Sonic / Sonar Mole Stake
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Durability
Overall Rating
Most of these are now powered by small solar cells on the top. Others use copious quantities of DD batteries. If you decide to use one of these, go for the solar option if you can. Although battery powered stakes may have a slightly better coverage, the solar ones will be much kinder to the environment and you won’t need to remember to change the batteries.
They work by sending out either high pitched sounds or vibrations at regular intervals. The idea is that the mole will not like this and will move to a different area. Some reports claim that these may work initially, but the mole will usually return after a couple of weeks once it gets used to the vibrations and realises they are not a threat. A study at the University of Aberdeen in 1994 found no evidence to suggest that moles are repelled by these devices.
Beware: the coverage quoted by most manufacturers is almost always optimistic! A realistic estimate is generally a circle with radius 3-5 meters from the device. That is 28 – 75 square meters or 250-700 square feet.
They work by sending out either high pitched sounds or vibrations at regular intervals. The idea is that the mole will not like this and will move to a different area. Some reports claim that these may work initially, but the mole will usually return after a couple of weeks once it gets used to the vibrations and realises they are not a threat. A study at the University of Aberdeen in 1994 found no evidence to suggest that moles are repelled by these devices.
Beware: the coverage quoted by most manufacturers is almost always optimistic! A realistic estimate is generally a circle with radius 3-5 meters from the device. That is 28 – 75 square meters or 250-700 square feet.
Verdict
In a small garden with occasional or intermittent problems this may be worth a try. Don’t rely on it in the long term, and expect to resort to other methods.
