Fighting moles. Folk methods. Do-it-yourself mole trap and fighting moles How to set traps for moles

The appearance of a mole in an area where various ornamental plants and vegetables grow can cause a lot of trouble for the owners. This animal is a nuisance by tearing up the ground. In this case, the mole can significantly damage the roots of plants. It is natural that in this way the amount of harvest can be significantly reduced. In order to prevent this, you should know how to catch a mole in your area.

General information

In fact, the mole is a harmless animal. His appearance is a bit like that of a rat. Moles live exclusively underground. It is worth taking into account that they do not hibernate. Young moles, in search of new housing and food, can move quite long distances - several kilometers underground. Animals eat:

Pest appearance

If an animal digs its own passages on the site, then its owner should not be upset. In fact, nothing bad happened. And it is not at all necessary to immediately set up traps for moles. There are even positive aspects to the appearance of the animal. For example, the drainage capacity of the soil and its aeration are improved. In addition, it is known that plants grow much better in soft soil. However, such moves can cause a lot of trouble for summer residents. This is due to the fact that moles accidentally damage the roots of plants: trees, flowers and many other garden crops. It is natural that none of the summer residents like this situation. For this reason, gardeners are wondering: how to catch a mole? Although in reality, in small numbers, animals benefit plants and soil.

Fighting moles: some methods

It is recommended to choose only humane methods. Their main goal is to peacefully expel the animal from the site. Before learning how to catch a mole, you should try the methods below. These methods help prevent the mole from re-entering the area. The essence of such methods is to use foul-smelling substances. For example, chemical or petroleum products. Homemade repellent devices are also often installed. Possible fencing or flooding of the area. The most humane way is to plant natural repellents. Later in the article, the most effective methods will be discussed in more detail.

Odorous liquids and substances

First of all, it is necessary to determine the path of the animal. In each fresh molehill you need to make a small hole. You can use a stick or drill for this. You need to get to the horizontal gallery. Pour one glass of the special mixture into it. It is prepared from kerosene and fuel oil in the following ratio: 1 to 2. After this, the hole must be filled with earth, then trampled with feet. You can also put the following in molehills:

Shag.
Tobacco.
Bleach.
Rotten fish.
Pieces of mothballs.
Tow soaked in tar or oil.

Due to the bad smell, moles leave the area. At first, these measures will surprise the animal, and it will go away for a while. However, this does not exclude the possibility of the animal returning to its previous areas.

Repellent devices

Since it is not always possible to catch a mole, you can use various devices that will help drive it out of the territory. There are many repellent devices. They help fight shrews and moles. The simplest repellent device is a pinwheel made from a plastic bottle. In order to make this device, you will need a piece of water pipe. You also need to prepare a plastic bottle. Pieces of pipes must be driven into the ground. In this case, you need to make sure that the lower end is below the mole's passages. A pin is inserted into the top of the pipe. Its optimal diameter is 8-10 mm. The pin is fixed in the center of the pipe. To do this, use a wooden plug. A hole is burned at the bottom of the bottle. This is done using a metal pin. It is necessary to make slits on the bottle. They should be located along a solid line. The plastic bends along the contour. There should be exactly four folds. The bottle will rotate with any blow of wind. In this case, resonance of the hollow pipe is noted, which creates noise. It has been established that moles are very afraid of him. For an area of up to 30 acres, about 10 such devices are enough.

Pinwheel

It is also made using a plastic bottle. You can also install noisy weather vanes equipped with propellers. On their axles, tin cans are placed in which pebbles are placed. The pin must be stuck into the ground. When there is a breath of wind, the propeller will begin to move. As a result, the pebbles begin to rattle. The sound is transmitted to the ground through the pin.

Bottle trills

Their use is considered very effective. You need to prepare an empty bottle. It's best if it comes from a champagne bottle. The bottle must be dug into the ground. You should choose an open, ventilated place for this. It is necessary to dig in the bottle strictly at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the soil surface. When the wind penetrates there, “howls” will arise. These sounds frighten the animals very much.

The old way

It can be called the "old-fashioned" method. It helps a lot in expelling moles from the area. You need to get some reeds. Recommended length is up to 2 meters. Reeds must be inserted into each hole that opens to the surface of the soil. There should be about 80 cm left at the top. It is known that moles are blind animals. However, their hearing is well developed. When the wind rises, the reeds will begin to create sounds similar to the “walking” of air in a pipe. It is not yet clear how, but it has an effect on animals. The effect is quite unexpected. The animals leave the area after about a week. Some older people say that this method is already about two centuries old.

