Live Capture Traps
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These are often marketed as ‘humane’ mole traps, and at first glance this may seem to be the case. However, first stop and consider what will actually happen.
Firstly, you will contain a live animal that is naturally nervous and has a high metabolism, within a small confined space. This will cause a great deal of distress to the animal, which will normally (and on average) remain there for at least 12 hours (assuming you check the trap every 24 hours – this is usually optimistic!).
Due to its high metabolism, the mole needs to eat copious amounts regularly in order to stay alive. An extended confinement will cause it to die of starvation. Moles are also susceptible to hypothermia if immobile for extended periods without insulation (as in their nests).
Secondly, what will you do with the mole once you have caught it? It is illegal to release a pest onto public land or on someone else’s land without their consent (it is hard to imagine this being given) so you are left with few options except to dispatch it yourself.
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Even if released in a suitable location, it will have expended most of its energy reserves and it is unlikely that it will be able to find / dig a new tunnel; leaving it vulnerable to predators or starvation (without a tunnel netwok in which to feed).
On top of all that, they are also difficult to set - requiring much more hassle, time wasted, and holes in your lawn. Since they are required to actually enclose the animal, it is much harder to set them in such a way that the mole will enter the trap.
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