn is protected. It is worth remembering that when laying the structure, you should carefully connect the sheets of covering, otherwise moles may break through the mesh at the joints

Important: this installation method is suitable for lawns, but if you intend to plant trees, shrubs, or cultivate the soil every year, it is better to dig the mesh vertically

The disadvantage of this method is that moles can make feeding passages above the mesh when you dig it too deep. For example, the mesh is laid to a depth of 15 cm, and the size of the mole is only 5 cm, the animal will calmly make a tunnel over the protective structure.

"Island" installation method

the mesh is dug in horizontally only in a flowerbed, or a small area where it is necessary to protect against shrews. This option is acceptable, but it also has disadvantages. You will have to bring the mesh to the surface 20-30 cm in height, but this is inconvenient and not aesthetically pleasing, for example, in the middle of a garden or yard.

Anti-mole lawn mesh - installation instructions

The correct approach to prevent the appearance of moles on a landscaped area is to lay the mesh at the stage of building a house and beautifying the surrounding area.

Vertical installation:

• A trench is dug along the entire length of the site from all sides unprotected by a fence or road. Width – 20-30 cm, digging depth up to 80 cm. It is difficult to make such a hole manually; it is better to hire special equipment (trencher).
• A mesh is lined vertically at the bottom of the pit, taking into account that the upper edge should protrude approximately 20-30 cm above the surface.
• The rolls must be joined with an overlap (up to 10 cm), and the junction of the sheets must be secured with staples.
• Fill the trench with earth and compact it well.
• Paint the protruding “fences” white so as not to bump into them.

Horizontal installation:

• Remove a layer of soil 5-10 cm from the lawn.
• You can build an additional substrate under the mesh of sand and gravel (to protect against deformation).
• Lay the mesh (overlapping 10 cm at the joints) and fasten with staples.
• Cover with soil and compact.

If you don’t want to remove the top layer of soil, you can simply lay the structure on the surface before the grass appears and compact it well.

Video instructions for laying Italian anti-mole mesh Tenax on the lawn

The cost of laying the mesh

The price for the material itself was given above. Let us give approximate prices for the installation of such a grid on a summer cottage. In the calculations we will use the Italian Syntoflex mesh and an area measuring 25 by 40 meters (10 acres). The estimate in this case will look something like this:

• Roll of Syntoflex mesh - 14,000 rubles;
• The cost of digging a trench with a soil cutter (about 5 hours) is 10 - 14,000 rubles
• The cost of cutting the mesh, installing and filling the trench is from 8 to 10,000 rubles.

As a result, the entire process will cost from 32 to 38,000 rubles.

Operating principle

The anti-mole net is installed in a horizontal or vertical position. In the first case, it serves as a barrier to prevent moles from entering the area. It digs to a certain depth and does not allow the mole to make a passage. Since underground diggers dig tunnels at a level of 10-100 cm from the surface, it is advisable to bury the protective mesh at 150-200 cm.

The second installation option involves placing a grid over the entire plot of land at a certain depth. When digging tunnels and burrows, moles throw soil to the surface and form molehills. Not having received such an opportunity, the animal moves to the territory where this can be done.

The principle of operation is extremely simple, but there are some nuances. Mole netting under the lawn does not always give the desired results. Despite the ease of use, there are certain rules that must be followed.

What to do with a mole after being caught?

Immediately after catching the mole, you need to remove it from the trap - before doing this, it is advisable to wear thick construction gloves, since the animal has sharp teeth and can bite painfully.

A caught mole can be placed in any high container (for example, a bucket) and taken out of the area at a distance of at least 1 km from your dacha. It is this distance that guarantees that this individual will never return to your site (in the worst case, after several seasons, the descendants of this mole may wander into your area).

It is preferable to release the animal either in a field with loose soil, where it can quickly burrow into the ground, or in a bush, where it is least noticeable to predators (mainly birds of prey). At this point, the task of catching the mole can be considered solved: the garden is rid of the pest, the animal itself is not destroyed, not maimed, and released into the wild, where it has a high chance of survival.

After catching all the moles, pit traps must be dug out of the ground so that various beneficial insects (as well as shrews, which bring a lot of benefits to the garden, although many fight with these animals out of ignorance) do not get caught in them and die.

