When caring for a garden, vegetable garden or personal plot, many are faced with such a pressing problem as being close to moles. Small earth craters are a sign by which one can understand that a very difficult underground inhabitant has settled in the garden or vegetable garden.
Description of the mole, habitat, nutrition and reproduction
A black, black-brown or dark gray fur-bearing animal with a rounded body, short hair, no ears, a tail three centimeters long, small barely noticeable eyes, an elongated nose, inverted, shovel-like front paws with sharp claws - this is there is a mole. The length of its body can reach 23 centimeters.
Loose, moist soil, saturated with worms and insect larvae, is a favorable environment for its habitat and reproduction. Moles are predators; they belong to the family of insectivorous mammals. They eat a large amount of food per day. The daily portion is equal to their body weight. The animal is constantly in the process of work, so it must replenish the energy spent.
The mole's "house" is a system of underground tunnels, similar to a labyrinth. Tunnels connect the so-called chambers in which it stores its nutritional reserves. Mice, frogs, mole crickets, lizards, ants, and small snakes can get caught in the traps that the mole creates underground. It comes across earthworms especially actively in winter; in cold times they penetrate deeper layers of the soil in search of warmth, ending up in its passages. The cunning animal just moves through its tunnels and collects food; thanks to its excellent sense of smell, it can eat well. 
If the mole has chosen specific area ground, this means that its burrow occupies several meters in width and depth. Moles live in whole families. Mice can live next to them. It is often possible to identify burrows of moles and shrews in one area.
This animal does not feed on plants or root crops, as many farmers mistakenly believe. Its lifespan is five years. A female mole gives birth to one litter per year.
The benefits and harms of moles
Moles, by digging underground labyrinths, loosen the soil, thus enriching it with oxygen, improving the organic process of decomposition of fertilizers. They also destroy harmful insects, but at the same time they also eat beneficial individuals.
The harm from moles lies in the fact that, by digging up the soil, they damage the root system of seedlings in the garden, root crops in the garden, flowers and shrubs in the garden. The mole settles on human-improved plots of land in late spring, closer to summer. Young shoots and seedlings die due to loosening the soil, not having time to take root and grow stronger.
If moles are found on your property, you need to fight them, since you may be left not only without a harvest, but also without the opportunity to plant landscaping in your backyard. By throwing away the soil of the hill, creating small waste heaps, moles destroy the structure of the lawn. By destroying all insects and worms in the soil, they contribute to the ecological poverty of the area within which they settle. 
Effective control of earth-moving pests
Summer residents ask the question of how to remove a mole only when it makes itself known with dug craters. There may be one or many of these. There are several effective ways to deal with these “cute” creatures.
Effective destruction of moles on the site can be reduced to both physical impact and toxic effects. When starting a fight aimed at expelling harmful animals, you should understand that it is impossible to quickly drive away a mole. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the animal conducts its life activities underground. It is almost impossible to guess which tunnel he is hiding in. Therefore, mole hunting requires the use of sophisticated control methods.
Not all lovers of land work support the idea of persecuting them; it is not necessary to kill them. Elementary methods of how to get rid of moles on a site are to catch and scare them away. 
Homemade traps
Catching animals involves using a homemade mole trap. A homemade mole trap is a reliable device, once caught in it the animal cannot escape. This humane method saves his life.
How to make a mole trap and how to use it? A do-it-yourself mole trap is made from a cut polymer pipe and two polymer blades. The purpose of its use is to catch the mole and release it into the wild away from the garden plot. At the ends of the pipe, curved lids are attached, reminiscent of sails, through which a rubber cord is pulled. It turns out to be a kind of flask with two versatile inputs. The animal can crawl into the trap, but there is no way back out of it.
Nimble moles on summer cottage A wire mole trap, which in its design resembles a large pin, helps to catch it. In order to lure the animal out of the ground, several mole traps are installed in the burrows, digging them out prematurely with a shovel. He checks his passages several times a day and always closes the resulting drafts. Rushing to “repair” its “home,” the animal falls into a trap.
Traps
Effective methods of controlling moles come down to the use of special traps. You can make them yourself or purchase them at a hardware store.
A skillfully made trap with your own hands is more effective than other means of fighting moles and devices.
A mole can also be caught in a simple jar by installing it in a similar way. It is necessary for the mole to fall into the jar while passing through its tunnel. will no longer be able to get out.
Repellers
Effective ways to combat harmful moles come down to making homemade rattles. It turns out that uninvited guests can be scared away by noise and vibration. Sustainable protection against moles can be provided by simple plastic bottles that are hung on metal pins stuck into the ground. You can also make windshields from plastic, which emit not only vibration, but also a whistle. The frightening noise encourages the pest to find a quieter place to live. 
