Fight Mole

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-06-01 01:49

Gardeners can actually count themselves lucky if they find a European mole (Talpa europaea) in their garden. Through his digging activities, he loosens the earth and aerates the soil. In addition, moles not only eat earthworms, but also pests such as the black weevil and snails. A single mole can eat up to 30 kg of insects a year. If you still want to fight the mole because you can no longer see the molehills, you should use smells and noises.

Practical tip: If none of the methods mentioned below works for you, make sure that there is actually a mole in your garden and that it is not a vole. The hills look similar, but voles are less sensitive to smells and sounds.

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Fighting moles with smells

Moles have sensitive noses. If a bad smell spreads in their corridors, they will soon be looking for space.

Fight moles with butyric acid

Butyric acid, actually butanoic acid, gets its name from the smell of rancid butter. That sounds disgusting, not only finds the mole, but also her neighbors. Always inform them before using butyric acid. Since the acid is corrosive and irritating, always wear gloves, safety glasses and a respirator when handling. For use, soak old rags in the butyric acid, expose the molehill and insert the rags as deep as possible into the molehill. Then cover the hill again as you found it.

Fighting moles with gasoline

If you want to fight the mole, but don't want to deal with acid straight away, conventional alcohol in the form of petrol or spirit works on the same principle. It is even easier with empty beer bottles that you put upside down in the molehill. The higher the alcohol content, the faster the mole will travel.

Practical tip: Other malodorous substances also help to drive away the mole, such as vinegar essence, sour milk or garlic.

Garden maintenance

drive out mole

Combating the mole should be "civilized" because it is under protection

Drive out mole with carbide

Carbide or calcium carbide is created by melting burnt lime with coke. During production, impurities are released which release malodorous gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and monophosphane when they come into contact with water. The smell immediately drives away the mole, but does not kill it. However, carbide is irritating and therefore harmful to pets that run around on the lawn. The flammable gas acetylene is also released on contact with water, which can lead to explosions under certain circumstances. It is safer to use commercially available mole gas. This is easier to portion and often contains carbide as the main ingredient.

Practical tip: No matter which method you choose, it is important that you catch all molehills. Otherwise, the mole just moves inside your garden. Repeat the treatment once a week until no new molehills appear.

Fighting moles with noises

In addition to a fine nose, moles are also sensitive to noise. If you want to fight a mole, all you have to do is make as much noise as possible. However, if you cannot chase a flock of children through your garden every day, you have to do something else.

Combat moles with ultrasound

People cannot hear sounds in the ultrasound range, but animals quickly feel annoyed and look far away. This is useful for fighting moles, but it also drives all pets in the area crazy. Use is therefore only advisable if you do not have any pets yourself and your garden is far enough away from other houses. Also make sure that the devices really work in the ultrasound range and not only at low frequencies. Children in particular have better hearing than older people and can still hear low frequencies.

Drive away mole with bottles

It is less harmful and cheaper to simply drive the mole away with normal PET bottles. For each molehill, put a bottle with the bottom cut out into the ground. The howling of the wind is carried into the corridors and the mole disappears quickly. This is exactly how it works if you insert a metal rod into the molehill and attach a spoon or bottle cap to it.

Practical tip: Even robotic lawnmowers that are in constant use over long periods of time cause noise pollution that you can use to combat the mole.

Killing mole is illegal

The mole is not an endangered species. On the contrary, it is widespread throughout Central Europe right into the Caucasus region. Nevertheless, it is under nature protection: Section 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act prohibits catching, injuring or even killing moles. Only in particularly justified cases can the nature conservation authorities grant a special permit to kill or relocate a mole. However, such special cases usually do not exist in ordinary gardens. This makes fighting the mole difficult. If you want to fight the mole, you must use ecological means as described above.

You may not kill the mole yourself, but the same does not apply to the mole's natural predators. Such an undertaking does not work by far everywhere, because you first have to lure the wild predators into your garden. Barn owls and kestrels in particular help you fight the mole. On the website of the State Association for Bird Protection in Bavaria you will find detailed instructions on how to locate kestrels and barn owls in your garden. This not only helps against moles, but also serves to protect species. Barn owls and kestrels have been finding it increasingly difficult to find nesting sites for years.

Practical tip: A simple domestic cat feels at home in the garden faster than barn owl and kestrel. They are also very successful in mole hunting.