Net for protection against moles in a greenhouse

If moles rule the area, a number of measures must be taken before installing a greenhouse. First, the top fertile layer of soil is removed, about 20 cm. A net is laid on the bottom layer of soil, or better, according to the advice of summer residents, 2: both metal and polymer to protect not only from moles, but also from earth rats. The area of ​​indoor vegetable gardens is small, the costs will not be very high. The mesh is secured in the ground with pins and covered with fertile soil on top. Now you can install a greenhouse or greenhouse. Protection from underground pests is provided for many years.

Do not forget about such a thunderstorm of moles as cats. Pets can sit in ambush for several hours, waiting for prey. Such a hunter can catch several moles during the night.

Do-it-yourself mole traps

There are many types of mole traps that you can make with your own hands from scrap materials. They are made using:

• metal or plastic pipe
• plastic bottles

Mole trap No. 1

It is a plastic pipe with a diameter of 9 to 12 mm; these are the passages the mole digs. There are doors at both ends that only open inward.

The device is installed in the wormholes. The animal, crawling through the tunnel, pushes the door, gets inside and cannot get out. Several animals can fall into such a trap from different sides. There are descriptions of gardeners catching 3-4 moles at once in this way. You can make such a trap yourself.

For this you need:

• a piece of plastic or iron pipe;
• a small piece of sheet metal to make doors;
• wire;
• drill.

Drill 2 holes on both sides of the pipe. Cut out the doors, making allowances for bends to attach to the wire. Insert one end of the wire into the hole, hang the door, secure it, insert the wire into the other hole, securing the ends from the outside. Check if it opens well inwards. Attach a small stopper to the bottom or side to prevent the doors from opening outward.

Additional Information! A mole cannot fast for more than 6 hours. If a shrew gets caught in the trap along with a mole, it will most likely be eaten.

Trap #2

Anyone can make a mole trap from a plastic bottle. To make this device you will need 3 plastic bottles of the same diameter and capacity. The bottom and neck of one are cut off to make a long cylinder, the other two are cut in half. For work you will need halves with tops. The necks must be cut so that they move apart, like the petals of a flower. Insert both bottles with their necks inward into the plastic cylinder prepared in advance. Anyone can make such a mole trap in 10 minutes. It is installed in underground mole tunnels.

The animal, crawling inside, bends the petals, but can no longer get out. To lure a mole, you can put several earthworms inside the structure, but you need to remember that if the goal is not to kill the animal, but only to get rid of it, you should check the traps every 6 hours. To do this, they are not covered with earth on top, but covered tightly with cloth, boxes, boards, so that sunlight does not penetrate. The mole sees poorly, but he can distinguish bright light. Without food, the animal will quickly die; you need to take it 1 km from the site and release it.

Mole Repeller

Prevention

The easiest way is to take preventive measures to prevent moles from wandering into your area. When there was not such a variety of pest control products, gardeners used their own methods of prevention.

For example, they fenced off areas by digging slate or metal sheets, concrete blocks, etc. around the area. In addition to the fence, you can dig a ditch and fill it with gravel.

Net

A special mesh is now on sale. It must be buried vertically to a depth of 80 cm to 1 m.

Moles prefer to live underground. They come up very rarely. When the gnawing stumbles upon the net and cannot get through the barrier, it will turn around and begin to dig a passage in the opposite direction.

A mesh with small cells is required. Galvanized or plastic will do. The plastic must be durable. When you dig in the barrier, make sure that there are no gaps. Otherwise, the rodent will be able to get through.

There is also a mesh for lawns. It's metal. The protection must be laid horizontally. Literally retreat 10 cm from the surface of the earth. Unfortunately, where beds or flower beds are laid out, it cannot be used.

Solomon's Trap

This kind of trap is very effective. The animal will remain alive, and you will move it to a clearing or forest - away from the gardens. This method is humane.

The trap is made in the form of a cylinder. It has the diameter of an average mole tunnel. Its length is 50 cm. The animal can climb in from both ends, but there is no way out of it. Your task is to find the mole's passage, put traps there and wait for prey. There is no one to expect help for the animal in such a situation. Got caught? Release away from gardens.

Choosing the right material

There are polymer (plastic) and metal mesh coatings on the market. You need to choose a material with a small cell size, through which the mole cannot crawl, but at the same time, the holes should not be too small to allow the roots of the planted crops to pass through.

