Every gardener wants to keep his lawn in good condition, and the harvest in the garden is safe and sound. But if suddenly moles have settled in you, then they will make a lot of holes and moves and destroy all the fruits of your labor. Consider what to do if a mole is wound up in your garden, and how to deal with it.
Peculiarities of the mole's life at the dacha
To start a fight against moles, you need to know the characteristics of their lives. Mole refers to mammals insectivorous animals adapted to the underground lifestyle. His body is rounded, covered with a black velvety fur coat. Mole coat has an unusual property - it grows vertically.
This does not prevent the animal from moving underground both forward and backward. The forelimbs with large claws have a spatulate appearance, much stronger than the hind ones. The animal has a short tail, a small head with an extended nose in the form of a moving proboscis. Although the ears and eyes are very small, a wonderful sense of smell and touch helps the animals to orient themselves.
The mole lives in a dwelling below ground, which is most often located in a knoll and consists of a complex system of passages, and a lair located in the middle. The mole digs tunnels at an extraordinary speed, and the dug earth is thrown to the surface. The lair is covered with soft substances, several moves lead to it.
The female in April-June, sometimes in August, gives birth to up to five cubs here. The mole feeds on insect larvae, earthworms, woodlice, slugs, frogs, mice, lizards, etc. During the day, the animal eats the amount of food, approximately commensurate with the mole's body weight.
The mole swims well. To provide himself with water to drink, he digs deep vertical holes. In winter, the mole goes deeper into the ground, but does not fall into hibernation.
Since moles are not rodents, they can damage plants as a result of digging moves. Mole tunnels are located below the surface and deeper. Combs on the lawn belong to the feed tunnels, and deep tunnels connect the feed in a single network.
Important! Moles check all their tunnels almost every hour. If the tunnel is damaged, the animal is in a hurry to restore it, usually breaking through below the level of this tunnel.
Animals move at a speed of 5-6 km / h, they practically do not go outside. The animal is very careful, therefore it is very difficult to catch it.
Whom are moles afraid of? These animals also have enemies. These include fox and raccoon dog. They arrange hunting for an animal, but, having caught, do not eat it. A large number of moles catch petting, eating them, despite the peculiar smell.
Who else digs holes in the garden, how to distinguish "mole piles"
Moles are not the only pests that can dig your lawns. Therefore, in order to effectively deal with the problem, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause. Since we often do not see pests, but only observe the results of their activity, it is necessary to know that gophers and voles can have similar signs of habitat.
The shape of the dug up land can serve as the main feature in identifying a pest. Moles leave the mounds of earth in the form of a volcano, gophers - heaps in the form of a horseshoe, mouse voles do not leave piles of earth on the surface at all.
Vole mice dig holes about 5 cm wide near the surface of the earth and eat grass stalks. On the dug-up earth, many small traces are visible.
How to deal with the mole in the country, learning ways
Based on the characteristics of these animals, it can be argued that the fight against them is not easy. It is more humane to prevent them from appearing on the site. But this method is very time consuming.
For this you need slate, roofing material or other materials. to build a fence around the perimeter of the site. The fence will prevent these animals from entering the plot, so above the ground it should be up to 20 cm in height, and buried in the ground to a depth of 50-60 cm.
Did you know? The first mention of the fight against moles was in 350 AD. This was the decree of the Roman ruler of Palladium. It recommended the use of cats to fight moles and field mice.
Consider how to deal with moles in the garden.
How to scare away moles from your site
Gardeners are usually looking for pest control methods when their site has already been attacked by pests and the crop has suffered. Then the logical question arises: how to get rid of moles?
To do this, you can choose the most humane for the animal, but ineffective way. It is believed that moles are frightened by a variety of noisy sounds and sharp odors. As a deterrent use rattles - purchased or made with their own hands, as well as rotting food residues.
There is no doubt about the low efficiency of this method, since everything depends on the presence of wind and vibration with the desired frequency. An important role is played by the aesthetic factor, so this method does not enjoy popularity.
It is also known that moles do not like black beans, hemp, beans, garlic, onions, peppers planted on the site. These plants scare animals away with their scent.
How to remove moles from the dacha effectively? To do this, use modern technology based on ultrasound.
An ultrasonic device operating at a frequency of 300–400 Hz is used as a mole repeller. The instructions say that he is able to rid the site of pests at a distance of up to 20 m in radius from the device. For efficiency, it is necessary to use several such devices.
