Stephen Tracey Mole Control

Stephen Tracey is a LANTRA trained Traditional Mole Catcher who is also registered under the British Mole Catchers (http://www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk).

As per the BMCR, "The British Mole Catchers’ Register was the first register to be created digitally in the United Kingdom in 2007. It is recognised, trusted and highly regarded within the industry. If a mole catcher is not registered with us, they are not recognised within the database."



About the Mole

There are estimated to be 35-40 million moles in the UK and the mole that lives with us is known as the common or European mole. The correct or latin name is Talpa europaea.

Mole is the only mammal to live solely underground and they achieve this because they have a greater proportion of red blood cells than other mammals. This helps them to live in an environment where oxygen levels are low, typically 7%.

They are phenomenal diggers and can shift 540 times their own body weight of earth per day, tunnelling up to 200 meters per day.

Since they are rarely longer than 150mm in length, weighing in at between 110-120 grams, this is one mean feat.

Moles are industrious hard workers. Typically they work in patterns of 4-hour shift cycles. This means 4 hours working, 4 hours sleeping; all day every day. So, within a 24-hour period, they will work 3 shifts of 4 hours respectively.

If we did that, how industrious we would be!

There is a common misconception that moles are blind. They are not. They are light sensitive. Their ears are situated internally behind their shoulders, so mole’s snout acts rather like a sound tube. Sensory hairs strategically placed on their body also help mole to navigate in the darkness.

Moles eat worms, grubs and larvae. Therefore within taxonomy they are classed within the order Eulipotyphla (subfamily Talpinae), formerly Insectivora.

They need to eat around 20 worms per day, or half their body weight in order to survive. If they cannot collect that quota from their current run system, they will carry on digging new runs and hence continue to throw up new mole hills above them.

Mole is a native species to the UK and is the only pest not introduced by man.