Metal meshes are durable, but they quickly oxidize in the ground, becoming unusable. As a result, sooner or later the mole will dig through it.

Polymer varieties are more practical - they are not afraid of dampness, so their service life is unlimited. Two types of polymer are used:

1. Polyethylene. It is environmentally friendly, does not decompose in the ground, but has low strength. A mole will not be able to tear it, but field mice or rats will easily gnaw through it.
2. Polypropylene. The technical characteristics are the same, but the strength is noticeably higher.

Plastic lawn mesh against moles
Experienced gardeners who have tried different coating options recommend choosing products made of thick polypropylene with cell sizes of 1.5–2.5 cm (dimensions of animals: up to 13 cm in length and 5–8 cm in width). Such material does not rot and is not torn by moles. By covering all the “high” beds in greenhouses with similar nets (horizontally), it is possible to completely get rid of annoying underground guests.

When choosing a mesh in a store, try to tear the material from the edge with your hands, using all your strength. If the product breaks without problems, the animal can handle it too. Often it is cheap materials that are stronger. Author's advice

Catching moles with a shovel

This method of catching moles is as simple in principle as it is complex in implementation: a gardener with a bayonet shovel waits near the mole’s passages when the animal passes through one of the galleries close to the surface of the earth. At this moment, the ground above him rises slightly, and the movement of the animal is clearly visible. The catcher’s task is to stick the bayonet of the shovel behind the mole and quickly throw the soil with the animal itself to the surface of the earth.

The main difficulties of this method:

1. Usually you have to spend a lot of time before you can notice the movement of the mole along its course. As a rule, moles inspect tunnels once every few hours, but they may not visit individual branches for days at a time. So there is no guarantee that a person on duty in a certain part of the garden will wait for the animal to appear;
2. In addition, the mole needs to be dug up very quickly - the animal moves underground quite quickly, and can avoid the fate of being caught if the gardener is slow.

Nevertheless, the experience of a considerable number of gardeners shows that this method is generally quite effective and widespread: many people catch moles with a shovel.

Using a mole trap

• Rat traps. Sometimes people use ordinary rat traps and even mousetraps to catch moles. These rat traps are installed in the underground passages of moles in pre-excavated pits for traps. The holes are covered with either plywood or thick cardboard and covered with earth. If you are worried that you may not remember exactly where you dug the traps, immediately mark these places with some kind of identification mark.
• A plunger trap that has a squeezing mechanism. The trap has a cylindrical shape and due to this it is convenient to place it in a mole hole. A place for a mole trap is dug near the molehill, and it is placed there. While passing through the hole, the mole will touch with its head the upper part of the guard, which is a fairly sensitive element of the trap. The plunger will drop sharply down and crush the animal. This trap can be used many times, it is simple and easy to use, and, most importantly, it is effective!

Scissor trap (plunger trap). When a mole falls into this trap, the staples are triggered, squeezing it and breaking its bones.

Harpoon trap. The principle of its operation is that it pierces the mole with its sharp knitting needles.

How to drive a mole out of the garden using folk remedies?

It is possible to build or prepare an effective remedy for moles in the garden, and this can be done in several ways. Some summer residents appreciated the method of expelling an uninvited guest by influencing his delicate sense of smell. Others managed to solve the problem with vibration and noise effects. The latter are made from improvised means or purchased ready-made:

1. A jar with a cheap Chinese watch is buried in the ground at the level of the mole tunnels. Alarms are set for different times; it is advisable to bury more cans to make the animal as uncomfortable as possible.
2. You can bury an ordinary glass bottle, leaving its neck above ground level. The tilt angle is 45°, then there will be a hum when the wind blows inward.
3. Plastic will become an assistant for a summer resident in how to deal with moles in the garden. They are buried or buried, covered with lids. As temperatures change between day and night, the air contracts and expands, creating a characteristic crackling sound.

It’s even easier to use the animal’s delicate sense of smell, because the list of odorous agents can be expanded indefinitely with the development of the chemical industry:

1. The classic recipe for fighting a mole is burying rotten fish. After the characteristic amber appears, the fish is buried in pieces or whole in the feeding surface tunnels.
2. Technical fluids, calcium carbide, even acetic acid are poured into the ground. The scents will scare away any animal, but it would be a stretch to call such methods humane. Killing an uninvited animal, and even harming the soil, is a desperate option to solve the problem.
3. Another popular and dubious way to fight is to smoke out the mole with car exhaust. Some even use smoke bombs. If you are going to literally smoke a mole, then resort to ready-made balls with the scent of lavender.