Planting repellents

This method can be classified as a natural means of fighting moles. It is considered quite effective. This method is based on planting a specific type of plant. The animals cannot stand their smell. It is worth noting that this method cannot guarantee success one hundred percent. It is less reliable than mole traps or pesticides. However, this method is quite popular. Probably because it brings a lot of pleasure. The whole point is to grow plants that are quite attractive. This option is suitable for those who do not expect to get rid of animals instantly. It is worth taking into account the fact that the results will not be obtained very soon. It has been established that some bulbous plants can repel moles. For example, one of them is a narcissist. Other classic spring-flowering plants are also widely used. We are talking about imperial hazel grouse and Siberian woodleaf.

Popular types of crops

Marigolds are a plant that has a rather pungent odor. It is widely used for joint plantings. The essence of this lies in their ability to repel pests. Companions are also widely used. This is a vivid example of an organic method of dealing with animals. Many gardeners choose this method. Plus, you don't have to limit yourself to regular marigolds. You can also use some exotic plants for these purposes. For example, castor beans or spurge capers. One of these plants has long gained fame as a living repellent. It is also called "mole". We are talking about milkweed caper. This plant is an annual. At the same time, it successfully reproduces through self-seeding. The plant boasts a caustic sap, which probably repels animals. It is very often grown as an ornamental. Castor bean is an oil-bearing plant. It was previously used as a laxative. For some reason, moles really don’t like castor beans. The fact is that its fruits are quite poisonous. It is not recommended to grow this plant in an area frequented by small children.

How to make a mole trap?

There are many different ways to catch animals. Let's look at how to catch a mole on a hook. First of all, you need to dig out the hole. You need to put two hooks in the mole hole. This must be done on both sides. It is recommended to use three-point hooks. They need to be tied with some kind of wire. Otherwise, the animal may drag them away. The animal crawls into the hole and clings to the hook.

"Silent Hunt"

This method has been used for a very long time. Workers of the Gatchina menagerie resorted to him. Mole traps were not always at their disposal. As a rule, nurseries and flower beds are home to a small number of moles. Therefore, the workers used the simplest method: they armed themselves with iron shovels. It was necessary to watch for the animal in the place where the molehills were formed. Then they waited until the animal began to throw the earth out. Since it was quite difficult to catch a mole, it was necessary to act quickly. The workers, when signs of movement appeared in the hole, sharply stuck the shovel into the ground. It was necessary to do this across the course. Thus, the animal was thrown out. This method has now been improved.

"Pan" trap for moles, assembled with your own hands

This method is one of the most effective. The principle of its operation is very simple. It is necessary to find the middle of the mole's fresh move. You should dig a small pan below its level. A three-liter jar is also perfect. You can do without water, this is at the discretion of the owner. A special garden auger is best suited for these purposes. After the hole is ready, it must be covered with a layer of turf. It must be supported by two sticks. They are folded crosswise on the ground under the hole. As a rule, animals move very quickly along their course. Animals do not notice the danger and fall into mole traps. They are not able to get out of there on their own.

Finally

Above are the basic recommendations on how to catch a mole in the country. However, it should be said that it is advisable to use humane methods. A do-it-yourself mole trap should not harm the animal. After capture, the animal can be taken away from the site.

Which gardener has not been annoyed by moles! Damaged flower beds, plowed lawns, seedlings torn out of the ground are the usual results of their activities. This is all very similar to the damage caused by rats, mice and other rodents. But, unlike the latter, moles are not interested in the grown crop, since they feed on worms and other earthen pests.

Poisoned baits help get rid of rodents. But moles are completely indifferent to such drugs. Some try to poison them with gas, fill the passages with kerosene, or use other equally barbaric methods that cause more damage to the soil and environment than to the animals themselves. It is much easier and safer to use special mole traps - traps designed specifically for these animals.

Today, the market offers many different designs for catching moles in the area - from simple wire traps to modern technological solutions. What should you give preference to?

