Mole Numbers Increasing

Current reports indicate that the mole population is soaring in the UK and is currently estimated at 33 million and growing!
The increase is partly being attributed to the banning of strychnine and to the foot and mouth epidemic which prevented pest controllers travelling to rural areas, leaving the moles free to breed over a period of many months.
Prior to the strychnine ban, many farmers and landowners dealt with the moles themselves but now pest controllers are inundated with calls to deal with them, with some companies saying that the calls received to deal with moles have tripled.
The mole’s favoured habitat is in permanent grassland and deciduous woodland but together with farmers and gardeners, any groundsman will know that they are also rife in playing fields, parks, golf courses – in fact anywhere where the soil isn’t stony, waterlogged or overly acidic.
Moles have a great impact on agriculture when the inclusion of soil from molehills in silage can result in unpalatable silage. Molehills are particularly unwelcome on the expensive turf of golf greens – often causing damage to mowing machines by throwing up stones.
Various methods of prevention and control can be utilised when dealing with moles and each situation should be carefully assessed to determine the most appropriate course of action.