Ammonia for moles - use in the garden

The smell of ammonia will repel any living creature. As expected, ammonia was on the list of tips on how to get rid of moles in the garden. The characteristic mounds from the tunnels are advised to move and find the entrance to the hole. Place cotton wool in it, generously moistened with ammonia, and dig in. Moles have an extremely negative attitude towards this smell and leave the area. You can make a hole in the cork and bury the bottle at an angle directly into the tunnel.

Birch tar in the garden against moles

The list of how to drive a mole out of the garden using odors will be complemented by the method with birch tar. Animals do not like this characteristic aroma, but it does not harm the environment at all. We stock up on pegs and cover them generously with tar. Next, we stick pegs around the perimeter or in the area where the mole is spotted, in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of three to four meters. The smell will repel the animal for about three months, after which you will have to re-treat the pegs with tar.

Repelling moles with sounds: ultrasonic repellers, noisemakers and firecrackers

One of the most effective ways to scare moles away from an area is to influence them with certain sound sources.

There can be many options here:

1. So-called ultrasonic mole repellers. In fact, most of these devices are called ultrasonic by mistake, for the sole reason that they periodically squeak and rumble. However, in most models of electric mole repellers, the emitted frequency is by no means ultrasonic (above 20,000 Hz), but much lower, at the level of 300-1000 Hz. When choosing such devices, preference should be given to models that emit both sound and simultaneously vibrate due to a motor with an eccentric, and operate on the “random” principle - when the electrical circuit randomly changes the frequency and duration of sound and vibration exposure (to reduce the effect of habituation of animals to extraneous noise). An example is the mole repeller Ecosniper LS-997MR (aka MOLECHASER LS-997MR);
2. Pinwheels made from plastic bottles or cans and mounted on metal rods or pipes 1-2 meters high stuck in the ground. Rotating under the influence of the wind, they constantly rumble, which scares off moles (though not always). These anti-mole noisemakers are easy to make with your own hands;
3. Glass bottles buried about 2/3 in the ground at an angle of 45 degrees. The wind blowing into their necks creates a hum, and many gardeners believe that it scares away moles. However, usually the desired effect is not achieved.

A tougher way to scare away moles with loud sounds is to explode firecrackers in their passages. A variation on this theme is shooting blank cartridges from a hunting rifle into molehills.

In conclusion, it is worth noting this point: in order to significantly increase your chances of success in the fight against moles, it is advisable to approach the issue comprehensively. For example, combine different types of repellents, and also supplement them, at least temporarily or periodically, with mole traps (for example, use a mole trap pipe). In addition, whenever possible, it is useful to protect the site with barrier-type means - lawn mesh against moles, perimeter mesh, or even slate dug into the ground.

And this will be much better than just burying a couple of rotten herrings in the ground, and then complaining that something doesn’t help...

If you have personal experience using any mole repellent (any), then be sure to share your results by leaving a review at the very bottom of this page.

Fighting moles with firecrackers and ammonia

• Ecosniper mole repellers and reviews of their use
• How to get rid of moles in a summer cottage using folk remedies
• How to reliably get rid of moles in a summer cottage or garden plot

Remedies for moles:

Reliable design, can be installed instantly, operates in the tunnel on both sides, and is safe for pets.

A simple, inexpensive and yet very effective mole trap.

Highly effective sound-vibration mole repeller, coverage area up to 750 sq. m.

Traps

Setting traps is the most effective and practical method of limiting the number of moles. In general, traps are most effective in the spring and fall, especially after rain. In summer or winter, moles are deep in the soil and it is difficult to determine their location. Of all the traps, the most effective are the following three types: harpoon, scissor-jaw, and choker loop. The trap should be installed in the active plane of the hole (i.e., where the mole is coming from) strictly according to the instructions.

Tunnel traps, similar to those shown in the photo below, are installed in pairs, in opposite directions (see photo_7), because it is unknown which direction the mole will come from. I usually use passages under the path tiles to set traps. To prevent the mole from moving the traps, I secure them with a stick stuck into the ground, threading it through the hole in the spring part of the trap.