Plastic mesh
If scarers, traps and traps do not frighten earth-moving animals, there is still a way to get rid of harmful moles. A mole net will help protect the area from them. This method may seem labor-intensive, but very, very effective. It is called greenhouse because it was first tested in greenhouses. In search of devices and methods on how to permanently get rid of harmful moles in a home greenhouse, summer residents have tried metal mesh, and a grid with large cells. But the desired result was achieved only with the help of a plastic mesh. The advantages of plastic are that it does not decompose or rust in the ground and can be used for several years. 
A high-quality plastic mole net with a small cross-section of cells is laid to a certain depth. Before laying, the top ball of soil is removed, after which it is returned to its place and used for growing vegetable seedlings or seedlings. Planted or sprouted shoots, in particular their root system, remain unharmed even when moles live under the net in the deeper layers of the soil.
This method proved that you don’t even have to drive away the animals. It eliminates the constant search for methods of how to catch moles. It is also appropriate to lay plastic mesh under the lawn.
Plastic bottles and boxes
Using mesh in a greenhouse is not as difficult as using it around the perimeter of the entire garden. In search of a simpler method, many farmers use a simplified method, such as fighting moles in their garden using plastic bottles and boxes.
The main task is to prevent the animal from damaging the root system of plants. To do this, holes are cut in the plastic container, the neck is cut off, after which it is dug into the ground and serves as a protective shell for seedlings or seeds planted in it. The use of plastic boxes is identical to plastic containers. After harvesting, the container is dug out of the ground and stored until next year.
Among the methods of how to deal with moles in the garden, this method, according to reviews of many summer residents, is the most acceptable after using a net. This measure is resorted to in cases where it is not possible to drive the mole out of the garden using other methods.
Poison
It’s clear how to catch a harmful mole in a garden and how to quickly get rid of all-destroying moles in a greenhouse during constant maintenance of land plots. But moles like to settle in their dachas, which they have to visit from time to time due to its remote location. There are, of course, effective ways How to deal with moles in your summer cottage. 
Avid gardeners know how to deal with moles in the country and save their harvest. Mole poison helps them get rid of unfriendly neighbors. A toxic remedy for damage-causing moles is placed in the passages. These can be tablets, granules, lozenges for rodents, which are mixed with earthworms as bait.
Ultrasonic devices
Effective control of established moles in the country is possible in cases of using ultrasonic repellers. These devices are inserted along the labyrinths, which can be calculated from the outer craters.
Flooding of holes
One more in an effective way How to get rid of moles in the country is to use water. All labyrinths hidden underground lead to the main chamber in which the animal nests. If a powerful stream of water is directed into one of the entrances, then gradually his entire “house” will be filled with it, and he will swim out, escaping from danger.
Pets
It is appropriate to fight moles not only in a field or greenhouse, but also in a garden plot. Moles dig up flower beds and destroy garden seedlings. How to deal with moles in the garden plot, because laying a plastic mesh is appropriate only on loose soil, the traps do not always work, the tablets cannot be spread out in all the passages, due to the preservation of the integrity of the flower growers? How to protect your garden from destruction?
In this situation, pets come to the rescue. If you are tired of looking for a way to get rid of moles in your garden, entrust this job to your dog. Dachshunds especially love to hunt them. Domestic cats also succeed in catching these animals, mistaking them for mice. But having caught a mole, the cat does not eat it because of its specific smell. 
Planting aromatic plants
Many amateur gardeners know how to get rid of mole infestations. They protect their flower beds by planting leguminous plants and imperial hazel grouse, which have a specific aroma that moles do not like.
Firecrackers and smoke bombs
An effective way to remove moles from personal plot, is also the use of firecrackers and smoke bombs, which are placed in all found passages. Their simultaneous volley creates a loud noise and at the same time the underground labyrinths are filled with smoke, which extremely frightens the animal and it gets out.
Getting rid of moles is a very painstaking task. There are a lot of ways to deal with them. It is impossible to predict with certainty which of them will be effective. Those who are familiar with this dexterous animal prefer a comprehensive fight against it.
- How to make a simple and effective mole trap from plastic bottles with your own hands, as well as the principle of operation of the design;
- How to properly install such a trap on the site in order to reliably catch the pest;
- How can you easily increase the effectiveness of a homemade mole trap from plastic bottle approximately 2 times;
- Additional ways to catch a mole alive;
- What to do with a mole after it is caught and where it is better to release it so that it definitely does not return back to your site;
- And what other anti-mole products can you make yourself from ordinary plastic bottles...
Even if you have already been thoroughly tortured by moles “running amok” on your property, then do not rush to poison them with poisons or set traps on them - this is simply not humane. You can fight animals very effectively with the help of special traps - it’s not difficult to make such a mole trap with your own hands from plastic bottles, and given the availability and low cost of materials for it, you can make and install several traps on the site at once, which will significantly increase the chances of catching all the pests.
