Killing a mole – No to gunshot traps, mole poison & Co

It is understandable that garden owners whose beds and lawns are nothing but molehills hate the polluter. But killing the mole right away is incomprehensible. You can’t just get rid of everything that bothers you in life. You have to make arrangements. Killing is not an alternative, not to mention that it is forbidden. Getting rid of a mole is not easy and usually does not work right away. In addition, disappearing for a short time does not help. It is important that the small grave disappears permanently from the garden and, if possible, that no new one settles.

It is often necessary to try several methods before finding one that works for the resident mole. The little guy needs to be bullied until he gets fed up and moves, ideally far away. The animal’s sensitive senses of smell and hearing are best suited for annoying. When it comes to expulsion, you often have to be a bit creative and try out a few things. Some methods are more complex than others, others can also incur higher costs.

Level molehills

Leveling the molehills again and again is as simple as it is efficient. This is neither particularly complex nor does it incur any costs. It is important that you always stay on the ball and level the hills as quickly as possible.

• Just rake the hill wide with a rake
• It is more efficient to muddy the hill with the waterskin. This can also happen after raking.
• Large parts of the Ganges can be destroyed with a sharp jet of water.
• If you do this often enough, hopefully the mole will get bothered and move away.

Expel with fragrances

Moles have very sensitive noses. Strong smells repel them. It is important to find the right scent for the in-house troublemaker. Some people are very inventive, put fish carcasses in the aisles or other smelly things. With such actions, it must not be forgotten that we humans also smell such a penetrating stench. If you can no longer stay in your own garden because of all the unpleasant smells, you won’t be helped in the end either.

• Place fragrance carriers directly in the tunnels.
• Distribute as many as possible in the garden
• Also drill holes in the ground outside of the tunnels (plant wood) and hide scented bait in them.
• Close the tunnels again to avoid the odor nuisance.

The following are suitable as scented baits:

• Garlic (Crush and mix with water. Pour into aisles)
• Animal feces (from dogs or cats)
• Spicy horseradish (mixed with water)
• Sour buttermilk or milk
• butyric acid (commercially available)
• Elderflower (boil the stock and let it ferment for three days)
• mothballs
• Petroleum-soaked patch
• Scent balls from the trade, e.g. from Celaflor
• Thujazweige
• Imperial crowns (the smell of predators is supposed to drive away the mole) I do know little animals that laugh about it.

Drive away mole with noise

Moles also have sensitive hearing. They don’t like noise. A larger dog that regularly runs through the garden is often enough to scare away the mole with the noise. Playing children have a similar effect. It is important to work across the board, not just in a few places.

• Set up small wind turbines in the garden. Moles don’t like the noise the wheels make when they turn fast in the wind. With us they help. Our neighbor has the animals in the garden, they don’t come to us. I have installed wind turbines on the property line. It seems to be working, has been for years. However, we also live in a really windy area, so the bikes are used a lot and rattle quite quietly. We hear the noises too, but they don’t bother us.
• The method of burying bottles in the ground is also beneficial when it is windy. You first remove the bottom of the bottle and then put the bottle in the ground with the bottleneck facing up. When the wind then blows over the neck of the bottle, it makes a noise that moles find unpleasant and chases them away. Numerous bottles must be set up.
• I don’t think much of the method of sticking metal poles into the ground and hitting them regularly, simply in the interests of the neighbors.
• Gas lawn mowers make a lot of noise. Mowing once or twice a week is sometimes enough. (It doesn’t work for our neighbor)
• What I read about a few times is that jukeboxes were buried in the hallways. The mole was filled with music. That mostly worked. Use a spade to open a passage between the two molehills closest to the house. Connect the small speaker boxes from the computer or similarly small boxes including an extension cable to an MP3 player, turn up the volume fully and put the player in a bag so that it cannot get dirty or wet. Put everything in the aisle and cover it again. Sonicate for a few hours every day. This usually works extremely well.

ultrasonic devices

Ultrasonic devices, such as the so-called mole deterrent, generate noises and/or vibrations at fixed intervals that humans do not notice, but which the mole finds very unpleasant. Vibrations are converted into sound waves and drive away the mole.

• The devices are usually operated with normal batteries
• Some are even equipped with solar technology
• They are weather resistant
• The sphere of action is quite small, so that usually several devices are required
• You just stick them in the ground, preferably where most of the hills are
• Don’t get stuck in the hills!!!
• First place devices close to the house and then move them towards the property line every 2 to 3 weeks
• The sonication should be maintained for several weeks or months
• Switch off the devices at certain intervals for a few days so that you don’t get used to it.

You often hear that these devices are useless. But if you compare the opinions of users on the Internet, you read about as many negative and positive experiences. The little animals are not all the same and some react to the mole deterrent and others do not. It’s the same with smells. One can’t stand it, the other something else.

Lock out mole

There are two very complex methods to simply lock out the mole. On the one hand, grids can be embedded in the ground around the property and, on the other hand, a grid can be laid out horizontally at a depth of a few centimeters, which prevents the mole from coming up. Both methods involve an enormous amount of work and the grids also cost quite a bit.

• The fence at the property boundary must be approx. 1 m into the ground.
• The fence must be close-knit and stable and should not decompose since it is completely buried in the ground.
• The vertical barrier MolEX-F is favorable maulwurfsperre.de/maulwurfsperre-vertical/
• Alternatively, ground mats in the ground protect large lawns. They are laid at a maximum depth of 40 cm. However, a depth of 5 cm is usually sufficient.
• The inventor of this mole grid now offers a 25-year guarantee on this product
• The products are not cheap. The square meter is about 4 euros.
• It is best to install the protection when laying out the new lawn. That’s the least work. The earth is permanently prevented from being pushed up when the mole digs.
• The mole can of course surface outside of the lawn. You can’t lay out the entire garden like this, unless you only have lawn and no shrubs or trees.

Catch and relocate mole

If driving away the mole doesn’t work, there is an alternative. You catch him and release him at a great distance. This method is not ideal, as the risk of injury to the little burrower is not insignificant, but quite often there is no other way. Capture and relocate is far better than killing.

Tips
You should know, however, that it is not allowed to use a live trap for the mole. Only if it causes massive impairments, for example because the affected area becomes unstable, can the owner apply for an exception to be made. A live trap is also a violation of the law.

• Under no circumstances should rat or mouse traps be used.
• Mole traps are usually tubular with a flap on both sides.
• The trap is placed in the passage that must be uncovered beforehand.
• The entrance to a tunnel can be found from a hill.
• Set the trap away from the hill, not very close.
• The corridor must remain in its form.
• Place the trap in the passage and close it again.
• Mark the spot so it can be found again
• Check daily whether an animal has been caught.

Anyone who has obtained permission and caught a mole must then release it again in a suitable place. Information about such a place can be obtained from the responsible nature conservation authority or the local forest ranger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the mole under protection?
Because it is beneficial and not a pest. It eats pests that live in the garden soil and loosens the soil when it digs. He does not eat roots or plants. Where a mole lives, there is excellent soil, really good gardening quality, which would otherwise cost a lot of money. On the other hand, the animals have become rare because they can no longer find sufficient habitat.

How far away from the home garden should the mole be released again?
Moles have a very good sense of direction. They find their way back to their old territory. It is therefore advisable to release it a few kilometers away so that this does not happen.