the essentials in brief
- Fighting moles is prohibited. Disturbing noises and smells frighten the mole, so that the mounds can then be removed.
- Moles are very active and can ruin an entire garden with mounds of earth. This offers the gardener several advantages. You don't go into hibernation.
- Recognizing a molehill is not difficult. The burial activity of the moles differs from the activity of the vole.
What to do against molehills
Before eliminating the molehill, you should identify and evict the culprit. With all measures you have to weigh up whether they really make sense. Otherwise you can quickly come into conflict with the nature conservation law. Therefore, do not use chemical agents, but resort to gentle home remedies.
also read
- Mole or vole in the garden? - How to find out the difference
- What helps against voles in the garden? - Tips about vole control
- Mole devastates the garden - what to do?
Fighting prohibited
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the mole is listed as a specially protected species according to the species protection ordinance. According to the Federal Nature Conservation Act, it is forbidden to kill, capture or injure specially protected species. Those who break the law risk high fines in the five-digit range.
Means against molehills
To get rid of molehills, you need to scare off the mole. Simply removing the molehills makes the problem even worse as the animals speed up their digging activity. There are some home remedies that can effectively drive the mole away. To be successful, the funds must be distributed in the underground passages at regular intervals of a few meters. Provide the mole with an escape route so that it can leave the garden.
| medium | application | effect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sounds | buried metal bars | frequent knocking with a stone | less promising |
| Smells | Vegetable manure, patchouli oil, cat litter | Apply evenly to passages and hills | effective with regular renewal |
| Obstacles | Lawn edging stones, root barriers | Lay in the ground in front of the beds and lawns | successful prevention |
Bottles in molehills
Empty bottles that are buried directly in the molehills and in the corridors are supposed to disturb the animals. The neck of the bottle protrudes about ten centimeters from the ground, so that the wind generates sounds when flowing in and out. These noises spread underground in the corridors. For the method to be effective, the bottles must be distributed over the entire surface. Otherwise the mole will quickly find alternatives where it will not be disturbed.
´Moles have sensitive senses. They are sensitive to disturbing noises and smells.
Level molehills - caution is advised
The molehills are not just accumulations of excess soil. They serve as vital ventilation systems so that the mole gets enough oxygen in its underground burrow. The animal produces a lot of carbon dioxide, which accumulates in the corridors. When you level a molehill, the mole will quickly dig new ventilation holes. In this way he avoids the danger of suffocation. As a garden owner, you should resort to other measures.
If the mole is gone:
- Remove soil and use it as potting soil for demanding plants
- Divide the piles with a rake so that the surrounding vegetation gets fresh soil
- Flush the hill away with a garden hose
- Push in little heaps and step flat
Eliminate molehills with the lawnmower?
With the lawnmower, the piles of earth can be easily spread and ideally the earth ends up with the lawn clippings in the grass catcher. But caution is extremely important with this measure. When moles push the earth up, small stones can also get into the molehill. These are not immediately visible and damage the knives.
How are molehills formed?
A mole in the garden does not meet with the goodwill of most hobby gardeners. Molehills are not welcome in beds or on the lawn. The mammals are able to pile up to 20 mounds of earth per day. Plant roots can be loosened or damaged by digging underground. Nevertheless, the mole is not a plant pest, because it only feeds on animal prey.
YoutubeDigging
Moles dig with their forelegs, which have been transformed into digging tools. The palm of the hand turned outwards pushes away the substrate that has been loosened by the five toes. When the earth piles up, the mole pushes the material to the surface with its head. This happens at a distance of 50 to 100 centimeters, depending on the nature of the soil. The animals push the earth sideways upwards so that the molehill is created diagonally above the passage.
Why gardeners benefit from the mole:
- The substrate is loosened and aerated over a large area
- finely crumbly excavated material is ideally suited as potting soil.
- Moles eat pests
Tips
Robot lawn mowers are supposed to drive away moles, because the animals react sensitively to the continuous noises and vibrations.
Molehills in winter
Moles are also active in winter because they do not hibernate. It happens more often during the winter months that the animals create a so-called mole castle. This consists of a central hill that is significantly larger than the surrounding piles of earth. The mole builds its nest under the castle.
In particularly wet weather, the upper soil layers are softened, so that more worms and insects occur here. Moles search for food close to the surface and produce more excavation than in drier times. In this weather, the mole relocates its nest and builds an above-ground swamp castle.
Digression
Farmer's rules around the molehill
Animals have a special meaning in farmer rules, because weather forecasts can be made based on their behavior. The saying "If the molehills are high in the garden, a harsh winter can be expected" refers to the typical mole castle that the animals create in the winter months.In the same way, the farmer's rule “If the moles scratch themselves deeply, it will be a hard winter” can be interpreted: in severe winter months, the ground frost moves into deeper layers of the earth, so that moles have to retreat further into the ground.
Recognize molehills
It is not only for the satisfaction of interests to find out who caused the hills in lawns and beds. Identification is the first step in initiating action. Since the mole is under nature protection, inconsiderate control methods can result in high fines.
Vole hill - difference to molehill
It is not uncommon for vole mounds to be traced back to the burial activity of moles. At first glance, the piles of earth of both garden dwellers look very similar. Make sure there are no plant debris and roots in the heaped soil. Such remains indicate the activity of voles that feed on plants. Molehills are free from vegetable residues.
- Passage cross-section : transversely oval in the mole, upright oval in the vole
- Mound shape : round in the mole, oblong and flatter in the vole
- Tunnel system : voles dig directly under the sward, moles dig deeper layers of the earth
Dilapidation
The dilution test gives you an indication of who caused it. Put a stick in a circle around the mound in the ground to feel it. If you come across a cavity just under the sward, a vole is likely to be responsible for the mounds of earth. To substantiate this suspicion, open a section of the duct system over a length of 30 centimeters. Handle it carefully so that the tunnel doesn't collapse.
Since voles are very active, they will close the hole again within the next few hours. Moles take their time on repair work. They are fearful and see the destruction as a threat. Only in rare cases do moles block the passage opening. Usually they avoid the open tunnel and dig an alternative passage.
Tips
Put on gloves when doing this, because the vole can also be influenced. It perceives the human body odor as a threat.
frequently asked Questions
How do moles survive winter?
The animals lay down an underground food supply consisting of living worms. The mole bites off the front body segments of the invertebrates so that they continue to live and can no longer escape. If the earthworms do not survive this type of storage, the mole will no longer touch them.
How deep does the mole dig?
The tunnel systems are not located directly under the sward but at a depth of between ten and 20 centimeters. If the conditions in this area are not optimal, the animal retreats to deeper layers of the soil. Its tunnel system, which can be up to 200 meters long, often extends to a depth of one meter.
Do molehills make ecological sense?
The digging activity of the animals suggests healthy soil. The more hills there are on an area, the more species-rich the soil life is. The mole turns out to be a natural pest controller that controls the populations of various insects. Through its corridors it ensures loosening and drainage of the soil. The hills ensure an optimal growth base for plants that cannot gain a foothold on a closed vegetation cover.
Do moles have certain activity times?
Since the animals live underground, they do not follow a distinct day-night rhythm. The activity of the European mole is divided into three sleeping and waking phases. In the mornings, afternoons and around midnight, the animals are active for around four to five hours. When they don't sleep, they dig more tunnels and hunt prey. Their activity is year-round and is not interrupted in winter.
