The mole appears in the garden only when there are favorable conditions for its habitat. In just one day, this animal is able to create an underground system of passages of 15-30 meters. Urgent action must be taken to save the harvest.
The fight against moles involves the use of many different methods that each gardener can choose on their own. You can bring this animal out with the help of chemical and folk remedies, as well as using various traps and repellers. In addition, it is important to carry out preventive maintenance periodically.
Features of the behavior of moles
Before you determine how to get rid of moles on the site, you need to know what conditions will be comfortable for the animal and what he does not like. For the life of moles to be comfortable, they need to live close to a large amount of food. Therefore, they often appear near the garden or summer cottage. In addition to worms, beetles and larvae, animals can settle on a site with loose soil, which is periodically dug up and fertilized.
Beforeto start fighting moles, you need to learn about the features of their behavior. Usually the animal settles on the site with its family, which is quite numerous. For the winter, they equip a warm hole for themselves, often located on hills. With their moves, the animals harm the root system of plants, but they do it completely unintentionally.
The fight against moles in the garden is quite difficult, since it is not so easy to catch them, and very painstaking work is required to get them out of your plot. In its moves, the animal moves very quickly, its average speed is about 5 km per hour. In case of danger, the animal will defend itself, scratch with strong paws and may even bite. Moles simply do not tolerate free space, which is why they rarely rise to the surface of the earth. Poor eyesight is fully compensated by a good sense of smell and hearing. This makes it easy to bypass the set traps. These animals are very voracious, so in just a couple of days they can simply cause irreparable harm to the site.
Benefits of the mole
Before you start fighting moles, you need to know exactly what the benefits of these animals can be. Among the main advantages of this animal, it is necessary to highlight the fact that it:
- loosens the soil, which contributes to the saturation of plants with oxygen;
- rescues from pests, eats invertebrates and insect larvae;
- increases the nitrogen content in the soil.
Moles eat garden pests, so they are of great benefit, although they themselves are a source of food for predatorsanimals. They are most active in early spring, and then soil damage gradually decreases as it dries out.
Harm from the mole
Many gardeners complain that animals simply destroy their crops, but it is worth noting that this damage is indirect. The harm from moles in the garden is that they dig tunnels for themselves, as a result of which earthworms leave these places, and the roots of plants dry up. Small earthen mounds immediately become noticeable. You need to take immediate action. At the same time, the earth is trampled down, and then watered to retain moisture and the plants could strengthen again.
Harm of moles for the site is that:
- rodents use these passages in search of food;
- damaging the root system of shrubs and garden plants;
- marginal soil is brought to the surface;
- animals carry parasites that spread infection;
- young trees may be affected.
Moles change their feeding place all the time. As soon as there is less food on the site, they move to a neighboring garden. This animal will fiercely defend its territory and will not tolerate neighborhood with other families.
How to deal effectively with moles
There are many different ways to help get rid of these rodents, the most common of which are:
- repellers;
- traps;
- granular preparations;
- mesh;
- folk remedies.
Mole control can be purely mechanical, such as nets and traps. They work on the principle of mousetraps and allow you to catch animals in holes. However, there is absolutely no guarantee that new moles will not settle in the garden. That is why the effectiveness of this method is not too high.
In addition, among the mole control measures, one can single out the use of granular preparations containing essential oils and lavender extract. The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the drug, the effect of which will end in just a few months.
Among the effective means of combating moles, one can single out the use of special repellers. These devices make various sounds that propagate within the soil. They scare away the animals that leave the sites with their whole families.
This method is quite safe and simple, and also very reliable. However, it is worth considering the range of the device on the site.
Using traps
Many are interested in how to drive moles out of the area quickly and efficiently so that they do not cause trouble. Manufacturers offer to simultaneously use different models of traps that belong to the same type. They are small pipes with caps on both sides. These devices are quite inexpensive and do not give practically any result, since often the animals simply do not go to an unfamiliar object, whichappeared on the lot.
You can buy traps of a slightly larger size so that their design is the same in diameter as the mink of the animal, and the walls are rough. Thanks to special valves, it is possible to easily keep the animal inside. There are many varieties of such traps, in particular:
- tunnel traps;
- mole catcher pipes;
- live traps;
- plunger devices.
With their proper application, you can quickly and effectively get rid of these animals in the garden. Traps are also good because they give an unambiguous, visible result, which immediately becomes obvious. Their main disadvantage is the complexity of the installation, since you need to dig out the moves of the mole. It is also important that it will be necessary to regularly catch animals that periodically appear on the site.
Live traps work according to a very simple principle, since the animal easily gets into them and can no longer get out. There are already finished products, but you can easily make a trap yourself. To do this, you can use plastic water pipes or bottles. In addition, a pit trap can be used, which is a wide bottle or glass jar located under the mole's path. The animal just gets into it and can't get back out.
Also, you can use traps that just kill the mole, but this is not very good, since the animals do not do much harm.
Animals Repellers
Specialists are sure that these animals simply cannot stand loud sounds. That is why many gardeners recommend using various kinds of mole repellers. They give a fairly good result, but it is worth remembering that the animal may eventually return.
Special devices can create discomfort for shrews, for example, ultrasonic repellers such as Bioguard and Chiston. They are buried in the ground. It is worth remembering that they have a sufficiently low power, therefore, they may not give any result.
Such a device makes an unpleasant sound for animals and scares away all rodents within a radius of 20-30 meters. Among the shortcomings of mole repellers, it should be noted that such devices must be located throughout the site. In addition, they have a fairly high cost.