A mole trap made from a plastic bottle allows you to catch animals alive, and then take them out and release them at such a distance from the site that they can no longer return. This approach is considered the most civilized and humane, because after all, a normal person without sadistic tendencies will be much calmer in preserving the life of an animal that simply by chance ended up on his property, instead of necessarily killing a mole with poison, a trap or a shovel, as is sometimes done people who are not burdened by love for animals.
It should be borne in mind that mole traps made from plastic bottles are effectively complemented by other types of traps that work on different principles. For example, a mole can be caught in a simple plastic bottle placed on its side in its passage, or you can do this with the help of a wide jar, bucket or pan buried under the passage. The best option is the joint use of such traps (we'll talk about this a little later).
But first, let's take a closer look at how to make a reliable mole trap from a standard plastic bottle, obtaining a truly effective catching tool. In addition, we will see how to properly install such traps on the site so that they work well.
Mole trap made from a plastic bottle
So, the first type of trap is a kind of analogue of the commercially available pipe mole trap, but the “locking” element in it works on a slightly different principle.
The photo below shows a mole trap-pipe for comparison:
The mole easily climbs into such a trap, but cannot get out of it. It is implemented as follows:
- Take a plastic bottle with a capacity of 1.5 liters - it will be the basis of the design. It is not worth taking smaller or larger bottles, because a liter bottle is too narrow, and it is difficult for the animal to climb into it, and a two-liter bottle, on the contrary, is too wide, and often does not fit into the animal’s path;
- Either the bottom or the neck of the bottle is cut off - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is to make a free entrance on one side, and on the other there should be a dead end;
- Then take a second bottle of the same size, which, in fact, will clog the mole. The dense part of the neck is cut off (on which the cap is screwed), but a “funnel” is left, and the bottom is also cut off (you can even cut off the bottom half of the bottle);
- In the second bottle, 10-12 longitudinal cuts are made on the tapering part until it becomes a flat part. The result is a kind of long “petals”;
- After this, the second plastic bottle is inserted with its narrowed part into the open passage of the first, and the junction of the two bottles is secured with tape.
That's all, the mole trap is ready. If you place it in a mole passage, the animal will make its way into it along the second (entrance) bottle: under its pressure, the petals will easily bend and do not prevent it from crawling along the joint line, thereby ensuring unhindered access to the main bottle.
After the animal passes, the petals close again. Here he reaches a dead end, turns around, tries to move back, but runs into narrowed petals that he can no longer move apart. The mole is caught.
This mole trap made from plastic bottles is easy to make with your own hands in about 10-15 minutes.
On a note
The locking principle described above is called “against the grain”. While the petals “stroke” the animal, it calmly moves forward “along the fur.” But the animal can no longer get back out, because it moves “against the grain” of the valve - the petals rest against its face and do not move apart at all.
Not everyone takes into account that this mole trap can be easily improved, increasing its efficiency by approximately 2 times, if both the bottom and the top of the main bottle are cut off, and then “valves” are installed on both sides, allowing the animal to only pass inside. In this case, you won’t have to guess from which side the mole will approach the mole trap in its underground passage. Moreover, as practice shows, if there are several animals on the site, a “double” trap can catch two moles at once.
The video at the end of the article shows the process of making a mole trap with your own hands. However, it is important not only to make the mole trap correctly, but also to install it correctly on the site, since the final result of its work also largely depends on this.
How to catch a mole with such a trap?
A mole trap made of plastic bottles should be installed inside the mole passage, located between fresh earth emissions. Such passages are sometimes (but not always) clearly visible on the surface of the site, since their arch is slightly raised by the animal when moving, as a result of which a long earthen ridge is formed above the passage.
It is this roller that needs to be carefully excavated (the passage itself is located at a depth of about 10-15 cm). Then the passage needs to be slightly cleared of the ground and slightly deepened in the place where the trap will be installed.
It is better to dig out the mole's underground passage with a garden trowel. It is undesirable to use a shovel, since it severely damages the passage itself, and the mole may not “want” to move along it and climb into the trap in the future.
You should not install a mole trap made from a plastic bottle at the entrance to a tunnel or in a pile of soil spilled out by a mole. The animal may no longer use such a molehill, but the underground passage itself will be inspected regularly. Therefore, the mole trap is placed precisely in the passage between the animal’s exits to the surface.
Before installation, it is advisable to pour a little soil into the mole trap so that the animal does not notice the sudden transition of normal soil into slippery plastic.
It can also be useful to put several earthworms in the main bottle - the mole smells them well and can ignore suspicions when touching the plastic if it smells food.
The trap itself is placed in motion, its valve is directed in the direction from which the animal is supposed to approach it. If the trap is double-sided, then its orientation does not matter.
The top of the mole trap should be sprinkled with earth (but so as not to cover the entrances to it!) and covered wooden shield, or a very thick opaque fabric. The main task in this case is to eliminate the light in the trap so that it is as dark in it as in the rest of the passage (although it is believed that moles are blind, this is not entirely true - they are able to distinguish between light and darkness, and also see outlines items).