The photo shows a regular spring mole trap that you can buy in a store.

sunnygarden.ru

Choosing a mole net

If you are determined to completely protect your area using both vertical and horizontal installations, choose your mesh carefully. The work will be labor-intensive and expensive - you will have to lift the soil, dig deep trenches, and hire special equipment. And if you save on the mesh, all your efforts will be reduced to zero.

For example, metal mesh should not be purchased for such purposes. Several years will pass and the “barrier” will become unusable - the structure rusts, becomes fragile and moles and even ordinary mice will easily break through or gnaw through it. It is worth choosing a mesh made from new durable materials such as polypropylene.

Plastic mesh against moles boasts durability, while it can withstand enormous loads. Severe frosts, rain, ultraviolet radiation, soil microorganisms - all these dangers will not affect the quality of the mesh in any way. It will not become fragile, and it will be very problematic to gnaw or damage it. Another important characteristic of the mesh is the lumen diameter.

Protect mesh from moles G8

Thanks to the small diameter of the cell (8x6), the design reliably protects the area not only from moles, but also other pests (mice and small rodents). In addition, the mesh has excellent reinforcing characteristics - it does not allow the soil to “slide” and can withstand loads of up to 20 tons per meter.

Durable material (polymer composition) does not corrode, is not afraid of moisture, and is not harmed by biological organisms that cause rotting of materials. By purchasing such a net, you can be sure that for 25 years you will not have to re-carry out land work to protect yourself from moles.

• The cost of a 2x30 m roll is about 9,500 rubles
• roll weight - 10 kg
• 100% protection against rotting processes

In the photo, the Protect anti-mole mesh G8 with a cell size of 8 by 6 mm

Buy now for RUB 9,281

Protect mesh against moles G9

Excellent durable polymer construction, which is suitable for protecting any area from moles. The optimal cell diameter (9x9) will not allow even young moles to dig their way to the surface of the lawn.

• The structure is easy to install, can withstand loads of up to 20 tons per 1 m,
• It is durable - it is not afraid of precipitation, corrosion, or rotting.
• This mesh is universal - it will not only protect against pests, but also perform a reinforcing function, keeping the lawn in perfect condition.
• Service life up to 25 years
• The cost of a roll of 2x30 m (10 kg) is about 7,000 rubles.

In the photo is the Protect anti-mole mesh G9 with a cell size of 9 by 9 mm

Buy now for RUB 6,717

Also on the market is the Italian manufacturer Tenax with Syntoflex mesh. According to consumer reviews, Italian mesh is more economical and somewhat stronger, despite the external “thin” structure.

• cell size - 12x14 mm,
• the price of a roll of 2 per 100 m is about 14,000 rubles

Reviews about the mole net:

Efficient Products

When choosing suitable products, you need to focus not only on price, but also on quality. It is worth paying attention to the following brands.

Protect G8

The Protect mole net has a small cell diameter – 8*6 mm, which ensures reliable protection. Additionally prevents soil displacement. Durable polymer material does not rot, does not deteriorate, and prevents teeth from biting. Manufacturers guarantee protection for 25 years. The price of a 2*30 m roll is 9,500 rubles. This manufacturer has other products that differ only in cell diameter.

Protected the lawn. They dug to a depth of 20 cm. They installed a grid lengthwise and crosswise. I haven’t seen Krotovin for 2 years. We spent once, now we live in peace. This is a great thing, I recommend everyone install it before planting crops.

The way to deal with moles is to fill the holes with water.

Every 4 hours I turned on the pump and poured water into the holes from a hose. This continued for 3 days. I would have continued further, but after 3 days the first result of my efforts appeared.

The neighbors' outdoor toilet surfaced.

That same evening we learned that there was a second result of my efforts - the lower ring of the well was covered with sand. The well had to be cleaned, after cleaning we learned the third result.

The water level in the well was restored not 4 hours after downloading, as was before, but after 40 minutes. It turned out that we “rocked” the well. This is a positive result.

What about moles? They continued to frolic in the beds and eat worms!

How to catch a live mole?

As a rule, getting rid of an annoying animal is not easy. He is so unpretentious that he easily puts up with the proximity of both humans and pets. He is not afraid of either poisoned baits or most of those primitive means that are used to scare him away. Loose soil full of earthworms (read what moles eat in the garden) is an ideal habitat where he will always strive to return. Therefore, catching a mole in the garden is the most reliable way to part with it forever.