TOP mole traps for the garden and summer cottage

SuperCat Vole Trap from SWISSINNO (Switzerland)

The SuperCat Vole Trap mole trap is a small plastic cylinder weighing 350 grams and 23 centimeters high. Successfully catches mole rats, moles and voles. The principle of operation is similar to a mouse trap, only without bait.

The device, invented in Switzerland and manufactured in Slovenia, is characterized by a relatively simple installation that does not require the use of any significant force. Sticks vertically into the ground. All preparation consists of one step; you don’t even need to dig a tunnel.

Buy now - from RUB 1,326/piece

When the trap is triggered, its handle falls back. This is clearly visible even without removing the device from the ground. The mole can climb into it from any direction - the direction of movement does not at all affect the sensitivity of the spring.

The only drawback of this SWISSINNO mole trap is that when the device is triggered, another animal cannot get into it - the spring must be cocked again. Sharp plastic teeth can injure your hands if handled carelessly. Therefore, the trap should never be given to children.

SuperCat Claw

Judging by the reviews of mole traps, SuperCat Claw is the only mole trap model that is used not only by amateur gardeners, but also by professionals.

The trap works on the principle of scissors, with a pin sandwiched between the knives. It is installed in the tunnel opening so that the mole, when moving, hits or knocks out a jammed object. At the same time, the blades collapse, piercing the body of the animal.

Main advantages:

— simplicity of design;
— ability to adjust sensitivity;
- not complicated installation;
- light weight - only 290 grams;
— compactness – dimensions 3×12×17 centimeters;

Buy now - from 512 RUR/piece

Despite its apparent simplicity, it is not always possible to set a trap the first time. The reason is frequent obstacles in the form of dense clods of earth, stones or plant debris. In wet weather, the ground around the device is washed away by water, and it becomes visible. And at subzero temperatures, the handles often freeze and cannot work.

Review of the SuperCat mole catcher

We spend a lot of time at the dacha, growing flowers. Moles are constantly pestering us, so we decided to contact the pest control service, but the services were priced at a bit high - about 15,000 rubles (during the conversation it turned out that they also plan to fight by installing mechanical traps). We decided to buy mole traps and install them ourselves. We installed 6 pieces on a plot of 10 acres. The result is 12 moles in 2 weeks. In the next few weeks - 1-2 per week.

Tip for using the Claw trap:

— Install only with gloves
— Checking traps — once every 2-3 days
- install the mole trap 10-20 cm from the hole

MoLe Trap by SWISSINNO

The principle of operation of this trap is not complicated - it is placed across the mole tunnel with a pre-cocked spring, which opens the entrance and winds the guard. As soon as the mole stumbles upon it, the spring straightens, pressing the neck or head of the animal.

Buy now - from RUB 1,239/piece

The main thing is to install the Move Trap in the right place. A branded accessory for finding holes from SWISSINNO will help with this - a special rod equipped with a comfortable handle. With its help, it is not difficult to detect mole and mouse passages passing underground - you just need to stick the rod into the ground.

Wire mole trap SuperCat

The SuperCat Wire Trap is designed to kill voles and moles. If used correctly, it is a fairly simple and very reliable mechanical mole trap. The manufacturer recommends using four to eight pieces at a time. This significantly increases the likelihood of the entire mole family settling on the site being exterminated at once.

Buy now - from 340 RUR/piece

It is better to install a wire mole trap while wearing fabric gloves. This is necessary so as not to leave foreign odors that can scare off moles.

A little about humane mole traps

In addition to those mentioned above, gardeners often use so-called “humane” pipe traps. They come in both factory and handicraft production. And the principle of operation corresponds to the name: in the tunnel dug by the animal, a certain container with special doors, made, for example, from a piece of water pipe, is placed. A properly installed trap should be built into an underground passage. The mole runs into such a tube, but cannot get out.

It would seem that everything is simple - theoretically. In practice, the situation is a little different: when a mole moves, it usually pushes a lump of earth in front of itself. This earth falls into the pipe, the door slams, but the mole goes no further.

Despite all the assurances of the manufacturers, the efficiency of pipe mole traps is much lower than other designs. Yes, and it takes a long time to install it correctly. And the only advantage is that the animal caught in it does not die or receive any injuries. If desired, it can be released into the wild, having first been moved further away - several kilometers from the site.

But if we talk about humane treatment of animals, it should be noted that neither a mole trap nor a live trap have this quality.