After this, the trap should be checked two to three times a day. Most often, a mole is caught at night or in the evening.
On a note
Keep in mind that due to the accelerated metabolism, the mole cannot fast for a long time. It may not survive even 24 hours in a mole trap, and therefore the trap should be checked at least twice a day, and immediately after finding the animal, take it out of the area as quickly as possible and release it into the wild.
Of course, the more traps are installed on the site, the faster it will be possible to catch all the moles (often small area Only one mole lives, since these animals are very jealous of protecting their territory). If the mole trap is made in a single copy, then with a certain probability it will have to be moved from one move to another if it remains empty for more than 4-5 days.
How to catch a mole in a jar?
There is another method that has been tested many times in practice to catch a mole: in a jar, pan, bucket or plastic bottle with the top cut off. This kind of mole trap can also be easily done with your own hands - for this you will need to make a kind of trap pit.
Let's look at the manufacturing procedure for this mole trap:
- You can take a large five-liter plastic bottle from drinking water, the tapered top needs to be cut off. Some gardeners successfully use three-liter glass jars - their width is quite sufficient for a mole to be caught in them (the animal is comparable in size to a rat). You can also use a suitable size pan or bucket; it is only important that the height of the trap is at least 25-30 cm, otherwise there is a chance that the mole will get out of it;
- Then the mole's passage is excavated and a hole is dug, identical in diameter and height to the trap;
- A prepared mole trap (container) is inserted into the hole;
- After this, the cracks along the edges of the trap are filled with earth, the earth here is compacted a little. As a result, the edges of the container should be hidden with a compacted earthen roller so that the mole does not feel them;
- The top of the trap is covered with a wooden shield or thick fabric so that light does not penetrate into the trap and does not scare away the animal.
Such a mole trap, installed in a gap in the underground passage of the mole, works even simpler than the one described above from two plastic bottles. The animal simply falls into the jar (or other deep container), moving along its course.
You also need to check the trap at least twice a day so as not to starve the caught animal.
About the effectiveness of traps made from plastic bottles
As practice shows, hand-made mole traps made from plastic bottles work no less effectively than various flayer crushes, traps and crossbows. Moles get caught in bottles just as often, and the overall reliability of the design is determined not so much by its performance as correct installation traps in the garden plot.
In particular, important role plays the choice of the mole's move in which the trap will be set. If the passage is old and rarely visited by the animal, then the mole trap may stand in vain for several days, and the disappointed gardener will eventually reject the product, deeming it ineffective.
In addition, a horizontal trap with one trap entrance may not work simply because the mole will each time approach it from the other side - from the side of the dead end. Thus, the animal will not fall into the trap itself, and if it finds an obstacle, it may also try to make a detour.
Practice shows that trapping pits made from cans and pots dug under passages generally work more effectively than “against the grain” traps. The mole does not have time to notice them, and cannot avoid falling into such a mole trap.
What to do with a caught animal?
A mole caught in a mole trap must be taken out of the area, carried away to a distance of about 1 km and released.
When freeing a captive, you need to be careful: moles have very sharp, albeit small, teeth, with which they can bite quite painfully (after all, moles are, first of all, predators). The epidemiological danger of moles has been poorly studied, and it is never possible to guarantee for sure that when an animal bites it it will not give a person some kind of bacterial “joy”.
The smartest thing to do is to take the mole out of the area directly in the mole trap, and at the place of release, simply open it and carefully shake the animal onto the ground. It is better to release the mole among thick grass or in the forest, where it has a better chance of remaining unnoticed by predators.
The release operation itself should be carried out immediately after discovery of the capture. As noted above, an extra few hours of hunger can be fatal for a mole.
Do moles return to their areas and how to prevent their reappearance?
The mole is an active animal, but it cannot move long distances. Young animals, leaving the maternal area in search of unoccupied land, can move 1.5-2 km away from the place of birth, but adult moles, who have already settled somewhere, are constantly in their territory of about a hectare.
This means that if a caught mole is released a kilometer from the place of capture, then it will not return to its original area. If you release it right behind the fence, and the fence itself does not have a foundation, then with a high probability the same mole will have to be caught again.
In general, it is useful to keep in mind that preventing moles from entering an area is easier than fighting these animals later. Even if the animals are already in the garden and causing harm, they can and should be caught and taken away, but in parallel, measures should be taken to reliably protect the area: fence it off with an impenetrable foundation, even if not a powerful one, or simply dig in around the perimeter to a depth of 70-80 cm durable fine-mesh plastic mesh (with a cell size of no more than 1 cm).
Such measures will guarantee that after catching and removing all moles from the area, other animals will not enter it again. Otherwise, you will have to constantly catch moles.
As for various mole repellers, they also sometimes give good results, although they do not provide absolute protection of the area. By the way, you can also make them yourself from plastic bottles...