Those who have ever wondered how to catch a mole probably know the simplest folk remedies:

• - pit traps;
• — mole trap-pipe;
• - fishing hooks;

The method that allows you to catch a mole in your summer cottage with the help of two shovels is more reminiscent of a gambling hunt, requiring not only skill, but also patience. To implement it, you must first track the movement of the animal through the tunnel - when it is even possible to notice it. Having determined the location of the object, two shovels are quickly stuck across the tunnel so as to block the passage on either side of the animal. After this, the hole is dug up, removing the troublemaker.

pit trap

It is made using an ordinary bucket or a large glass jar. It is installed in an already inhabited mole tunnel, or rather, under it. Naturally, this requires first excavating the tunnel and then covering it again.

Such traps are the cheapest and easiest to manufacture. In addition to moles, they allow you to catch small rodents, which often use ready-made tunnels for their purposes.

mole pit trap from a 3-liter jar

To catch a mole in a jar, it is placed under the tunnel so that the upper rim of the neck is at the same level as the lower edge of the mole passage. Moving along its corridors, the blind animal, of course, does not look at its feet. And an unexpected failure, most often, is fatal for him.

Having fallen into the substituted container, the mole will no longer be able to get out. All that remains is to regularly check the traps, removing the animals stuck in them. Unfortunately, shrews and other useful inhabitants of summer cottages often get caught in such devices, or earth is simply poured in.

Mole trap-pipe

Made from scraps of ordinary water pipes or plastic bottles. In the first case, doors are attached to a workpiece of suitable diameter on both sides, held on special hinges and opening only inward.

In the second, several bottles are inserted with their necks into one another. The necks are pre-cut to obtain peculiar petals that easily move apart when pressed in a certain direction.

homemade mole trap made from plastic bottles

The prepared trap is placed horizontally at the bottom of the tunnel. The mole, pressing its head on the door or petals, easily gets inside. But he can no longer get out from the other side - the passage from the inside does not open.

factory-made mole trap-pipe

In fact, this does not always happen. And all because the mole, moving along the path, moves a small lump of earth in front of itself. Usually it is this lump that falls into the trap first. Once stuck, it prevents the door from opening again, and the animal safely bypasses the obstacle from above or below.

Catch a mole on a hook

Some “craftsmen” try to catch a mole on a hook, like a fish. To do this, take a large fishing tee and tie it to a metal cable. The hook is lowered into the hole and they wait for the animal to run into it. This barbaric method is not only ineffective, but also causes the animal to suffer for a long time before death.

To understand what the process looks like visually, watch the following video.

A little about humanity

Live traps are often advertised as the most humane and environmentally friendly way to catch moles. But the caught animal can remain inside the live trap for no more than six hours. The metabolic features of his body are such that after this period he will no longer survive without food. This circumstance nullifies all claims about the humanity of such devices.

What should those who do not have the opportunity to check traps twice a day, coming to the dacha only on weekends, do? Wouldn't it be more humane to instantly kill an animal than to force it to starve to death?

Types of ready-made traps

There are quite a few ready-made mole traps, for example: scissor traps, tunnel traps, plunger traps, pipe mole traps (also called humane traps) or live traps, ultrasonic repellers. Let's look at each trap in detail.

Scissor trap

There are many options for such devices, which are most often found in gardening stores, etc.

The photo shows a simple example of a scissor trap

Advantages:

• Easy to install (just press the handles into the ground and cock the mechanism).
• You can observe the operation from a distance.
• It is easy to adjust the sensitivity of the device.
• Simple but reliable design.

Flaws:

• Although easy to use, the trap is difficult to install in a tunnel opening, especially at great depths. It must be located and hidden so that the moving parts are not obstructed in the form of stones, pieces of peat, or clods of earth. Due to the tight handles, it is difficult to completely hide the device without light entering the passage, ensuring reliable operation.
• If there are low temperatures in the ground, the handles freeze and the trap does not work.
• Heavy rain can wash away the soil, making the trap undetectable.
• Difficult to install in very shallow and very deep tunnels.

Tunnel trap

The most suitable design for a mole trap is one that includes a semi-tunnel. Such a trap is easy to hide; working parts for the most part do not jam from foreign objects.

