Today we will talk about a representative of the mole rat family. The mole rat, the photo of which will be presented below, differs from the mole in appearance and food preferences. It happens that one fine day summer residents discover earthen mounds and dug underground tunnels in their garden. You walk along the site, and your leg suddenly sinks to your ankle or even lower. Often the first thought that comes to mind is moles! But it is not always the case. Let’s not downplay the mole’s “merits” in this case. But this is not about him. In different areas, the mole rat is called differently: Zinsky puppy, earthen puppy, earthen dog, blind man.
Photo of the mole rat:
Radical ways to get rid of mole rats
When it is not possible to drive away a mole rat, some resort to a more radical measure - murder.
To do this, you can watch for the animal by opening one of its passages. He does not like drafts, so he will definitely want to cover the hole with earth. As soon as he gets close, it will be possible to destroy him. Another way is to make a hole in the hole and place a trap in it so that the mole rat falls into it on the way to the open opening
It is important that the trap does not have a human smell, for which it is worth rubbing it with potatoes or earth. You can use poison to kill rodents. But if there is something to profit from on the site, the rodent may not covet the poisoned food
But if there is something to eat on the site, the rodent may not covet the poisoned food.
The common mole rat is a rodent that few people have seen alive. An underground life with nocturnal activity has meant that few people know of its existence. Many would prefer never to know about the existence of such an underground inhabitant, instead of seeing how he destroys the crops growing on the site.
Unlike moles, mole rats are rodents. They feed mainly on various root vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, beets and many others. Therefore, you will have to get rid of them immediately.
The self-explanatory name of this animal was given for a reason; it is indeed completely blind - instead of eyes it has a fold of skin, which is covered with coarse bristly hair. The ears and tail are greatly underdeveloped. The front legs, unlike those of a mole, are small. The latter fact is explained by the fact that the main tool of the mole rat is its teeth, or rather 2 wide incisors brought forward. The remaining teeth, located inside, reliably cover the multifold lips. Adult mole rats range in length from 15 to 35 cm.
The problem of mole rats concerns primarily residents of Ukraine, the southern regions of Russia and the Western Ciscaucasia. In the middle zone, this animal is not very common.
Mole rats arrange their burrows in several tiers, starting from a depth of 10-25 cm. These passages with a diameter of 5 to 12 cm are made for obtaining food. From them there are steep transitions to the lower tiers, located at a depth of 80 to 320 cm from the surface. As you understand, catching such an animal is quite difficult.
Let's look at the main methods for ridding an area of mole rats:
- Traps, traps and crossbows. Dig up the found mole rat hole a little and set a trap (it is advisable to cover it with something, for example, a piece of tin, roofing felt, plywood). In this place, a temperature difference will form, and fresh air will begin to flow into the hole. The mole rat will certainly return to fix the problem. At this moment he will fall into the trap.
- Ultrasonic repellers, as in the case of moles, have proven their unsurpassed effectiveness. Install the devices evenly throughout the area, this will quickly help solve the problem.
- Dig thin, meter-long steel rods into the ground, and place inverted beer or juice cans on top of them. Driven by the wind, they will constantly create noise that will scare away the mole rats.
- Special poisons are sold in stores, but I strongly do not recommend your use of them.
Having discovered mole rats in your dacha, you must act immediately, otherwise you will miss out on a significant part of the harvest.
Many gardeners constantly complain that they are attacked by mole rats and fighting them has become a whole problem. It is necessary to fight them constantly in order to preserve your harvest.
How is it different from a mole?
The mole rat only looks like a mole in appearance. Their difference is that the mole is a predator, so its diet includes insects, their larvae, and worms. The mole rat is a herbivore; its diet includes only plant foods. It feeds mainly on root vegetables.
If there is a massive loss of potatoes, carrots, beets or bulbous plants in the garden, there is no need to doubt it. This is the work of a mole rat. It literally pulls root crops deep into the earth. It can also eat umbrella and legume plants.
Every day, a mole rat absorbs such an amount of food that its weight can be compared with its body weight. In one storage hole you can find about 18 kg of potatoes and other delicacies. Therefore, it is easy to imagine the losses from his living in the garden.
In addition, the mole is not able to dig huge tunnels with its paws. The mole rat builds them with the help of huge incisors. Therefore, there will be much less harm from the mole.
Fighting moles and mole rats
Our unsuccessful experience in removing a mole rat
If you are on the warpath with these underground inhabitants, then know this is not an easy matter.
After reading the recommendations, we ourselves stuck iron pins with cans on top all over the garden (when the wind knocks and it is believed that this noise scares away), but either our mole rats are deaf, or, on the contrary, they are music lovers, but they did not leave the garden. Neighbors bought electronic repellers and solar-powered pins - the result was zero - molehills were even half a meter from the device. They buried eggshells and even put herring and the contents of the closet in the passages - it didn’t help.
