How To Protect Your Garden From Moles

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

The invasion of the garden of moles is easy to recognize by the large mounds of land, spoiling the landscape of luxurious green lawns, favorite beds and colorful flower beds. Moles turn into a big problem surprisingly quickly. Loosening of the soil and damage to the pest population do not compensate for the harm they cause. To fight such large underground enemies, you should arm yourself with the most modern and humane means. And remember about nature and ecosystem. Indeed, in a war with moles, not all means are good and permissible.

The benefits and harms of moles in the garden

Moles provide some benefits, but mostly in the wild. This underground furry animal feeds partially on pests and prevents soil compaction. But when the mole appears in the garden and garden, the sight of the mounds it leaves is terrifying. Despite the fact that moles do not feed on plants, they do not harm them intentionally, but rather “on the way”, loosen the soil, fight several pests and small rodents, they are still disliked. And it is no coincidence. After all, none of the talents of moles compensates for the threats and harm caused.

The reason for the dislike of all gardeners and gardeners for this malefic visitor is not only the loss of the aesthetic appeal of the landscape. Of course, the sight of dug beds or a lawn covered with mounds of earth will not bring anyone pleasure (and it is impossible to mow it). But digging in plants, disturbing the relief and structure of the soil is much more dangerous - the uncontrollable loss of part of the plantings and compositions. Breaking through its passages close to the surface and forming huge voids of tunnels, the mole endangers most plants, primarily bulbous, tuberous, herbaceous perennials, vegetables, grasses, sown seeds, seedlings and seedlings. The activity of moles inflicts special damage on beds with root crops. Plants suddenly find themselves in voids, remaining with bare roots, falling through or pushed to the surface, doomed to die.

There are other dangers associated with moles:

1. Voids at such a shallow depth - an additional risk of injury, accidentally "losing the ground" under the foot during work.
2. Moles mix fertile and infertile soil layers.
3. While developing the territory, moles can damage drainage ditches, drains, cables and other communications.
4. The variety of beneficial worms and insects suffers significantly, and with them the entire ecosystem.

Violent activity of moles on the site

In gardens and orchards, moles are attracted by loose soil, perfect for tearing, in which it is much easier for them to make their own moves. And the better and more fertile the soil, the more worms it contains, the more tempting the site.

In our gardens, several subspecies of moles "wield", but the European mole dominates. Beautiful short hair and a pretty cone-shaped head with a small proboscis adorn these relatively small and pretty insectivores from the Mole family. The wide, outward-facing forelegs allow efficient clearing and throwing of soil, and the keen sense of smell and hearing makes it easy to find food. The size of garden moles will not exceed 18 cm with a mass of up to 100 g, even in the largest males.

Moles are the main evidence of the appearance of a fur guest on the site. Unlike flat mounds, which are left by voles, molehills are cone-shaped, high, hiding wide "entrance" holes, in which undamaged plant roots are clearly visible.

These underground loners surprise with a very complex system of moves. They develop their activity in a fertile soil layer. Nests at a depth of up to 2 m are surrounded by circular galleries with several types of passages and storerooms with supplies. The nests are connected to the aft sites by residential passages, the location of which is indicated by a chain of molehills on the surface. Most of the forage passages are located at a depth of 6 to 20 cm - just in the root zone of most cultivated plants. They are hidden, without ejection of the earth.

Moles do not hibernate, and even in regions with severe winters under snow cover they continue to dig passages, going deeper.

Moles breed in spring, once a year. But on the other hand, each female is capable of bearing up to 5 cubs during a short four-week pregnancy. Fast growth allows babies to become fully independent in 6-7 weeks.

The food of moles is quite diverse. They adore snails and slugs, small mice, beetles, wood lice, spiders, bears, wireworms, May beetle larvae and other pests, but the main and favorite delicacy is worms, especially earthworms. One mole eats the same amount of food per day. The appearance of moles leads to a significant reduction in the population of some pests. But the number of beneficial insects that participate in the formation of humus and are important for soil fertility is decreasing several times. The gluttony of moles, which cannot live without new food for more than 17 hours, makes them break through up to 20 meters of moves a day. And if families appear on the site, they cover amazing territories.

Mole prevention and control

It is almost impossible to create a "continuous" barrier against moles. Of course, you can try using one of the cardinal measures to keep moles out of the garden:

1. Digging in shields or nets around the perimeter of the entire plot, lawn or garden. A screen about 40 cm deep is enough to prevent moles from getting in. But few can afford such measures, which require considerable effort and earthwork, in an already equipped garden.
2. Cats and dogs are effective but capricious hunter assistants with a character that is not easy to interest in moles.
3. Sowing aromatic herbs and planting plants with poisonous roots. Such use of legumes, daffodils, dill, hazel grouse, basil, celery is controversial, and it is almost impossible to protect a plot or a vegetable garden from all sides with frightening plants.

For most gardeners, the fight begins only when the first molehills appear. So that the mole does not have time to harm the garden and flower beds, it is better to choose spring for "anti-mole" measures, before sowing and planting.

In the fight against moles, the most useless activity is to touch the system of their moves. When one move is filled or flooded, the moles will make several others, causing even more harm. The more tampered with in their elaborate system, the larger the “answer”.

Barbaric methods of fighting moles: traps, traps, snares, agents impregnated with pesticides, dangerous for the soil, useful animals and even humans - are vestiges of the past. I want to fight against moles not only safely, but also peacefully. In many countries, moles are animals protected by the Red Book. But even if the extermination of moles is not an offense in our country, you should not resort to extremes. Moles are one of the most important "links" of the ecosystem, maintaining the balance of the soil. They bring a lot of benefits in nature, even if they remain unwanted guests on the site. Having found molehills in the garden, you should not condemn valuable animals to death: instead of extermination, it is not only more humane, but also more rational to choose the path of scaring away.

Moles have such a sensitive hearing and charm that finding a safe and completely ecological product that will help scare them away from the site is not at all difficult.

Moles in plots and gardens can be fought with:

1. Electrical and mechanical repellents that use noise, vibration or ultrasound to scare moles away from an area.
2. Biopreparations - special, completely biodegradable in the soil and absolutely safe for the environment.

An excellent solution for those who adhere to an eco-style of life and care about nature - a peaceful assistant in the fight against moles, the biological product Krotomet ECO. It will effectively protect lawns and garden beds, flower beds and flower beds. Easy-to-use balls allow you to scare away moles without damage for eco-balance and the slightest threat to humans, animals and soil microflora. The repellent properties of this effective biological product are provided by a completely natural, biodegradable composition based on a mixture of essential oils. Fragrant and safe, they will reliably protect the garden, lawn and decorative plantings from moles for the whole season. In addition, there is no need to worry about the beds, since the drug is not only versatile in use (balls can be laid at any time as needed), but also safe for the harvest,as it decomposes naturally and does not harm the environment.

The use of Eco's Mole Thrower will be absolutely "invisible" even on the front lawn, because this tool does not require any serious digging or installation of devices. It is placed not in passages and tunnels made by moles, but directly in the soil, creating a deterrent barrier. The balls are buried to a depth of about 25 cm at a distance of 0.5-1 m over the entire area of the beds and lawn or along the perimeter of the site. For effective protection against the appearance of moles, it is enough to renew the strips at the beginning of the gardening season.

Moles transform a well-kept garden into a dug minefield with numerous passages and galleries. By scaring away, but not destroying, you can find a modern eco-solution even for the problem with this tireless digger.