Pest Mole in Your Garden?

Have You Got a Pest Mole in Your Garden?

Mole Traps: Can You Use Them?
by: Andy Beard

Mole control is one of the most complicated problems that can face a gardening enthusiast.

It is not from lack of information. Plenty of information is available. University research, governmental brochures, and plenty of expert opinions.

It is not from a lack of products either. At any time there are 10 or more different varieties of mole trap on sale, plus various poisons and repellants.

The experts, university professors, and even the government even come close to a concensus. Mole traps are probably the most effective method of mole control, if set correctly and checked on a regular basis.

Most reports however take a very simplistic view:

- They consider only a single plot of land.

- They give no regard to whether neighbouring plots are residential, farmland or wooded.

- They provide no recommendations on how to co-ordinate efforts with neighbours. For example, if one neighbour has a huge infestation of moles, but refuses to take action, can they be force to do so? If you used fumigation in such a case, could they hold you liable for killing their moles?

- They fail to mention that specific rules apply to specific localities.

There are states in the US where the use of mole traps are restricted. There are areas of Canada where both the Eastern mole and the Townsend mole are a protected species. The bordering states in the US have no restrictions, yet species conservation is meant to be a global concern.

Lethal methods of mole control can only be used in Germany where the moles are a confirmed hazard. The use of traps in many US States currently falls under hunting regulations, which can require a license. But the license requirement is often not enforced.