Mole facts
- Moles are small, subterranean mammals from the Talpidae family.
- They are very well adapted to life underground.
- An extra thumb next to a regular thumb helps them shift large volumes of earth.
- Their fur sits vertical to their skin so that they can move as quickly backwards as they can forwards.
- Moles eat a diet of earthworms and other small invertebrates found in the soil.
- They can tolerate low oxygen levels.
- Moles are mostly solitary animals, coming together only to mate, but territories often overlap.
- The earth that moles move to make their burrows is expelled into mole hills above the surface. This can:
- kill parts of your lawn
- undermine plant roots
- damage lawn mowers and farm machinery
- on agricultural land mole hills can damage crops and contaminate silage
- make a lawn unusable for sporting activities such as golf.
- Moles have tiny eyes and can’t see very well, instead relying on their other senses to navigate and find food.
What you can do
- We would normally recommend removing the resources a pest is using to deter them from an area. However, we do not endorse killing off entire ecosystems underground (such as earthworms and invertebrates that they feed on) to keep moles away!
- Electronic/sonic deterrents are not effective (see https://doesitreallywork.org).
- You may notice a short-term benefit, but most users report that moles ‘get used’ to the sonic bleeps and return, or move on to another area in the property.
- Instead, call us to discuss a trapping programme.
If you have a mole infestation, we will…
- Investigate the burrow system.
- Set specialist traps throughout the burrow system.
- Come back and reset traps (usually 2-3 visits are needed) until we are happy that all the moles in the area have been removed.
Mole Control in Swindon & Wiltshire
How Do You Know if You Have Moles?
Very rarely seen above ground, the European Mole (Talpa europaea) are a common pest in the UK and they leave a trail of destruction behind them. They are voracious insectivores who have to constantly dig to satisfy their need for earthworms and insects. Using a particularly keen sense of touch and sensitivity to vibration the mole is able to track its prey hiding in the soil. If you have moles, it is easy to spot; however locating the mole is a different matter entirely. At Mission Pest Control we offer specialist Mole Control in Swindon and the surrounding areas. We are experts in their removal from gardens, sports grounds, farms and golf courses. If you need mole control in Swindon, then contact Mission Pest Control today.
Damage Caused by Moles
As well as causing unsightly mole hills a collapsed mole tunnel can also endanger livestock e.g. a horse breaking a fetlock. Mole tunnels also spoil flowers, vegetation and damage the roots of young plants and trees, leading to complications for other forms of nature which depend on all this for food and shelter. Molehills and their trails can also throw up stones and rocks which can damage agricultural machinery and equipment, causing a high cost to gardeners, farmers and businesses which depend on their grass and land for income and revenue. The majority of a moles diet consists of earth worms so they are likely to inhabiting grounds that are rich with insects and worms.
What to do if You’ve got Moles
If you’re starting to see holes then give us a call before the issue gets out of hand. Removing moles needs to be done by a professional pest controller to ensure the problem is dealt with fully and effectively. It’s important that you seek treatment immediately after identifying a mole problem as moles can tunnel up to 4 metres an hour and create extensive burrow systems, making them harder to control.
Based in Swindon, Mission Pest Control is ideally located to provide mole control in the Wiltshire area including Amesbury, Calne, Carterton, Chippenham, Cirencester, Corsham, Cotswolds, Cricklade, Devizes, Fairford, Faringdon, Highworth, Hungerford, Lechlade-on-Thames, Malmesbury, Marlborough, Melksham, Newbury, Purton, Royal Wootton Bassett, Shrivenham, Stroud, Swindon, Tetbury, Tidworth, Trowbridge and Wantage.
All work is carried out to the highest standards, and at very competitive prices. Our Technicians are fully qualified and can carry out a free survey and provide a detailed report, itemising our findings, recommendations and the cost of providing this service. Contact Mission Pest Control today to talk through your mole problems and to discuss a course of action.