We did not use gases or poisons to eliminate the possibility of poisoning ourselves. We did not flood the holes with water (we have a shortage of it in our area). It also turned out to be ineffective for us to bury several battery-powered alarm clocks (the bell is set for different times), lowered into a container, and buried in different parts of the garden.
All these methods did not work for us, but they may work for you.
What helps us get rid of moles and mole rats
The most reliable means is catching, installing a variety of traps, crossbows and traps. But all this will not last long if there are fields, an abandoned area or a forest nearby.
A folk remedy for fighting moles, mole rats and various insects may well work: tar. We take tar soap, dilute it in water and soak rags, pieces of wood, etc. in the tar, then put it in the rodents’ holes. The smell of tar is very strong and repellent for animals and insects.
The most effective thing for us is to dig up a fresh molehill and wait nearby. In order not to wait, you can set a trap (then you need to cover it with cardboard or plywood).
It will start blowing into the hole - the underground animal does not like this and it will come to bury it again. At this moment, if you are sitting nearby, you can eliminate him with a pitchfork, or if you have prepared a trap, he will fall into the trap.
Photos and making traps for moles and mole rats
There are many different crossbows, spring traps, etc. on sale. But you can make the simplest trap yourself, for this use a string or steel wire and several sharp fishing tees. The photo below clearly shows what should happen.
Install it in a fresh passage, slightly undermine the walls of the hole for a draft, in the middle of the dug passage we attach a stake with 2 pieces of wire (on each side of the tunnel) 1-1.5 m long with fishing hooks and tees every 15 cm.
click on photo to enlarge
Then, if you have free time and desire, sit next to me in an ambush and sit quietly: as soon as the mole begins to dig a hole, you hook it like when fishing, then the probability of catching is 80%. If you don’t have time, you just leave it - but then the likelihood of getting caught is much less. This is the simple way we mostly cope.
In addition to active methods, preventive measures are also fully justified. You're probably wondering how we saved our tulips? It’s very simple, now we plant everything “tasty” in vegetable boxes. Now the rodent makes moves nearby, but cannot get through. This will not save carrots and garlic, of course, but it is quite suitable for flowers. We also noticed that the animals go around plants with nitrogen-fixing root systems (beans, clover, etc.). Now let's try to plant black beans around the perimeter.
Reproduction
Only one female breeds in a family group each year; if there are two females in the group, then in the spring the male leaves the area of the breeding female and forms a pair with the female who will breed next year. Cubs are born from late February to mid-May. There are 2-3 cubs in a litter. The main reproductive contribution is made by females aged 3-7 years. From the end of May, the settlement of young animals from broods begins, partly on the surface, partly underground, the settlement continues until autumn. Young males predominantly settle in the second year of life and mainly underground, females - in the first year and often on the surface, which leads to greater mortality of females in the first year of life. The dispersal range varies from several tens to several hundred meters.
Harm of mole rats to humans
There is a difficult relationship between rodents and people. Animals cause great damage to summer cottages and cause colossal losses to farmers. One animal can destroy an entire season's harvest. He makes large stocks in his pantries, stealing vegetables from summer residents and farmers. In a day, the pest is able to drag away 6 bushes of root crops.
Excavated underground labyrinths also cause a lot of trouble. A summer cottage with heaps of earth piled up is not a very attractive sight. If you step on an underground passage, you can easily fall into it up to your ankles. The inconvenience of tunnels is also felt on field roads, which the animal mole rat also does not avoid.
Appearance
A relatively large rodent - the body length of adults is 20-32 cm, weight up to 700 grams or more. The body is elongated, cylindrical, without a pronounced neck. The limbs are greatly shortened, the tail is reduced and hidden under the skin. The head is flattened, wide (wider than any part of the body), and shaped from above to the bayonet of a shovel. The eyes are largely reduced and hidden under the skin. The outer ear is presented in the form of a small cushion hidden under the fur. The nasal section is covered with a bare horny sheath and is usually colored black or brown. The front incisors are large, protruding far beyond the oral cavity and clearly visible. The general tone of the fur color is fawn-gray-brown; there is significant variability in color between individual individuals.
Homemade repellent devices
They are very easy to make with your own hands. Although this animal does not see, it is very sensitive to sound waves. He runs away from any rustle or noise. If in the area where it lives these noises are repeated regularly, then the animal usually tries to move to another, quieter place. Therefore, the entire summer cottage must be equipped with noisy devices powered by the wind.
