The mole is a fascinating part of the English countryside, but its tunnels and molehills can quickly become a challenge in the garden. Here, you can read about the mole's habits, what the molehills signify, and how to deal with the problem responsibly.

Did you know that the mole:

• is equipped with 44 small, sharp teeth – more than most other mammals.
• lives alone and does not hibernate.
• can leave its tunnels at night to hunt or drink dew.
• digs tunnels approximately 4–6 cm in diameter – roughly the same size as the mole itself.
• can grow up to approximately 20 cm in length, weigh around 130 grams, and live for up to 7 years.
• is related to the hedgehog and the shrew and feeds on insects and other small animals.
• found in the majority of England, though not on all islands or in Ireland.

The mole – the lawn's major challenge

The mole is specialized for life underground. Its body is long and sturdy with a pointed snout, and its legs are short and held close to the body. The forepaws are powerful, facing outwards and backwards, and an extra digit on each forepaw makes them highly effective digging tools.

The mole navigates its tunnel system effectively and uses its keen sense of smell to detect uninvited guests and locate prey. Its constant search for food creates numerous molehills, and its shy nature makes it difficult to get close to.

Lifestyle

Mole tunnels are usually located 10–30 cm below ground. The tunnel system acts as a kind of trap: the mole patrols the tunnels and eats the small creatures that fall into them. Its diet consists primarily of earthworms, but also includes insects, slugs, millipedes, and other small animals.

The mole is very active because it needs to consume large amounts of food every day. It is this activity that creates the many visible molehills in the lawn.

Positive and negative consequences

The mole does not normally gnaw on or eat garden plants. However, it can push plants up when digging new tunnels. The tunnels help aerate the soil, and the mole eats many insects that might otherwise be unwanted in the garden.

A mole is territorial, so there are often only one or two in an ordinary garden. However, if a tunnel system becomes vacant, a neighboring mole can quickly take over the area and dig new tunnels.

Molehills often become particularly visible in the autumn, when the mole digs deeper. Frequent digging can make the lawn uneven and difficult to keep looking neat.

Effective and responsible control

Always choose a solution that is legal and used in accordance with the product instructions. Exhaust fumes and similar methods are not a good solution and are prohibited in many countries. A mole's tunnel system can be extensive and well-ventilated, and such methods can cause unnecessary suffering.

Mole repellers and scent balls often yield inconsistent results. A mechanical trap, correctly placed in an active tunnel, is the most targeted solution. Always wear gloves when setting the trap to minimize human scent around it.

V-TRAP is a robust stainless steel mole trap that can be used again and again. Watch the three short videos before setting the trap:

Useful advice

• You can optionally water the soil back into the tunnels using a garden hose. Active tunnels are often dug up again.
• Always wear gloves when setting a trap.
• Talk to the neighbors if the problem affects multiple gardens.
• Avoid covering the hole above the trap with a bucket or other objects that carry a foreign odor; instead, loosely fill the hole with the excavated soil.
• After a catch, the trap can be placed in the same tunnel system again if activity continues.
• Consider the timing of the control measures. In late summer, the young disperse, and natural predators also help keep the population in check.

See the mole up close

See how the mole lives and finds its food underground.

See V-TRAP mole traps