The Art of Mole Trapping - Studying the Signs
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There are many things that we need to look at in order to make the most of the information available to us. In particular, it is worth studying: the mole hills themselves, the shape and surface of the ground, the soil type, and the features that make up the area. Each of these will give us clues.
Mole Hills
A careful study of the mole hill can give an experienced mole catcher many clues as to what is going on underground. You should try to answer the following questions:
Depending on the state of the soil, and the weather, you can work out how fresh the mole hill is. Think about what the weather has been doing recently. A mole hill that has been rained on will clearly be older than one that has not.
In dry or warm weather, older mole hills will have dried out more than fresh ones – make a cut into the centre of a hill with your spade to see how much of it has dried out. Also, older hills will generally be more compact than fresh ones since the excavation aerates the soil in the hill, making it quite light. As it sits there, it will settle under its own weight, becoming more compact and solid.
The depth of the tunnel beneath a mole hill is related to the distance between mole hills and also to the size of the mole hill.
Scientific research has found that the depth of a tunnel is related to the spacing of the mole hills. The further apart, the deeper the tunnel is likely to be. Also, tunnels at depth will produce larger hills.
The exact spacing will of course depend upon the soil type, and can only be used as a guide. If you are having trouble locating surface runs, then it is worth probing in an area where the hills are smaller and closer together.
[diagram / photo]
The size, type, and location of mole hills will also reveal why the mole was digging. If the hills are regular and large, then it is likely that new excavation is underway.
Otherwise, if there are only occasional and small hills, then it is likely that he is simply repairing his tunnel. This may occur particularly after surface loading, e.g. by a sit-on lawn mower or an energetic game of garden football. Tunnel repairs away from the main area of activity are a good sign of a main tunnel.
The Ground
When starting to probe for runs, before simply stabbing the ground, it pays to first have a look at the profile of the terrain. As the mole tunnels, if he is near the surface, the soil above will subside slightly.
If this is the case, you may be able to spot where the tunnels lie if you can see shallow linear depressions. This can be a particularly good clue as to the location of a main tunnel, that has been there for a while, since in this case there may also be sufficient root damage to the grass that a ‘line of poor growth’ is evident.
[photo?]
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Soil Type
Looking at the soil type will tell you how deep the mole runs are likely to be and also give an indication of how many moles might be occupying a given area.
A rich, dark, damp soil is ideal for worms and therefore moles. In these conditions, the moles burrow is likely to cover a relatively small area, and be fairly close to the surface. In drier soils, he may tunnel deeper looking for damper soil.
In dry, sandy, stony, or acidic soils, there will be less food and the burrow will be more extensive, covering a much larger area and will also go much deeper.
If there is a layer of soil, overlaying a layer of clay, then the mole will stick in the earth layer since clay is a bad material for digging in and does not support earthworms.
During periods of wet weather, the soil will quickly become waterlogged, so the mole will usually have a convenient place of retreat on ground with better drainage – this is the most likely location for the nest. Find this, and you will probably be on to a winner!
Landscape Features
Depending on the area, there may be certain features that give clues as to where you should expect the mole to be, and what he will be doing. The key things to note are:
Ponds and watercourses are useful since they give an indication of the height of the water table in that area.
In periods of dry weather, the mole may head towards these areas in search of moist soil that is good for digging and contains lots of food – excavations in these areas will usually be temporary feeding grounds. In wet weather, these areas will become saturated and the mole will avoid them in favour of higher ground until they dry out.
Trees, hedgerows, paved areas, sheds, and buildings are great for sheltering a nest or network of permanent tunnels since they will provide shelter and prevent sudden saturation of the soil in the event of a downpour. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere hot, then they also stop the soil from drying out too much.
Planted areas can be favourites for hungry moles, since the regular tilling and provision of mulch and compost provide a great habitat for worms. There are however a poor place to build a nest, so there will normally be linking tunnels from this foraging area to the nest and other feeding grounds.
It will be frustrating trying to catch a mole in a flowerbed, so look for these linking tunnels / mole hill lines approaching from elsewhere.
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