Repellers made from plastic bottles: do they help?
There are two ways to scare off moles with plastic bottles:
- Make pinwheels out of bottles that spin in the wind, make noise and scare the animals (moles hear well);
- Or you can simply lay out large quantities of closed plastic bottles throughout the area. With constant changes in temperature in the morning, afternoon, evening and night, they make cracking noises, which presumably also scare away animals.
Many gardeners and gardeners note that such homemade repellers are really effective and help get rid of moles on the site. However, at the same time, many reviews indicate the lack of effect from the use of these funds.
Apparently, the truth is somewhere in the middle: moles can actually be frightened by the noise created by these devices and leave the area in search of more comfortable territory. But repellers can also be ignored, especially if there is a problem of survival due to lack of food. Therefore, the use of such repellers is a kind of lottery: it may help, or it may not give any visible result.
Other types of traps, humane and inhumane
A pipe trap works on the same principle as homemade traps made from plastic bottles. Only in it the animal pushes the door that easily opens inward and slams behind it, penetrates the pipe, but cannot open the same door from the inside.
There are also inhumane traps for moles that simply kill the animals:
- Spring traps;
- Loop traps;
- Scissor traps;
- Harpoon-type traps (crossbows).
Some people make them with their own hands, or buy them ready-made. However, before using them, think: why mercilessly kill warm-blooded animals just because for some reason they bother you. And even more so, you shouldn’t kill animals just because you’re too lazy to catch them alive and take them out of the area.
The effectiveness of all these lethal traps is approximately the same and does not differ from the effectiveness of homemade live traps. You shouldn’t expect that if you didn’t catch a mole with a properly made structure from a plastic bottle, then the trap will certainly kill it. It makes more sense to figure out why the trap was ineffective ( incorrect choice progress, errors in placement or manufacturing), correct mistakes and catch the pest alive.
In any case, no matter what mole traps are used, without effective measures to protect the site, the results of their use will be temporary, and you will have to constantly catch animals, worrying about a damaged harvest. Therefore, you should first take care of protecting the area from the penetration of moles, and only then catch the animals. Read about how to effectively protect your area from moles in other articles on our website.
if you have personal experience using homemade mole traps, be sure to leave your feedback in the comments field at the bottom of this page.
A clear example of repelling moles using ordinary plastic bottles
Interesting video: making a mole trap-pipe with your own hands
Which gardener has not been annoyed by moles! Damaged flower beds, plowed lawns, seedlings torn out of the ground are the usual results of their activities. This is all very similar to the damage caused by rats, mice and other rodents. But, unlike the latter, moles are not interested in the grown crop, since they feed on worms and other earthen pests.
Poisoned baits help get rid of rodents. But moles are completely indifferent to such drugs. Some try to poison them with gas, fill the passages with kerosene, or use other equally barbaric methods that cause more damage to the soil and environment than to the animals themselves. It is much easier and safer to use special mole traps - traps designed specifically for these animals.
Today, there are many available on the market various designs for catching moles on the site - from simple wire traps to modern technological solutions. What should you give preference to?
TOP mole traps for the garden and summer cottage
SuperCat Vole Trap from SWISSINNO (Switzerland)
The SuperCat Vole Trap mole trap is a small plastic cylinder weighing 350 grams and 23 centimeters high. Successfully catches mole rats, moles and voles. The principle of operation is similar to a mouse trap, only without bait.
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The device, invented in Switzerland and manufactured in Slovenia, is characterized by a relatively simple installation that does not require the use of any significant force. Sticks vertically into the ground. All preparation consists of one step; you don’t even need to dig a tunnel.
Buy now - from RUB 1,326/piece
When the trap is triggered, its handle falls back. This is clearly visible even without removing the device from the ground. The mole can climb into it from any direction - the direction of movement does not at all affect the sensitivity of the spring.
The only drawback of this SWISSINNO mole trap is that when the device is triggered, another animal cannot get into it - the spring must be cocked again. Sharp plastic teeth can injure your hands if handled carelessly. Therefore, the trap should never be given to children.
SuperCat Claw
Judging by the reviews of mole traps, SuperCat Claw is the only mole trap model that is used not only by amateur gardeners, but also by professionals.
The trap works on the principle of scissors, with a pin sandwiched between the knives. It is installed in the tunnel opening so that the mole, when moving, hits or knocks out a jammed object. At the same time, the blades collapse, piercing the body of the animal.
Main advantages:
- — simplicity of design;
- — ability to adjust sensitivity;
- - not complicated installation;
- - light weight - only 290 grams;
- — compactness – dimensions 3×12×17 centimeters;
Buy now - from 512 RUR/piece
Despite its apparent simplicity, it is not always possible to set a trap the first time. The reason is frequent obstacles in the form of dense clods of earth, stones or plant debris. In wet weather, the ground around the device is washed away by water, and it becomes visible. And at subzero temperatures, the handles often freeze and cannot work.
