Mole deterrents & repellents
Moles are mainly active in autumn and will at this time transform a beautifully manicured lawn into a freshly ploughed field. An active mole can open up to 20 holes per day, not to forget the tunnels that connect them. After a short time the molehills become numerous, destroying the landscaped lawn. There are many traditional forms of fighting the mole, but this is very difficult as the mole usually stays underground.
How to drive a mole away?
Traditionally there are several ways to get rid of a mole. Smell is one of them: stick banana skins, fish, garlic or anything that smells nasty down the tunnel of a mole and around their mounds. This method does work sometimes, if the tunnel system is not too expansive, but it will not keep away new moles with their own tunnel system.
Another way of driving moles away is noise. In gardens which are frequently used by humans, especially children and pets, you will find far less mole mounds than in gardens which are not actively used. Also the regular use of a lawnmower will disturb the mole significantly resulting in fewer molehills. But as the lawnmower is not continuously running through the garden, and the children already might be out of the house, you will need a different solution. A mole repeller causes a permanent and effective noise and vibration underground, making life for the mole most uncomfortable.
The mole repeller generates a shockwave at regular intervals, depending on the device every 15 to 30 seconds, causing a high frequency vibration which the mole perceives as most disturbing and uncomfortable. If the ground is very dense or the mole very stubborn, we recommend the use of the device with an extra vibrator, causing an additional strong vibration in the ground.
How do I use a repeller correctly?
Never put the mole repeller into the mole hill. The worst-case result would be, that the mole moves further into the garden. Depending on the layout of your garden and the adjoining area, the mole repeller should be placed strategically, urging the mole in to a certain direction and driving him out of the garden. To do this, start by placing the mole repeller near to the house and then by moving it every 2 to 3 weeks in the direction in which you want the mole to leave the garden. The progress can be controlled by watching where the new mole mounds come up. It is ideal to have more than one mole repeller in use. This gives you a better possibility of defining the escape route and shepherding the mole out of the garden. Although the devices emits a noise at various frequencies, it is advisable to switch off the devices at intervals, as a mole might get used to the continuous sound pollution and decide to live with it. To do this every mole repellent has an individual on/off switch.
What must I pay attention to when buying a mole repellent?
- The power of the solar panel and the batteries installed are an important feature. If the device is used in Northern Europe a fully charged battery should last at least seven days without sunlight. If the panel is not powerful enough, the device will stop working and the results will not be satisfactory.
- A large solar panel does not always mean that it is effective and that it can generate enough power for the batteries to fully load them.
- A compact and slim design of the mole repellent makes insertion into the ground easier. The thicker the device is, the more difficult it will be to push it into the ground. A large diameter does not necessarily mean that the effect and function better or that the area covered is larger. Effectivity and functionality are dependent on the integrated electronics.
- One feature that many mole repellents do not have is an easily accessible on/off switch. This switch is essential in the tactics of driving the mole away. Switching off the device from time to time prevents the mole from getting used to the disturbance. The different frequencies generated help lessen this effect, but switching the device off from time to time guarantees success.
What does a mole look like?
The dominant feature on a mole are its large, shovel like front paws. The fur of the mole is black, its size between 15 and 19 cm and its weight up to 100 g. A healthy mole will live up to 4 years.
How does the mole live?
Using his shovel like front paws the mole tunnels through the ground creating a large network of passageways. It can move approximately 30 cm per minute when digging new tunnels. Throughout the day the mole crawls through the tunnels in search of food. The natural enemies of the moles are martens, cats and birds of prey. If there is need or he feels hungry, he will only leave his tunnels at night. He will then feed on plants which cannot be found in the darkness of the tunnels. The mole will also only come out at night because his eyes are highly sensitive to the light of day.
When is the mating season?
The mating season of the European mole begins early in the year. Outside of them mating and breeding season the mole will live on its own and stay within its territory.
When the male mole is searching for a female, it will expand its territory excessively, causing a huge number of mole hills in the garden. It will also defend this territory against other male moles. After a short time, the passageways of the mole can be up to 100 m long. The mole will burrow as fast as it can to find a female. It can dig up to 1 m within three minutes. The burrowing will produce excessive earth which is then pushed out of the tunnel, resulting in a small earth mound on the surface. Female mole is only prepared for mating through time 30 hours. If the male mole arrives after this time, the female mole will attack and chase away the mail. If the male arrives on time, then mating takes place in the tunnels.
Damages
Moles destroy many gardens, lawns or football fields with their molehills. This can be very irritating and annoying. To get rid of moles we recommend Gardigo Mole Repellent products, which will effectively drive all moles out of the area. The Solar Mole Repellent, Mini emits high-frequency sound into the ground and the Mole and Ant Vibration Repellent additionally has an integrated vibration module, making life for the mole most uncomfortable and urging it to retreat. The Solar Mole- and Vole-Free, Diamant and the Solar Mole and Ant Vibration Repellent are equally effective at making the life of the mole unbearable.