Moles - cute and seemingly quite harmless black animals, well-known to all the old funny cartoons. Their diet is solely food of animal origin, so they do not pose an immediate threat to the crop, such as the bear , but swarms in search of food can seriously damage the root systems of plants and even trees. Do not confuse them with mole rats, whom in the people are still called gray moles - these "nags" really steal root crops.
In connection with the fact that moles have almost no natural enemies in nature, and their way of life is underground, the question of how to deal with moles can not be given unambiguous and effective recommendations. Therefore, before starting a difficult process of fighting moles at the dacha, one should compare the benefits and harm to the site with these animals. So, there is an opinion that the digging of the passages promotes drainage and loosening of the earth: during them, during the thawing of the snow, water flows and through them the necessary oxygen penetrates into the deep layers of the soil. So, it is believed that the earth for seedlings is better to type in molehills - it is more fertile, seeds of vegetables and berry bushes grow better in it. But in some cases these black animals deliver a lot of trouble, especially if they are in charge of planting potatoes, vegetables and flowers. With a large mole in the field, their moves interfere with manual mowing while harvesting hay. Therefore, if the mole still appeared on the site, the question of how to get rid of the unwanted guest is very relevant.
Methods of combating moles
Known to date methods to combat moles have a very controversial effectiveness. To drive the mole from a site where it is comfortable and satisfying, it is almost impossible to kill them pitifully. Let's consider the main available methods.
- Ultrasonic moles repeller. It is believed that ultrasound, with a frequency of 300-400 Hz is able to scare away dacha pests. This is one of the most humane methods of dealing with them. In order to achieve the desired result, you should not save - you need to place on the site exactly as many devices as necessary according to the instructions, otherwise there is a risk that the mole will simply move to that part of the site where the repeller is not audible. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of such devices is very controversial - often animals simply ignore them, or even dig in deeper.
- Traps are a radical means of fighting moles. It is pointless to place them in molehills, you should find the place where the mole came to the site - as a rule, the land there is elevated in the form of a hemisphere. Plastic gates are less dangerous for moles in terms of physical damage, but their efficiency is lower than that of metal ones - this design can only be retained by a young or weak individual. An adult mole can easily get out of a plastic trap and, having a good memory, will continue to bypass them and dig in.
- Hydrogen sulfide firecrackers and rat poison are effective but cruel methods.
- Catching moles - to catch them is not difficult, they are most active at dawn, you need to observe where the earth comes into motion and put a shovel in the ground, blocking the course. Also, animals are afraid of drafts, so to lure the mole, you can dig a molehill - soon its owner will come to close the gap. The only problem in this case is where to put the mole itself. If there is a field or forest in the immediate vicinity of the site, you should not release it there - there is a risk that he will return to the company of hungry relatives.
Folk remedies against moles
In search of methods for the most effective control of moles, enterprising summer residents use the following:
- homemade repellers - reed stems, 1.5-2 m long, are inserted into the molehills so that the end rises above the chamois at 60-80
see. From the wind, the reeds vibrate and this vibration can scare off moles; - planting on the site of black beans, imperial hazel grouse - it is believed that moles do not tolerate the smell of these plants, so they will not venture to straddle where they grow;
- the construction of turntables made of plastic bottles - it is believed that the crackling that they emit when gusts of wind is also unpleasant to black excavators;
- placing in crocheted pellets of pig manure, herring heads, the smell of which will cause the mole to leave the site.