Important! And if the factor of humane treatment of animals is decisive when choosing a means of fighting moles, then you should pay attention. Such devices allow you to try to solve the problem with moles without causing them physical harm.

How to properly install a mole trap on a site?

Five simple rules will help you correctly install a trap of any design, be it a simple wire trap or a reinforced mole trap from a Swiss company.

Before installing the trap, you must find the central passage of the tunnel. It is there that moles most often return during their underground wanderings around the site.

An obstacle must be created along the selected tunnel. If it is located not far from the surface, it is enough to simply compact the soil with your foot. For deeper passages you will need a shovel.
For the scissor trap(similar to SuperCat Claw) a lump of earth is placed at the bottom of the discovered tunnel. Grippers are placed on both sides of this lump, leaving a small passage. Then the device is secured as stated in the instructions.

A crush trap or harpoon trap is placed along the width of the mole passage. The racks are buried in the ground until the trigger mechanism touches the obstacle at the bottom. Now all that remains is to tighten the handle to bring the spring into “combat” readiness.

Installed traps should be periodically monitored, checking readiness from time to time. If the desired result is not achieved within a few days, you need to change the location of the device.

Animals caught in traps must be removed as quickly as possible.

Moles are very cute, but rather harmful representatives of the fauna. They do not eat plants, but cause significant harm to gardeners. While looking for plants that serve as the main food for blind rodents, moles damage plant roots. If several families have settled on the site, then they can completely lime the worms, which are producers of humus. The piles of earth that moles throw out when digging do not decorate the site.

It is difficult to get rid of small pests: they rarely leave areas where there is enough food. All that remains is to scare away or catch them and take them away from your garden or vegetable plot. In order to catch a mole, you need a special mole trap. You can buy the finished product in gardening stores. Usually it is a pipe with movable dampers attached at the ends. They open inward and work in such a way that a mole can enter the pipe, but the flaps prevent him from leaving. Similar mole traps can be assembled with your own hands from metal pipes or hard plastic. Sometimes small traps are used to catch moles. The difficulty in using them is that moles, unlike mice, do not eat food that can be used as bait. The method of trapping itself is unnecessarily cruel: moles often have their bones broken, after which they die painfully. Hunting traps are difficult to set in mole holes. To hunt moles, it is preferable to use mole traps made from scrap material or purchased in stores. Of course, it is worth considering that purchased traps are more reliable than mole traps made with your own hands from wood or plastic. However, about a dozen of both may be needed, so homemade devices are more economical. The simplest of them costs nothing: it can be made from an old saucepan.

The simplest trap

These mole traps, made with your own hands from unnecessary kitchen utensils, are easy to install. They find a passage, dig an old pan (jar) into the ground under it so that the animal running along the passage falls into this container. You can, of course, make mole traps with your own hands from old children's toys, wooden blocks or wire, but these products will require special skills. Even a woman can catch a mole in a tureen without outside help.

How to install mole traps:

Ways to fight moles

Before setting traps, you can try to scare away moles. Ready-made repellers are sold, but homemade ones can be made, for example, from a plastic bottle. To do this, a small plastic tube is dug into the ground below the mole hole. The bottom of the bottle is cut out (not completely, but slightly larger than the diameter of the tube). Windows are cut in the lower part and the plastic is bent to form blades. Place the device on the tube. The bottle will spin in the wind, hit the tube, and the vibration will scare away the moles. If the animals are not afraid, then a mole trap will come in handy. With your own hands, as we found out, it’s not difficult to do it.

Many summer residents are forced to wage a desperate fight against moles. By creating an extensive network of their burrows, the animals damage the root system of plants. First of all, moisture-loving vegetables in well-fertilized beds suffer: cucumbers in greenhouses, cabbage and zucchini planted in holes with humus. In these places, earthworms gather - the main delicacy of moles. Subsequently, mice penetrate into the mole holes and gnaw all types of root crops. Moles also cause great damage to lawns and lawns on which they build their waste heaps.

Means of combating these animals are divided into mechanical (traps, barriers in the form of mesh, slate), hydraulic (filling holes with water), sound (various repellers), chemical (poisonous baits, odorous substances), biological (planting plants that are unpleasant to moles), and the use of cats and dogs.

At my summer cottage, I use combined means to fight moles. The entire territory can be roughly divided into arable land (40%) and green zone (60%). Methods of fighting moles vary here.