Review of the SuperCat mole catcher
We spend a lot of time at the dacha, growing flowers. Moles are constantly pestering us, so we decided to contact the pest control service, but the services were priced at a bit high - about 15,000 rubles (during the conversation it turned out that they also plan to fight by installing mechanical traps). We decided to buy mole traps and install them ourselves. We installed 6 pieces on a plot of 10 acres. The result is 12 moles in 2 weeks. In the next few weeks - 1-2 per week.
Tip for using the Claw trap:
— Install only with gloves
— Checking traps — once every 2-3 days
- install the mole trap 10-20 cm from the hole
MoLe Trap by SWISSINNO
The principle of operation of this trap is not complicated - it is placed across the mole tunnel with a pre-cocked spring, which opens the entrance and winds the guard. As soon as the mole stumbles upon it, the spring straightens, pressing the neck or head of the animal.
Buy now - from RUB 1,239/piece
The main thing is to install the Move Trap mole trap in right place. A branded accessory for finding holes from SWISSINNO will help with this - a special rod equipped with a comfortable handle. With its help, it is not difficult to detect mole and mouse passages passing underground - you just need to stick the rod into the ground.
Wire mole trap SuperCat
The SuperCat Wire Trap is designed to kill voles and moles. If used correctly, it is a fairly simple and very reliable mechanical mole trap. The manufacturer recommends using four to eight pieces at a time. This significantly increases the likelihood of the entire mole family settling on the site being exterminated at once.
Buy now - from 340 RUR/piece
It is better to install a wire mole trap while wearing fabric gloves. This is necessary so as not to leave foreign odors that can scare off moles.
A little about humane mole traps
In addition to those mentioned above, gardeners often use so-called “humane” pipe traps. They come in both factory and handicraft production. And the principle of operation corresponds to the name: in the tunnel dug by the animal, a certain container with special doors is placed, made, for example, from a piece of water pipe. A properly installed trap should be built into an underground passage. The mole runs into such a tube, but cannot get out.
It would seem that everything is simple - theoretically. In practice, the situation is a little different: when a mole moves, it usually pushes a lump of earth in front of itself. This earth falls into the pipe, the door slams, but the mole goes no further.
Despite all the assurances of the manufacturers, the efficiency of pipe mole traps is much lower than other designs. Yes, and it takes a long time to install it correctly. And the only advantage is that the animal caught in it does not die or receive any injuries. If desired, it can be released into the wild, having first been moved further away - several kilometers from the site.
But if we talk about humane treatment of animals, it should be noted that neither a mole trap nor a live trap have this quality.
Important! And if the factor of humane treatment of animals is decisive when choosing a means of fighting moles, then you should pay attention. Such devices allow you to try to solve the problem with moles without causing them physical harm.
How to properly install a mole trap on a site?
Five simple rules will help you correctly install a trap of any design, be it a simple wire trap or a reinforced mole trap from a Swiss company.
- Before installing the trap, you must find the central passage of the tunnel. It is there that moles most often return during their underground wanderings around the site.
- An obstacle must be created along the selected tunnel. If it is located not far from the surface, it is enough to simply compact the soil with your foot. For deeper passages you will need a shovel.
- For the scissor trap(similar to SuperCat Claw) a lump of earth is placed at the bottom of the discovered tunnel. Grippers are placed on both sides of this lump, leaving a small passage. Then the device is secured as stated in the instructions.
- A crush trap or harpoon trap is placed along the width of the mole passage. The racks are buried in the ground until the trigger mechanism touches the obstacle at the bottom. Now all that remains is to tighten the handle to bring the spring into “combat” readiness.
- Installed traps should be periodically monitored, checking readiness from time to time. If the desired result is not achieved within a few days, you need to change the location of the device.
- Animals caught in traps must be removed as quickly as possible.
Gardeners on whose property moles have settled are often at a loss as to what to do with the invaders. – animals are useful in nature, but in large quantities they cause severe damage to the garden. It is impossible to catch them, since they move underground. While you are digging in one corner of the garden, the mole has already reached the opposite one. very difficult. They are obligate carnivores, consuming only live food. An earthworm filled with poison may die before the animal finds it. Therefore, only mole traps and, which can be purchased or purchased, remain at the disposal of summer residents.
What are the traps?
A mole trap can be of two types:
- lethal;
- live trap
Most lethal traps are industrially manufactured, as their manufacture requires factory parts specific shape, size and industrial processing.
Lethal include
- "scissor trap";
- mole trap;
- plunger trap;
- wire loop;
- a device that pierces the body of an animal from above.
Of all these devices, the easiest to make with your own hands is the last one. And the most effective and easiest to install is a trap. But making a mole trap with your own hands based on a factory model will be difficult for the average summer resident. It's much easier to make an analogue.
