Moles are capable of doing a lot of damage to the garden in a single night. Identifiable by the heaps of earth that they form here and there, they are not as easy to dislodge as they say, and they annoy gardeners. There are few effective solutions, whether preventive or curative. Let’s do a check in.
Mole: why is it harmful?
In the garden as in agricultural fields, moles cause serious damage to crops that they can devastate as soon as you count 8 to 10 individuals per hectare. The galleries that they dig represent the ideal cottage many rodents like rats and voles that reproduce at high speed and end up swarming.
The garden soil is weakened by the galleries, especially during heavy rains which lead to micro-collapses. We no longer count the foulures caused by crumbling soil when walking or running on lawns.
As for the roots of plants, although the moles do not nibble them, they bear the brunt of the passage of these animals which spend their time underground.
How to prevent the invasion of moles?
Among all the solutions tested, only one proves to be valid as preventive method against moles. It consists of preventing moles from accessing the composter because this paradise for earthworms obviously attracts these burrowing mammals.
The principle is simple: all you have to do is dig out the entire part covered by the composter over 50 to 70 cm, place a grille thin but solid and cover it with soil and then rest the composter on top. Moles will no longer have the ability to rummage through compost.
Mole traps, a solution that does not respect the environment
If we consider only their effectiveness, we can only praise the merits of the traps that allow killing moles. But if we do not want the death of moles, it is not to these radical solutions that we should turn.
Even if the mole is considered harmful by gardeners because it causes damage in the vegetable garden, the ornamental garden and in the orchard, the fact remains that we must take care to preserve the species. We try as much as possible to capture moles in traps for release them in the forest or in the fields and we avoid killing them. But this solution only shifts the problem. When you are really invaded by these pests, you may end up wanting to eradicate them.
Mole control: pitfalls to avoid
Many makeshift traps should not be used because they are:
- That is useless since perfectly ineffective : smoke bombs, metal rods planted in the heart of molehills, planting fritillaries and euphorbias do not really have a repellent effect on moles.
- That is counterproductive : vibration devices that attract earthworms. However, earthworms are a delicacy for moles. On the contrary, there is a risk of ending up with more moles than before.
- That is dangerous : firecrackers represent a risk for the one who uses them, and tube traps kill the youngest moles after much suffering, which is unacceptable.
Wanting to get rid of moles in the garden is quite understandable, but that does not justify doing anything.
Getting rid of moles in the garden: the effective solution
There is a mole trap that works well. The principle of this trap is to kill moles immediately, thus without causing suffering. This mechanical trap only costs a few tens of euros and it is possible to obtain it on Internet sites dedicated to gardening or in garden centres, under the name of Putange trap. However, it must be installed by an adult in strict compliance with the instructions for use, because if it is poorly buried it can represent a danger of serious injury especially for children and pets.
He is difficile to get rid of moles because many more or less risky techniques do not work. In order not to be overwhelmed by it, there remains the solution of contacting a company specializing in the fight against moles. It is recommended to ask several quotes in order to compare the services offered by professionals and the rates applied.