On the arable land

To cultivate the land, I use a gas-powered cultivator Fermer FM-633M. It provides a processing depth of about 30 cm. Since the feeding burrows of moles are located at a depth of up to 16 cm, the process

plowing, they are all naturally destroyed. At the same time, a side effect, as if free of charge, is the scaring away of moles. The fact is that a gas-powered cultivator, loaded with heavy work, creates significant noise: up to 96 decibels. As the cultivator moves as a source of noise, the moles run away in horror from the entire arable land.

Here we need to compare the effectiveness of a noisy cultivator with advertised ultrasonic repellers powered by batteries or sunlight. The range of such devices does not exceed 10 m. There would have to be a lot of them installed at my summer cottage.

Of course, after finishing plowing, moles can return to the site. On their way, I dug protective ditches along the perimeter of the arable land. To be honest, I needed them primarily to control weeds and to drain excess water in the spring and during the heavy rainy season, so their use against moles can again be considered a side effect.

Barrier grooves

At a summer cottage, a green zone surrounds the entire arable land and constantly encroaches on it. From here, grass and weeds, especially wheatgrass, send their roots into the arable land, and this has to be fought every year. The simplest and cheapest way to prevent weeds from encroaching on arable land is to install a barrier ditch along the perimeter of the arable land.

A multifunctional barrier ditch along the perimeter of the arable land is dug to a depth of approximately 20-25 cm and the same width. Digging it in loose soil (after plowing) is not difficult.

How do such grooves fight moles? Let's imagine that the animal makes its nest in a green area, somewhere under bushes or trees. Feeding burrows diverge from this “den” at a depth of approximately 10 cm. Through such a hole, the mole ends up in my ditch and, frightened by the open space, returns back to its hole. Why?

It is known that moles see poorly, therefore, in open space, which they feel, so to speak, with their bodies, they lose a sense of security, realizing that great dangers await them here: predatory animals (cats, dogs), birds, and even summer residents armed with shovels , flat cutters or pitchforks! The mole will not risk his life; he will turn around and hide in the hole.

I am convinced of this every time by examining the grooves along the entire perimeter of the arable land and noticing traces of “attacks” on the “border” I created. This is shown in Fig. 1. A round hole (hole) is visible in the wall of the groove, and at the bottom there is a small pile of loose earth.

DIY mole trap

In such places I install mole traps, which I make on the basis of a plastic tube with a diameter of 75 mm and a length of 200-300 mm. I install doors at both ends of the tube that can only open inward. In the upper part I drill a group of holes with a diameter of 10 mm. These holes are needed to observe the caught prey.

The end of the mole trap is shown in Fig. 2 (position a). The door is made of tin. In the upper part it has ears with holes for installing an axis (nail). The door has an oblong shape; when installed in the tube, it is in an inclined position, and its lower end rests on the floor (position b), which does not allow it to open outward.

Before installing a mole trap, it should be freed from odors that may frighten a sensitive mole. To do this, rinse the pipe in lye (in a solution of stove ash), and then bathe it in a solution of soil from the arable land (in liquid mud).

The mole trap is installed in our groove opposite the hole and covered on top with a thick black rag (the holes in the upper wall of the tube are covered). The rag should not have any foreign odors; it should also be dirty with dirt.

To remove a caught mole from the trap, the nail (Fig. 2a) is pulled out and the door opens outward.

During daily walks to observe the prey, it is enough to lift the rags without removing the mole trap from the ground. If prey is discovered, it is recommended to injure it through the mentioned holes using an awl or screwdriver. Without this, a strong mole released from the trap can scratch your hands and run away.

In the green zone

The green zone is the main habitat of moles, where their family nest is located at a depth of 0.5 to 1 m. To protect the area along the perimeter of the green zone (near the fence), it is necessary to dig protective ditches. Here this work is more labor-intensive than on arable land. But this is a one-time thing. The grooves will last for many years to protect against new mole infestations.

After this, it’s worth working as a cultivator. But there is no need to plow deeply. It is enough to carry the unit around the green zone in the transport position. The wheels of the cultivator do not have a motor drive; the transmission only rotates the cutters, due to which the cultivator moves itself; it only needs to be supported. As a result, only shallow marks are left on the green zone from the impacts of the cutter blades. But if there are a lot of mole “volcanoes” somewhere, then it will be useful to use a cultivator to level the area.

