Molecan cause many problems in the garden. It digs underground tunnels, damages plant roots, and its mounds spoil the lawn. It is therefore not surprising that many gardeners want to get rid of the mole at all costs and wonderwhether it is possible to kill the moleThis question appears quite often, becauselegal status of the mole seems quite vague. We explainif the mole is under protectionand what methods of fighting moles we can use in our own garden.
The mole is under protection but only outside the garden
Fig. pixabay.com
In this article,we will start by discussing the regulations regarding the moleRegardless of the interpretation of the regulations, remember that apart from the law, our conscience and common sense also matter. Therefore, in the further part of the article I will suggestwhether it is worth killing a moleLet me give you some information that may turn out to be very surprising for you!
Is the mole under protection?
Many doubts arose around the mole's legal statusIt is hardly surprising, since even legal opinions on this matter can be different. On the one hand, there is a strong need to get rid of the pest from the garden, on the other hand, there is legal restrictions and the awareness that a mole is an animal.
Below I presentreferences to specific regulationsand present my private interpretation of them. However, I would like to point out that professionally I am not a lawyer and I can be wrong. There are links to the laws and regulations in the content, which will allow you to verify what I wrote.
The current legal situation of the mole for 2019 is regulated by the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 16 December 2016 on the protection of animal species, issued pursuant to Art. 49 of the Act of April 16, 2004 on nature protection (Journal of Laws of 2016, item 2134).
The regulation clearly states thatmole is a species under partial protectionThe regulation also states that such species are not allowed, among others. kill, mutilate or capture, transport, or intentionally introduce into the natural environment (why am I mentioning the latter, I will explain in a moment).
In the same regulation, in the place where the mole is mentioned, it is also added thatprotection covers only "individuals outside the area of gardens, horticultural crops, forest nurseries, grass airfields, earth structures, hydrotechnical facilities and facilities sports "
As far as I can read it, it means thatlegally speaking, a mole in gardens is not protected and can be fought like any other pest.
The mole in the garden is a real nuisance
Fig. pixabay.com
By the way, I had doubts about the thesis put forward by some thatin the garden you cannot kill a mole, but you can catch it in a trap and take it to the forestThe last one is nothing other than transport forbidden to species under partial protection and introduction to the natural environment. I am not saying that it is better to kill a mole in the garden than to take it alive to the forest. From a moral point of view, catching a live mole and taking it to the forest is correct. But it is worth making sure that it complies with the law (in my opinion it is not).
To sum up - the regulations say thata mole cannot be killed in its natural environment, but this protection is turned off in the gardensWe can fight the mole in the garden.
However, I emphasize that these are only the conclusions that I came to after reading the regulations.Don't criticize me as a merciless mole-killer.Personally, I have never killed or hurt a mole, and what's more, I think that from an ethical and moral point of view, one should not kill a moleAnd it usually does not pay off. I'll explain why.
Is it worth killing a mole?
Well, personally, I think thatthe mole is not worth killing , although I also understand people who are completely fed up with this pest. Before I turn to the fact that a mole can be useful, let me give you a practical example.
One of my allotment gardeners friendsdecided to kill molesbecause his lawn looked like a construction site - only excavations. The mound next to the mound …
So he reached fora very radical way to deal with the mole , which is the Target Mole-trap pyrotechnic trap. This device is quite expensive but also very effective. As my friend said: "5 used firecrackers and 5 killed moles."So no firecrackers were wasted. There was always a dead mole next to an installed trap.
But so what?After each mole annihilation, peace was only a few weeksThe plot is located in a forest area and the next moles come one after the other. The traps are now installed to eliminate the sixth mole in a row. I admit that my head ached - so many dead bodies, and the destruction in the garden, as it was, is like that. Well, maybe only smaller and only from time to time.
In the meadow, the mole can dig safely. Here it is under protection
Fig. pxhere.com
So I thinkkilling moles doesn't make senseThe next one will come anyway. It is better to protect the garden from mole damage.
Those who are not yet convinced that the mole is worth sparing life, I would also like to inform you thatthe mole, apart from its harmful activities, also plays a very useful role in natureand it is under protection for a reason.
Well, the food of the mole, apart from earthworms, are numerous harmful insects. It eats, among others. grubs, wireworms, and snails. Therefore, it can help us eliminate these garden pests.
I would also like to note thata mole is not a rodentas many people believe. It is not only an animal but also a mammal. Therefore, it belongs to the same group as… human! So does it stop for a mammal to kill a mammal?
What, instead of killing a mole?
Due to the existing legal doubts as to whether a mole can be killed in gardens, as well as ethical reasons that appeal to me,I propose to protect the garden from visits to the mole instead of resorting to the most radical measures
First of all, you should think about it before setting up a lawn and place it in the groundmole netThe mole net is covered with a layer of soil and the lawn is sown over it. The existing mesh will prevent the mole from undermining and coming to the surface at this point.The lawn will be saved.
This mole has already lost the fight with the gardener. Don't act like that!
Fig. pxhere.com
It is also worth planting mole-repellent plants in the garden, such as marigolds, basil, garlic (both edible and ornamental garlic), checkerboards. All kinds of deterrents will be helpful, be it ready-made electronic or self-made in the form of a bottle placed on a stick stuck in the ground.
However, if we do not like all these devices stuck in the lawn and we do not want the problems with the mole to affect what plants we plant in the garden, I suggestspray the entire lawn and garden with KRETOMAXIt is based on natural fragrances obtained from plants (lavender oil, garlic extract and castor oil, obtained from castor bean).
Spraying KRETOMAX is aproven and environmentally safe way to prevent Crete before visiting the garden It works effectively, and people who bought it in the store of our guide, order this preparation again. Spraying is definitely worth doing in the fall, when the moles become active, accumulating food supplies for the winter, and in spring, when the moles start fighting after winter and wreak the greatest havoc on lawns.
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Rafał Okułowicz
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