Did you know? The most ancient deterrent from moles were reed stalks. Each mole is inserted along the stem so that 60-80 cm is above the ground, and in the tunnel - about a meter. Reed in windy weather creates the effect of "howling wind." After a week, the moles disappeared.
How effective is the use of poison for the mole
Consider how to bring moles in the garden area using chemical methods of control. Zinc phosphide is used as a poison.. Since the mole is a predator, this method is not sufficiently effective. Although many gardeners use poison for moles and are happy with its result.
To the chemical methods of struggle are also "gas bombs". But if the system of tunnels is dug over a large area, then the effectiveness of this method is low.
To use insecticides to combat moles is impractical. First, you will harm your site, because you will destroy the earthworms, and secondly, this will encourage the mole to dig new tunnels in search of food.
Mole trap and trap
There are several modifications of mole traps. How to destroy the mole in the garden with the help of traps?
- Trap in the form of a pipe with two caps on the edges. The disadvantages of this device is the poor performance of the covers. The dexterity of the animal reduces the effectiveness of this device to a minimum. The mole easily determines the presence of a foreign body and bypasses it.
- There are special traps for moles. Though they are more expensive, they are commensurate with the diameter of the hole and, according to the conditions, are close to its roughness.
- Known and less humane method of struggle - a trap. It is installed in the mole tunnel and sprinkled with earth a little. Talk about 100% of its effectiveness is not necessary. Most often, moles bypass traps and traps along side or lower paths. The disadvantage of this method is that it may work from the shedding of the earth or not work at all.
As with the moles do not fight
Consider how not to fight in the garden with a mole, because these methods are ineffective and inhumane.
Water use
Some gardeners use water in the fight against moles. They dig a mole mole and pour a few buckets of water into the vertical hole until water flows from another tunnel, and the mole does not swim out.
But this method is not effective, because the system of moves is very extensive and multi-level. To flood one mole, you need 100-150 liters of water, and a small amount of water will attract earthworms, which is a treat for the animal, and it will remain here for a long time.
It should also be remembered that when the hole is flooded, an air blockage may form in the tunnel system, which reduces the effectiveness of the fight to a minimum. The high speed of digging the tunnels will help the animal to escape until the water is absorbed.
Use of pets
This method can be used if you have pets that can hunt, and you do not poison the moles with toxic chemicals. For the effectiveness of this method it is necessary to interest the cat or dog.
If you pay attention to the dog moving the land in the area of the mole heap, then this will be the best incentive for hunting. However, pets are now very lazy, because they have forgotten how to get food on their own.
The use of popular methods of struggle
When moles are found in the garden, the thought comes about how to get rid of them with folk remedies. Consider the types of these tools and all the advantages and disadvantages of their use.
Often people use the pot trap. Its essence lies in determining the current tunnel for the mole and placing it below its level of a saucepan or a three-liter can of water. Top hole closes the board and sprinkle with earth. We are waiting until the mole, passing through the tunnel, falls into the pan and sinks there. However, it can bypass this tunnel.
If you place poisoned meat or grain in a mole, or even a worm, it should be remembered that the mole eats live worms, so this method will not be effective at all.
Sometimes gardeners open the mole hunt. They bring down the system of tunnels and stick a shovel in the middle. Then they wait for the mole to appear. By stirring the soil determine its location. With the help of another shovel cut his way out. Then a third spade quickly dig out a mole, or prick it with a fork.
This method has many disadvantages. First, the mole needs to wait for about an hour, secondly, it digs very quickly, so you need to dig it out even faster so that it does not disappear. Thirdly, this method is very inhuman.
The appearance of the mole in the country - not only harm, but also benefit
Since the moles feed on bugs, insect larvae, they live where their maximum number is, in other words, in fertile soil. Despite the damage done moles are able to benefit.
They destroy the larvae of harmful insects and field mice. In addition, loosening the soil, moles help to increase its fertility, and also enrich the soil with nitrogenous compounds. The land of molehills is recommended for sprouting seedlings. The animal has a valuable skin, and this is its main benefit.
Important! In many European countries, this animal is listed in the Red Book, so you can not kill it.The main problem is that the moles live with their entire families, therefore, in a short period they will harm many of your plants.
No method of getting rid of a mole does not give an absolute result, therefore, the process of removing the mole from your site can be a long one. Choose the most effective and modern methods to combat this pest.
