WHAT ATTRACTS A MOLE?
With the better weather and lack of rain, more time can be spent in our gardens admiring plants and wildlife. The same can be said for moles! Their main purpose is to search for food by digging multiple tunnels which can satisfy this need. Basic garden maintenance can encourage moles into our gardens, freshly dug soil, mown grass and newly laid turf can all stimulate worm and insect activity, which in turn can provide fresh feeding areas for moles in certain areas. Watering of a garden during dry spells is a definite attraction. Although plants are not on the menu for moles, their constant...
Read MoreMole Activity
The mole population across the UK certainly seems to have increased at a vast rate this year! It may be because of wet and warmer winters and generally more rain producing better conditions for worms, the prime food for moles. Moles are built to dig. Their body shape and very powerful front claws are ideal for shifting large amounts of soil in a short space of time. A technique similar to swimming is used to construct feeding tunnels, which in turn can create ridges or molehills. These can seriously affect a lawn, garden, paddock, flower bed or vegetable patch, to name but a few. The tunnels...
Read MoreCURIOUS MOLE FACTS.
At one time, mole skins were used to make waistcoats, trousers, hats and even coats. It would take over 100 moleskins to complete a waistcoat! In some parts of the country a molehill is known as a “wontyhump”. It is claimed that the average mole can move around ten pounds of soil in approximately twenty minutes. If needed, a mole can excavate around eighteen to twenty metres of tunnels a day, depending on the soil! The word “mole” could be derived from the word “moldwarp” which literally means earth thrower! A mole does have eyes, but they are very small and protected by fur and instead...
Read MoreMOLE ACTIVITY AREA – BH18 (BROADSTONE POSTCODE)
LOCATION: Broadstone. LOCATION TYPE: Mainly urban area with domestic housing bordering onto heathland. The course of the disused railway line, now a road and trail way, offers embankments and a rural break between built up areas. The area has several recreational playing fields. To the north is a large golf course and wooded area that is perfect for mole and other wildlife activity. Most of the eastern side is heathland and wooded areas with a main road running from top to bottom with the southern side backing onto large areas of housing. The western side borders onto open heathland....
Read MoreMOLE ACTIVITY AREA – BH23 (CHRISTCHURCH POSTCODE)
LOCATION: Avon, Bournemouth International Airport, Bransgore, Burley, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset, Highcliffe, Hurn, Mudeford, Friars Cliff, Parley, Ringwood East, Sopley, St Leonards and St Ives, Walkford, Winkton. LOCATION TYPE: A real mix of landscapes, including a large airport, several large towns and villages, farmland, flood plains of the River Stour and the River Avon, coastal fringes with cliffs and forestry and heathland. There are areas of retail outlets and industrial estates as well. LIKELY HOT SPOTS: The airport area is a magnet for moles! Even the road verges suffer. The soil...
Read MoreGarden Invasion Report
THE SUSPECT: The European Mole – “Talpa europaea” Length: Typically between 13 and 16 cm. Weight: Up to 128g. Colour: Moles have short black-brown fur. Identifying features: Large, clawed ‘spade-like’ front feet, a long, pointed, fleshy nose and very small eyes. Breeding: The normal litter for a female mole can be up to 7 and the average lifespan of the mole is between 2 and 3 years. Diet: Moles are carnivores (worms, insects, beetles, etc.) THE EVIDENCE: ...
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