Among the sound repellers, firecrackers should also be distinguished, since this is a fairly effective way to deal with moles, in addition, it has a low cost. Many gardeners claim that after applying this method, the animals do not appear on the site for several seasons. To do this, you need to dig a mole hole, throw a lit firecracker into it and cover the exit with your foot. The result is a dull underground explosion. A similar procedure must be repeated with each hole.
You can make a repeller yourself. To do this, take an empty plastic bottle without a cap. Deep into the ground you need to stick an iron rod, put a bottle on it. When the wind will blowthe plastic will begin to make unpleasant sounds that the mole's auditory organs cannot stand, and the animals will leave this place.
You can dig empty glass bottles upside down at a slight angle, leaving about 10 cm above the ground. The wind will blow into the neck and the bottle will make an unpleasant whistle.
Among the main advantages of using repellent devices is the maximum ease of use, combined with the absence of the need for contact with the rodent itself. However, there are certain disadvantages of repellers, since there is no way to predict in advance how effective this remedy will be.
Mole scaring does not always happen very quickly and effectively, since even the best devices help to get rid of animals in at least 1-2 weeks. In addition, it is not always possible to accurately determine whether the animal left the site or not. Thus, it is advisable to use repellents even before mole trapping, as an experiment.
Traps and special mole breaker
Some gardeners are interested in how to get rid of moles on the site with the help of traps. Even with enough strength, the animal simply cannot get out of the modern device. The difficulty lies in the fact that you need to properly install it in the tunnel. Many fear that after violating the integrity of the moves, the mole will suspect something is amiss. The mole catcher helps to fight the animal much more effectively. It is a trap made of wire. Whenthe head of the animal contacts the spring, it is trapped.
To install the mole catcher, you need to remove the top layer of soil near the hole and put the device. The device is mounted in two directions at once, which will not allow the pest to bypass the trap. During the installation of the mole trap, hands must be in gloves, as animals smell well. The main varieties of traps include:
- plunger traps;
- wire mole catchers;
- harpoon traps;
- simple crushes.
Many other designs can also be used and are available in a wide range. Every year there are more and more advanced devices. Electric mole traps are practically not used, as there may be certain problems with electricity in the country.
Many of these devices are almost instantaneous and also easier to use. However, before using them, you need to consider whether it is really worth killing animals.
Other methods of dealing with animals
Fighting the mole in the garden involves the use of a variety of means and techniques. If more humane methods do not give the desired result, then poison can be used. These animals feed mainly on earthworms, and they can become bait. To do this, you need to carefully cut the worm and put a little poison in it, which can be purchased at a specialized farm store. Such baits should be placed near the entrance to wormholes andcover them with soil.
In addition, many use smoke bombs. Such a tool is simply ignited, laid in mole passages, and the hole in the soil is tightly closed. The smoke will spread along the aisles, scare away the animal or poison it. Some prefer to use exhaust gases. To do this, they are driven into the passages through a hose connected to the exhaust pipe of the car.
In some cases, flooding holes with water will be quite effective, which often leads to subsidence of the soil and the creation of a small swamp. Dogs or cats can also successfully catch moles in the area. Dachshunds and fox terriers do this most effectively.
Folk remedies against moles
How to get moles out of the site, many gardeners and gardeners want to know. They are always in search of the most effective method. A good result can be obtained by using folk remedies to combat moles in the country. You can drive the animal away with the help of ordinary reeds. You need to take its stems and clean it thoroughly. Then place the resulting tube in the mole passages. When the wind hits, such a repeller will annoy the animals with its sounds.
You can scare away pests by planting garlic, legumes, onions, hot peppers on the site. Moles simply cannot stand these smells and will prefer to leave the already inhabited place.
There is another effective, but rather costly way to deal with moles on the site. To do this, you need to dig sheets of slate, tin or linoleum to a depth along the perimeterabout 70 cm. Such protection will be a very reliable barrier to the penetration of moles into the area.
The most common method of getting rid of this animal is to scare away the mole with smells. In this case, you can use a variety of oils, solutions. Summer residents bury rags moistened with kerosene, turpentine or naphthalene into wormholes. In addition, you can fill in carbide, tar, and other strongly smelling substances by pouring water on top of them. Then it is good to dig in all the holes made earlier. All of these methods require methodical, precise, and precise execution.
In addition, you can buy special mole balls with an unpleasant smell, such as Detia. This is an effective German remedy with a lavender scent. In addition, there are Alphos tablets, which, when in contact with water, release phosphine gas with a very unpleasant odor.
Prophylaxis
The best way to get rid of moles in your area is to carry out prevention. Such work must be carried out every year in order to accurately protect your future crop from this pest. Often used methods of dealing with moles, such as:
- placement around the perimeter of the propeller garden;
- use of electronic scarers;
- creation of small earthen ramparts on the border of the site using sand.
In addition, special barriers can be used to prevent pests from entering the site. Faced with such an obstacle, the animal simply will not be able to dignext.
In early spring, you can try to destroy all the food of moles, namely, bugs, larvae, worms. However, it is worth noting that when using a large number of aggressive chemicals, the soil can be very affected. In addition, many pests and larvae are located deep underground, and chemicals simply will not reach them. Therefore, the use of such funds is not only inappropriate, but can also be harmful.
It will not be difficult at all to drive the moles from the site, but the main thing is to competently and responsibly treat the task. Then it will be possible to achieve a very good result.
