Scissor Trap
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Durability
Overall Rating
A common trap in the UK, it is easy to set and there is little chance of trapping your fingers in the mechanism.
The main problem with this design is that the trigger plate is gripped very tightly by the jaws. This means that unless the mole is running at speed (unlikely unless you have scared it somehow) it is unlikely to go off. Instead the mole will encounter it, nudge it, and then go around. There is also the additional possibility of stones or other debris preventing the jaws from closing fully. This may prevent a clean kill causing unnecessary suffering to the mole.
Finally, due to the handles sticking up, the trap is very difficult to ‘bury’ and seal in without blocking the mechanism. If it rains, the soil plug is likely to be washed down into the run, and the protruding handles are a danger to other animals / machinery such as a lawnmower (although the handles sticking up allow you to see if it has been triggered from a distance).
If using this type of trap it is important to make sure it is of a good brand, since some cheaper versions have jaws that are too long, so when set the trigger is too high in the run and this allows the mole to pass through unimpeded.
It is also fairly common to find a live mole in one of these traps, either pinched but not dead, or simply caught by the foot. Be prepared to dispatch the mole quickly with a sharp blow to the nose with a trowel.
The main problem with this design is that the trigger plate is gripped very tightly by the jaws. This means that unless the mole is running at speed (unlikely unless you have scared it somehow) it is unlikely to go off. Instead the mole will encounter it, nudge it, and then go around. There is also the additional possibility of stones or other debris preventing the jaws from closing fully. This may prevent a clean kill causing unnecessary suffering to the mole.
Finally, due to the handles sticking up, the trap is very difficult to ‘bury’ and seal in without blocking the mechanism. If it rains, the soil plug is likely to be washed down into the run, and the protruding handles are a danger to other animals / machinery such as a lawnmower (although the handles sticking up allow you to see if it has been triggered from a distance).
If using this type of trap it is important to make sure it is of a good brand, since some cheaper versions have jaws that are too long, so when set the trigger is too high in the run and this allows the mole to pass through unimpeded.
It is also fairly common to find a live mole in one of these traps, either pinched but not dead, or simply caught by the foot. Be prepared to dispatch the mole quickly with a sharp blow to the nose with a trowel.
Verdict
Fairly easy to arm, but the trigger mechanism is usually too stiff to go off reliably. Difficult to set and bury correctly.