Advantages:

• Easy to install in a mole passage. It is enough to pour a little earth on top to block the access of light.
• Quickly and effectively kills pests.
• It is easy to adjust the sensitivity of the mechanism.
• Working parts practically do not jam due to the ingress of stones, peat, etc.
• If you cover the trap with peat or a board, frost and rain will not affect its operation.
• It is used with equal success in deep and shallow tunnels.
• Can neutralize two moles at the same time.

Flaws:

• Complex installation, requires advance instructions. If used incorrectly, you can easily get hurt.
• The operation of the device cannot be seen from afar.
• Invisible above the ground, so if the pointer is lost, the trap will be difficult to find.

Plunger trap

If you prefer to use a scissor trap, then this effective device is worth a try.

Advantages:

• The trigger mechanism is triggered in a different way from the previous two types. The trap is activated not by the movement of the mole with its nose or paws, but by pushing through the earth to restore the previously dug tunnel. Thus, the trap is very useful in the presence of moles that bypass the traps.
• A very powerful trap that requires a little practice to use.
• No need to adjust before use.
• Relatively easy to install, but requires a little time, especially when working on rocky soil.

Flaws:

• If there are stones in the ground, it can become stuck, as is the case with a scissor trap.
• If you do not have the skills to install it correctly, the device may not work, and moles will freely pass through it.

Humane mole trap-tube and ultrasonic device

Quite ineffective devices. The first is a hollow tube with movable doors on both sides, the second also has the shape of a tube that is installed in the soil. According to reviews from gardeners, it is almost impossible to get rid of moles using such traps, because moles bypass some of them, while they get used to others or ignore them altogether. However, there are also cases where ultrasound turned out to be effective, as long as it did not become addictive, like any surface noise produced by a person.

Acoustic methods

Purchased ultrasonic repellers

Ultrasonic mole repellers are widely available, which are both highly effective and humane.

Ultrasonic mole repellers are widely available

The operating principle of these structures is based on the supply of a special signal, which is amplified under the influence of a motor. Modern electronic ultrasonic repellers are capable of operating within a radius of 40–45 meters. However, for maximum efficiency, there should be no voids or large-scale obstacles on the territory. To ensure the highest sound quality, it is necessary to place the device as close to the ground as possible.

Vibration devices

Vibrating devices for repelling moles operate primarily on solar energy batteries. Their design is an elongated aluminum rod topped with a peculiar cap. Immediately after being fixed in the ground, the device begins to generate high-frequency waves, which have a very painful effect on the mole’s auditory organs. The animal takes the vibration created as a danger signal, and is therefore forced to leave the area.

Electronic repellent devices

In their garden plots, owners often use electronic repellent devices. This frees people from having to dig up the ground in search of molehills, as well as from clogging the soil with chemicals. This method captivates summer residents with its simplicity and convenience.

Such electronic devices should be buried to the depth specified in the instructions and dead batteries should be replaced from time to time. When the device is turned on, it makes sounds that are unpleasant for moles or creates vibration.

A person does not feel such vibrations, but they cause great discomfort to a mole. Tireless diggers will be forced to leave their favorite area and seek their fortune elsewhere.

The following models are considered the best electronic repellers today:

1. Space. The device simultaneously produces unpleasant sounds and vibrations. Some models are available with solar power.
2. Tornado. Such repellers can be sold as vibration or sound-vibrating ones. One device is enough for a plot of 15 acres. Powered by 4 batteries. The price of the device can reach up to 2.5 thousand rubles.
3. Typhoon Anti-Crote. This ultrasonic repeller comes with a buzzer.
4. Yochomi. The device was developed in Japan and manufactured in Taiwan. The device is very reliable in operation and has been operating for several decades.
5. EcoSniper. A similar brand is produced in Russia; it effectively repels snakes and moles from the area.
6. Scat. Ultrasonic device. For a plot of 10 acres, one device of this type is sufficient.
7. Remling series of devices. The devices of this company are different. They can make a sound that is unpleasant to moles, create vibration or emit ultrasonic waves.

Important! When purchasing ultrasonic repellers, you need to take into account the area of ​​action and pay attention to what power source the device operates from. Sophisticated people recommend buying either a domestic device or a European-made product

If there is a need to operate such devices in winter, then you need to choose repellers that are quite effective in frosty weather and frozen soil layers.