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They dot the landscape for as far as the eye can see and although molehills are an accepted part of the rural landscape, an out-of-control mole population can spell disaster for the ground beneath your feet. Like rabbits and foxes, it is an essential aspect of land management that the mole is controlled.

Rarely Seen

As pests go, the subterranean mole is rarely seen, the only evidence of it being in an area are the molehills it leaves behind as it tunnels underground. It is a mole that neither seeks nor enjoys human contact and, unlike other pests, it presents no significant health hazards – such as carrying life-threatening bacteria – to humans.

So, what’s the problem?

#1 Underground Tunnels

A single mole can excavate around 18 feet of tunnel in one hour. They are active only for short periods, around four to five hours, so that means 72 to 90 feet of tunnel excavated during its ‘active’ period.

And that is just one mole. If you have a whole group tunnelling away beneath your lawn or your pasture, this creates a maze of tunnels systems that make the ground above more than a little unstable.

#2 Unstable Ground

Unstable ground is bad news in many ways;

• Livestock can cause it to sink and give way, with injuries to legs not uncommon
• Heavy rains can cause the land to slip
• Land that sinks under the weight of mole tunnelling activities can limit its use, bad news when land is at a premium
• Reduces valuable grazing area

#3 Changes the Composition of Land

The molehills may look cute and fascinating but the movement of soil deep beneath the ground can expose contaminants and insects that reduce the quality of the land. As well as reducing pasture, these molehills will often become covered in weeds meaning that the quality of the pasture diminishes.

#4 Damage Crops

Crops, from food crops to allotment harvests, can be damaged by mole activity beneath. The root systems of some plants are so fragile that any disturbance leads to poor yield or worse still, dead plants.

#5 Health and Safety in Public Places

For the sports clubs, molehills in their pitches are not welcome but aside from this aesthetic concern, there is also the issue surrounding health and safety, more so in public spaces. People tripping over, the ground giving way, you name it, an uncontrolled mole population can cause serious problems.

Call us today to discuss a mole problem as we specialise in mole control and molecatcher services.