In general, you need to develop a scheme to bypass the green zone, identify places where you should make noise longer, etc. Gasoline consumption by the Fermer FM-633M cultivator during plowing is approximately 1.4 liters per hour, and at idle it will be significantly less . Please note that driving around the green zone with a cultivator in transport mode takes a little time.

After completing the one-time noise procedure, you need to bypass the traps installed in the grooves around the arable land. Is there any loot in them?

Then it is worth inspecting the new grooves on the outer border of the green zone. If traces of moles are found here, then additional traps must be installed. Then, the next day, the noise detour of the green zone must be repeated and the traps must be inspected again. This way you will be able to completely get rid of moles on the site.

DIY mole trap - drawing

A gas-powered mower can also be used as a mole repeller. In this case, you will use gasoline, as usual, to mow the grass, and get rid of moles as a by-product, as if for free. But the effect may be less than with a cultivator.

A humane way to capture underground animals

A sure sign that a mole is operating in the area will be piles of loose earth that appear out of nowhere and cover the entrance to the holes. How can a blind animal harm a gardener? The animal finds food based on its perfect sense of smell and hearing. Since in land treated with various fertilizers the percentage of worms, midges, and beetle larvae is much higher, mole families settle next to the “feeder.”

The myth that moles are vegetarians is not true, since their main diet is insects or mice, and the mole family can harm crop growth by digging a network of passages and holes in fertile soil.

Mole traps come in several variations. If the pest infestation in the area is small, then humane options, such as homemade plastic traps, are suitable to solve the problem.

Popular live traps

Operating principle of the device

If the mole has already moved in, then repellers are unlikely to have an effect. Subterranean animals that prefer silence become accustomed to the noise of windmills constructed from polypropylene bottles or low-frequency signals from ultrasonic devices.

Easy-to-make devices are useful for fighting moles in small areas: in the garden, garden, near the house.

Plastic bottle trap

In specialized stores you can find a trap in the form of a plastic pipe. You can make homemade mole traps that are identical in functionality with your own hands. The operating principle of a purchased one will not differ from a home-made trap.

The mole catcher resembles a small piece of pipe, designed to fit the size of the mole, with doors at the ends that only open inward.

What is required for the device to work effectively?

You need to put bait in the middle of the pipe.
If you design a trap yourself, consider the volume of the bottles so that the mole’s body can fit inside.
You need to install the mole trap correctly.

While picking up a delicious meal in the form of beetles or earthworms, the mole will not be able to get out of the trap on his own.

How to design a trap

Available: plastic bottle fixture

How to make a mole trap from plastic bottles? Making a homemade trap is a little different from a purchased pipe. On portals dedicated to the topic of gardening, you will be able to find the necessary drawings, and before starting work, see what the result should be.

Take three empty plastic bottles of the same size.
Using a utility knife or scissors, cut off the bottom and top of the first bottle.
The remaining two need to be cut approximately in the middle. Only the tops are required for the trap.
Cut the neck, creating “petals”.
Place the necks into the body of the main bottle on both sides.

When crawling into such a trap, it will not be a problem for the mole to bend the petal, and after the pest reaches the desired target in the main hollow section, the closed neck will not let it out.

Where to place the mole trap

A properly created trap will not guarantee that a mole will fall into it. To obtain the result, the correct installation of the live trap is required.

Your homemade device is installed exclusively in wormholes.

Preparation and placement of mole traps

It is advisable to bury plastic pipes in newly dug holes. Finding them will not be difficult, since they are located relatively close to the surface of the soil near the dug heaps. Where the mole made its way, the soil loosened in the tunnel will be slightly raised. Installation details can be seen in videos posted on the Internet.

Efficiency of the method

This self-made mole trap, proven in practice, is not inferior to store-bought counterparts. The use of simple, uncomplicated technology will allow you to get rid of the pest, while saving the life of an animal that accidentally entered your territory.

Common errors that prevent the trap from functioning:

Having chosen an old move for installation, which the mole family has not used for a long time, the live trap will stand idle.
There should be no dead end on the trap; access must be made only in two directions.
For reliability, secure the edges with tape or insulating tape.

The effectiveness of live traps is the same as that of traps, and using this method of control, you will not reduce the mole population.

