Holy mole-y! Pest numbers hit 62 million
They are moles and they live in holes. And thanks to the wet spring and balmy summer there are now a lot more moles living in a lot more holes than there were last year.
In fact, over the past 12 months the fuzzy brown creatures have more than doubled in number across the country to 62 million.
And that population boom is also being seen in Shropshire.
"I've never known a year like it," said David Mackintosh, whose business, Wrekin Mole Control, covers Shropshire and Staffordshire.
"We had such a mild winter and I think they've just bred and bred and bred."
Margaret Thrower, daughter of the late Percy Thrower, who was affectionately known as "the nation's head gardener", has been kept busy repelling the invasion.
"I have had to resort to traps, which I really don't like, as the moles have been burrowing in my flower beds and making a real mess of the roots of all my plants," she said from her home near Shrewsbury.
"They have also been under my lawn and the problem then is that you can't see where their burrows are and then you go over on your ankle when the ground sinks below you."
Part-time gardener Malcolm Fletcher has also been confronted with mountains of molehills. "As a gardener there's no doubt about it," he said. "There are a lot more moles. Down around Cound and Eaton Constantine there are moles everywhere."
Jim Eaton, of Shropshire pest controllers Pestforce, said: "We normally get one or two calls a week. This year it's probably four or five a week at the moment."
The UK's mole population has also been boosted by floods in other parts of the country. Mole expert Derek Crawley, of the Mammal Society, said: "The floods force moles to disperse to new, drier ground. This ground is generally higher and because they are good swimmers they can even survive getting swept miles away from their original home."
Moles primarily eat earthworms and other bugs found in soil, and trap their prey by digging huge networks of underground tunnels. After a gestation period of around a month, a pregnant female mole – known as a sow – gives birth to between two and four young, known as pups. The result can be seen across the county and beyond. As well as gardeners calling for help in salvaging their lawns, Jim Eaton is also dealing with 400 acres of farmland that is being invaded from underground.
Moles are seen as a pest by farmers because valuable livestock can quite easily break an ankle or leg by stepping into a molehill. They also contaminate grass with dirt and droppings which are toxic to livestock.
Mr Eaton said: "The problem with molehills is they carry Listeriosis – listeria. When that gets into the silage crop it causes problems for animals. It also causes silage bales to rot from the inside."
And David Mackintosh, of Wrekin Mole Control, added: "One farm in the Hinstock area I cleared last year, but this year I caught 82 moles on that one farm.
"People do get upset about it because their gardens are in such a mess. In one way it is good for business but obviously it means I am incredibly busy all the time.
"I've been catching them for a long time, so I know what I'm doing, but people think it's really easy but they soon realise it's not just about buying a few traps.
"I've been catching moles for more than 20 years and I have never seen anything like this year."
Experts top tips to combat mole invasion:
Margaret Thrower gives her top tips for beating the mole invasion.
Moles love fertile ground where the soil is good and where they can search for food easily.
Mothballs, orange peel and anything else that has a strong smell can be known to deter moles in some gardens. Windmills also cause a vibration and have been known to scare moles away.
Trapping them is sometimes the only option, particularly if they are burrowing through flower and plant roots and digging up your lawns.
An old wives tale is to stand at 12pm where the moles burrow and when you see any movement under the ground whack it as hard as you can.
Some people swear by electric mole scarers. Other people say they are a waste of money.
I would persevere with what works for you. Every garden is different and every mole differs too. If something works, stick with it.