You can make a wire loop yourself. It strangles the animal when it gets into the trap. The diagram is shown below.
On a note!
Almost all of these traps, except the trap, do not work well when rocks or soil hit the moving parts.
"Pitchfork"
The last, easiest to manufacture device, according to appearance resembles a pitchfork with a metal blade welded to it. This is an analogue of an industrial trap of this type.
These “pitchforks” are made by summer residents according to their own understanding. There are no drawings. And this is good, since it is not difficult to kill a mole, it is more difficult to tense up and take it away. Still, moles are more beneficial to the ecosystem than harmful.
The outer teeth of the “forks” are the “legs” of the trap that hold it in a vertical position. The working part is average. It is a hollow tube into which a harpoon is inserted. The harpoon is fitted with a spring, the ends of which are secured to the harpoon and the tube. When the trap is set, the spring stretches, and when released, it contracts, and the harpoon pierces the animal’s body with force.
The “trigger” is the same “spatula”, fixed movably. It has a groove that allows the harpoon to be held in the upper position. When the mole throws dirt onto the spatula, it moves and the harpoon falls. But such a trap will require serious skills in working with iron and the ability to weld parts, so it makes sense to consider easier-to-make traps that are accessible even to single summer residents.
I tried to set a trap from a store in the form of a pipe. Moles are not so bad, they go around. I found a video on YouTube on how to make a mole trap in the form of a pitchfork with a harpoon. I spent two days making it. Not only that, but it turned out to be difficult to install so that it would work properly. Moles are also different. The principle there is based on the fact that the trap is triggered when the animal throws the earth onto this trigger blade. And different moles throw earth at different distances. I was tired of changing the distance of the “scapula” from the trigger device. And go chase these moles. Every time you have to dig this trap again. I chased one specimen for two weeks and dug up the beds just as well as he did. He spat and moved on to the buried cans.
Maxim, s. Zhuravkovichi
The disadvantages of all such mechanical traps are that they have to be reinstalled each time, digging them in a new place. If earth or stones get into moving parts, the traps do not work correctly. When one mole is caught, these traps no longer work until they are set again. In live traps you can catch as many animals as will fit into the container. Yes, and killing animals just because they lead their usual way of life is wrong. It is not they who have invaded our home, it is we who are destroying their habitat.
Live traps
When making such mole traps with your own hands, only one quality is required: the absence of fear of moles. The most popular trap among people is made from a plastic water pipe.
Pipe
Live trap pipe Why the name “Solomon’s trap” was attached to this pipe is a mystery. But it's not difficult to make. For production you will need:
- water pipe;
- tin can with both bottoms;
- a piece of wire;
- drill;
- metal scissors or that you don’t mind getting dull.
The diameter of the pipe must be exactly the size of the wormhole. Usually it is about 6 cm.
How to make:
- Cut a piece about 50 cm long from the pipe. Drill 2 holes on both sides of the piece, on the side that will be the top. The holes are needed to secure the wire.
- Cut the bottoms out of a tin can.
- The height of the door should be greater than the diameter of the pipe, since it is installed with an inward slope. This is shown in the side view diagram. To secure the door to the wire, you also need some allowance. Accordingly, the door height will not be 60 mm, but 70-80 mm. The width of the door is cut slightly narrower than the diameter of the pipe.
- Bend the top edge of the door around the wire.
- Then remove the wire and assemble the entire structure, sequentially threading the wire into the hole in the pipe, the mount on the door and the second hole in the pipe.
- Bend the outer ends of the wire so that the door does not break at the wrong moment.
To install the pipe, you need to open the mole tunnel and replace the tunnel dug by the animal with your own from the pipe. Open the passage carefully to cause the least amount of damage and not to frighten the animal. It is better to do this with a garden trowel.
The pipe is installed in progress. From above, so that the sun does not illuminate the tunnel, cover the trap with a piece of dense material and cover it with earth.
On a note!
The pipe must be checked periodically. If you do not want to kill the animal, the check must be carried out every 12 hours, otherwise the mole will have time to die of hunger. For more effective catching, you can put earthworm bait in a mole trap.
Plastic bottles
A very fast and cheap way to make an analogue of Solomon's trap. A bottle trap is built on the principle of a fish trap.
To make a mole trap from a plastic bottle, you will need 2 or 3 disposable containers of 1.5 liters each. For a one-sided version you need 2 bottles, for a double-sided one - 3. In the one-sided version, the bottom of the main bottle is left in place. These are all differences, so you need to consider a double-sided option.
- The “body” of the pipe is made from one bottle by cutting off the top and bottom.
- From the other two you need the upper parts, cut off well below the beginning of the narrowing towards the neck.
- The neck itself is also cut off.
- In the remaining part, ribbons are cut on the tapering part up to the expanding part. After which the finished parts are tightly driven into the main bottle, as shown in the diagram.