Catch a mole in a jar

Having tried the live trap represented by a pipe, an additional way to protect the crop will be a mole trap-jar. It's much easier to do. The basis can be a bucket, a trimmed five-liter bottle, or a glass jar. The main selection criterion will be open access from above for the animal.

Scheme for catching a mole using a made apparatus:

Dig a hole at least 25 cm deep.
You need to dig where there is a fresh passage.
To prevent the animal from noticing the trick, compact the soil a little near the container placed in the recess.
It is necessary to cover the top of the trap with thick fabric or wood so that light does not penetrate into the hole.

The mole, moving through the tunnel, ends up in a container from which it cannot escape.

What to do with a caught animal

When the animal was caught

When installing traps for moles in a vegetable garden or garden plot, they should be checked for the presence of “prey” several times a day, otherwise the animal will simply die from lack of water and food.

Blind animals are not as harmless as people imagine. To protect itself from danger while freeing itself from a live trap, a mole can bite with sharp teeth.

The find should be treated with caution. It is best to take the mole to a remote area in a pipe or jar, and then release it into the wild.

There is no guarantee that new individuals of the species will not settle on the site, but there will be no guarantee even if deadly traps are used.

Working mechanisms

If the mole population exceeds 5-10 individuals, then you cannot do without traps. They work flawlessly. You can make the structures yourself, but it is preferable to purchase spring triggers in specialized stores. Thus, you will not get hurt during the manufacturing process, the design will be durable, and in case of breakdown or failure to perform functions, you can always order repairs using a warranty card.

Trap for an underground animal

A mole trap is a ready-made device, upon contact with which the animal is killed by suffocation or fracture of the cervical vertebrae. The basis for traps is a wire base.

You can free territories from moles using scissor traps, plunger mechanisms, all kinds of nooses, and crossbows.

Catch with a scissor trap

By choosing a trap presented in a design similar to scissors, you will certainly know that it has worked. This type of mole trap is quite well known among gardeners due to its advantages:

It's easy to install. You need to insert the handles into the soil and cock the mechanism.
You can see that the trap has worked even from afar.
Sensitivity is adjustable.

Disadvantages of the pest control method:

The small size is sometimes not enough to place the device in a tunnel at depth.
If you don't adjust the sensitivity, it triggers on leaves, stones, and nuts.
In cold weather, frozen handles do not function.

Since the main harvest time is the summer-autumn season, and fresh passages are located near the surface, the disadvantages will not play a decisive role during the purchase.

Skat-1 system against the blind beast

Plunger designs

In terms of efficiency, plunger designs are not inferior to scissor traps. There are two main types: “Scat-1”, “Scat-2”. A mole trap, regardless of type, is designed to kill underground inhabitants.

The operating principle of Skat-1 is similar to the operation of a crossbow. To start work, you need to stick the legs into the soil on the sides of the mole's hole, cock the spring, which inserts the guard into the hole.

Hitting the guard, a spring is activated, which releases three spokes into the mole, killing the animal.

How does Skat-2 work? Catching occurs similarly to the first plunger design, only, having touched the guard, the staples clamp the pest, breaking the backbone or limbs.

This method of fighting is considered professional, although live traps will bring more results, since after the plunger mechanism is triggered, you need to re-tension the spring, but a large pipe can accommodate 2-3 adult individuals at once.

Will a loop trap work?

A suffocating trap for a mole is made of wire. This loop is easy to make yourself. If you don’t have enough time, then similar mechanisms can be found in agricultural stores; the price relative to other traps is not so high.

Like any type of trap, a wire loop is laid in the move. Crawling through a round hole, the mechanism is triggered, and the mole is squeezed by a deadly noose.

The device is designed for reusable use, so that by purchasing several traps, you will be able to clear the land of moles that prefer to settle in families.

Harpoon fishing

Another type will be various crossbows . This rather labor-intensive process of catching moles can harm even humans. How does a mole trap work?

Harpoon for catching underground animals

A pipe filled with gunpowder and shot, sealed on one side, is used.
Nichrome wire is connected to the gunpowder.
In the same way, connect the motion sensor at a distance of 20-30 cm from the crossbow.
As the sensor passes by, the wire heats up and the device kills the animal.

An absolutely inhumane method of fighting is not only labor-intensive, but in most cases it is useless, because if the mechanism does not work, the animal will be injured and will die for a long time and painfully.