Moles
General Information
👉 Moles are native to the UK with an estimated population of 35 to 40 million and are the only pest not to have been introduced by man.
👉 They Sleep and work in 4 hour shifts where they can tunnel up to 200m a day but 20 to 30 is more usual.
👉 They eat worms, grubs and larvae which stray into their tunnels which are located through their fine senses of smell and feel and through detecting vibrations. They need to eat the equivalent of 20 worms or half their own body weight a day to survive.
👉 The hills created on the surface is the surplus spoil from the tunnel excavations needed when their food supply is exhausted. Although surface damage may seem extensive, it is likely to only be a single mole as they are very territorial.
⚠ Moles can travel short distances over land and can swim to travel from one site to the next and even managed to get into the Stadium at Shahktar Donetsk in the Ukraine. There is no conservation action associated with moles.
⏱️ When are they a problem?
They can be a problem all year round but often from October to April. They are most active digging new tunnels before the breeding season. They can cause serious damage to sports grounds producing hills and making the playing surface unstable through their network of underground tunnels often referred to as Mole “runs”
When producing the hills, stones may be brought to the surface resulting in damaged mowing machinery and more obviously the hills provide a trip risk to users and will affect playability.
What can we do to prevent/reduce their impact?
📌 As with all pests, reducing or removing the food source will reduce their activity but this is difficult with Earthworms and grubs. Please keep an eye out for our Earthworms learning resource coming soon for more information.
📌 Preventative devices that emit ultrasonic vibrations are widely available and may offer some initial reduction in mole activity, but they typically return to the area in time.
📌 The regular operation of pitch maintenance machinery is thought to deter moles through vibration and anecdotally this can sometimes mean they stick to pitch perimeters rather than the playing surface itself, however there is little data to support this and machinery activity is thought to be needed on more or less a daily basis
How can we deal with Moles?
🎯 For the most up to date guidance on dealing with moles https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foxes-moles-and-mink-how-to-protect-your-property-from-damage#moles
🎯 Permission from the Land Owner must be sought before taking any action
🎯 Traditional mole catching is a highly skilled job and using an experienced mole catcher or pest control professional is recommended.
🗝️ It is considered inhumane to live trap moles and to move them to another territory due to stresses placed on the mole and the likely death through stopping eating as a result of being moved from their home or potential fighting with moles already resident in the new territory.
💡 Professional pest control can be found through The British Mole Catchers Register https://www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk/ or The British Pest Control Association https://bpca.org.uk/
📌 How best to repair affected areas?
👉 It will be crucial to not only control the mole population but also to repair any damaged areas caused by their hills or runs beneath the surface.
👉 Mole hills and runs can be very dangerous for players and need to be addressed accordingly.
👉 The bulk of mole hill spoil can normally be removed using a shovel and wheel barrow and the remainder raked and stone picked if necessary. Depending on the disturbance they may then require over-seeding to reinstate grass coverage.
👉 A further method of repair is to cut out the areas where the runs have formed and backfill with suitable rootzone to the surface and re-seed or alternatively follow the same process but plug the top soil with a thick cut 100mm sports turf, firming down and ensuring establishment.