- The wormhole is installed in the same way as a pipe. The plastic is slippery and there is no need to secure the inserted parts. The animal, crawling along the way, will easily spread the “ribbons” and fall into the trap. He won't be able to get back.
To do this, you will need a 3-liter jar with a neck wide enough so that you can remove the mole clutched in your fist. The jar is buried below the mole tunnel so that its neck is level with the tunnel floor. You need to dig the hole carefully so as not to collapse the passage. The jar is placed at the bottom of the hole and sprinkled so that there are no holes left between the actual hole and the neck of the jar. The passage is covered with plywood from above.
On a note!
Not only moles, but also rodents that wander into such a trap fall into this trap.
The advantage of live traps is that the animals that are very useful in nature have a chance to survive. The disadvantages are the need for frequent checks and problems with release into the wild. The mole must be taken far from the site, otherwise it will return. But you can also kill an animal, but you will have to do it manually.
The disadvantage of a trapping pit jar is that you have to get the animals out of it by hand so as not to spoil a well-made trap. But if they manage to die of hunger, there will be no problems removing them from the jar.
I tried to set homemade traps from pipes, but either my hands were crooked, or the moles sensed something. Not a single one was caught. I didn’t believe in the jar, but out of desperation I tried it. It turned out to be the most effective of all those tried. She buried it under the mole tunnel, covered it with earth and compacted everything tightly. I placed planks on the sides of the excavated entrance to narrow the passage down to an “ordinary mole hole,” otherwise there would be a niche in this place. Covered the top with plywood and covered it with earth. Only the first jar in a week caught 3 moles and a vole. Now I have buried a few more cans in other places.
Elena, Yegoryevsk
Three shovels
A method of catching moles from a series of oddities and for those who have nothing else to do in the country. They can also be classified as traps, although it would be more correct to call them an ambush. This method requires 3 shovels. We stick the first one across the mole passage and trample the earth on both sides. Now we wait for the animal to appear. His appearance will be noticeable by the movement of the earth.
It is unknown when the animal will appear. If you are lucky and the mole is discovered, we stick a second shovel behind the mole. Now, with the third shovel, we quickly dig out the animal before it has time to dig another hole.
Attention, moles in the country! Part two
Hello! In the first part, I told you, dear readers, on garden plots, expelling them from there. In this article, I will tell you some secrets on how to catch a mole in the garden with your own efforts. After all, it’s one thing to drive out furry mole rats, and quite another to catch them and take them far beyond the boundaries of your site (for example, to a neighboring garden district) or kill them (but such methods are not for me). So, let's go!
How to catch a mole in the country using a mole trap
Choosing a trap
Buy metal wire mole traps at any hardware store. Remember, you need metal rings, not plastic ones! Otherwise, the mole will easily escape. Be aware that the quality of mole traps is not the best, so check their effectiveness first. There is one simple truth: if an alien was able to escape from his trap once, then he will remember this experience for the rest of his life. Such an animal will not allow a relapse, avoiding the mole trap. Particularly smart animals simply cover it with earth.
Are looking for appropriate place for installationSo, you bought a mole trap. Now you need to find out where to put it. To do this, walk around the perimeter of the garden plot. When you find the main passage, take it. Wait. Moles on the site will definitely return to restore their working movements. If this does not happen, then the mole does not use this particular move, therefore, there is no point in setting a trap here. Look for the next ground move.
Installing a mole trap
Have you found a working wormhole? Great! Now we move on to the most important thing: how to catch a mole in a trap. In the passages used by the excavator, the traps are installed in pairs - on both sides of the same passage, while the input wire rings are directed to both sides. The top of the trap is covered with boards, slate and other auxiliary materials. This is necessary so that the mole, who hates all drafts, does not restore the destroyed passage. That's it, the trap is ready! When you come across an alien, take him to the nearest forest.
Cons of mole traps
Since moles move slowly along the upper earthen layer, they can notice the trap and bypass it. In this case, use special traps that are placed at the intersection of passages.
There is one radical and cruel way to get rid of moles in garden plots. If you are sure that you want to find out, then read my article further!
How to catch a mole with a garden hose
I warn you that, unlike all the previous humane methods described by me in this and the previous article, this one is inhumane. Although I am not a supporter, this method is very effective and reliable. Gardeners who are already completely fed up with moles will find it especially useful. So what is this method?
We take a garden hose, insert it into a fresh mole hole and turn on medium water pressure. We're just drowning a mole... Use carbide as a "control shot". The result will be a kind of “gas chamber”. Scatter a certain amount of this chemical over the molehills, and then drown the passages. I want to bring to your attention that by killing poor animals in this way, you make them suffer long and painfully...
Let's summarize
So, in this article we learned two ways to catch moles on your own in your summer cottage. In the third and final part of my “mole” series, I will tell you, dear readers, about various means of repelling moles, among which the most effective is an electronic repeller. See you!