- As such a repeller, you can drive ordinary pegs into the ground, to which tin cans are tied with ropes. They will hit each other in the wind, making noise. Instead of jars, you can use already unnecessary baby rattles. The main thing is that the thing should not be heavy, make noise or sway from the wind.
- Stick large empty bottles in several places. The main thing is that the neck rises 3-5 centimeters above the soil and is directed towards the wind. Thus, with the help of the wind, the bottle will make noise that is unpleasant for the animal.
In this way, you can come up with several designs that will constantly make noise, thereby scaring away unwanted guests from this summer cottage. You can even make a full-fledged garden scarecrow by hanging cans from its pegs.
DIY repellent devices
We will talk about various devices and structures that create noise and vibration effects achieved when exposed to wind. The principle of influencing mole rats is identical to ultrasonic repellers, options:
- Pegs are driven into the ground and tin cans are placed on them; children's pinwheels can be used. In the wind, structures will create a hum that is unpleasant for the mole rat, and it will avoid this place;
- Large bottles of wine or champagne are dug into the ground, leaving no more than 3 cm from the container on the surface. They position it obliquely so that the wind gets inside and creates a hum. Disadvantage: after each rain, the bottle must be removed and the water changed;
- A hole is made in the bottom of a plastic bottle the size of the diameter of the peg, elongated windows 1.5 cm wide are cut out on the sides, and they are bent in one direction. A peg is driven into the ground and a bottle with a closed lid is installed. The wind pushes the blades, the container rotates, creating noise, which can be amplified with the help of a metal ball.
Based on the main idea of such devices, you can come up with a lot of similar rattles, the main thing is that the constant noise does not bother you or your neighbors. The disadvantage of this method is that repellers only work when exposed to wind; in closed areas or in calm weather nothing will prevent the mole rat from going about its business.
Who is a mole rat?
To know how to deal with mole rats in the garden and summer cottage, you need to learn as much as possible about the animal itself and its habits.
The mole rat is a small animal, its body is about 25-30 cm long. Its main feature is that it has no ears at all. His eyes are completely atrophied and covered with skin. That is why the animal received the name mole rat.
The small blind animal has short legs, but strong claws, and short soft fur. On its abdomen, near its mouth and on its forehead it has tactile hairs, thanks to which it exists. Another feature of the mole rat is its incisors. A small, at first glance cute animal, the owner, one might say, of huge incisors, which, when meeting him, do not bode well with good intentions.
The animal feeds mainly on rhizomes and bulbous crops. This causes irreparable harm to garden and vegetable plants. Mole rats are capable of digging complex burrows up to 250 m long. It comes to the surface only at night in rare cases.
It may be interesting How to treat a greenhouse in the spring against pests and diseases Moles in the garden and vegetable garden, methods of control Honeysuckle, its diseases and treatment They practically bite into the ground with their powerful incisors and gnaw it out. After which they push the soil to the surface with their shovel-like head. When a pile of soil accumulates, it blocks the entrance to the hole and begins to build a new tunnel.
The mole rat leaves all the food it obtains in dug holes; they do not make a special warehouse for storing supplies. The system of its burrows is complex, and they build summer and winter nests on the ground floor. All burrow entrances are carefully walled up.
The second floor of the buildings is the dining room, it is located at the level of planted root crops. Pests are more active at night and in the afternoon. In winter, their activity decreases significantly, but they do not hibernate.
Adults live separately. They do not contact their relatives. But, if contact does occur, they are aggressive towards each other. As a rule, such encounters lead to death. Most males live without a mate and do not reproduce. Families consist of one male and two females.
Each family member has his own hole, which is connected to other family members. Families are strong and can only break up with the death of one of the family members. Their average lifespan is 2.5-4 years, rarely they can live up to 9 years. Young individuals have a high survival rate.
Interesting!
Reproduction occurs in the spring, less often at the end of the winter period. If there are 2 females in a family, only one of them produces cubs, the other will mate only next year. In 1 litter, the female brings 2-3 small mole rats, which the parents will resettle within 2 months.
The range of their residence can be from several tens of meters to hundreds. Males disperse underground, while females disperse on the surface. That is why in the first period of life the mortality rate of small females is significant.
Thanks to their underground life, mole rats do not have any enemies in nature. The only one who can pull them out of the hole is the steppe polecat, but it is not found everywhere, so losses from it are insignificant. Large birds of prey and foxes can lie in wait for mole rats on the surface. The animals' fur is parasitized by fleas, helminths and ticks.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Giant mole rat from the Red Book
A family of mole rats, always living next to each other, can dig tunnels over an area of several hectares in one territory. By the end of winter, at the coldest and hungriest time for these animals, the testes of male individuals reach their greatest mass and size.
By March, the females’ eggs also mature. Each individual, occupying a separate burrow system, clogs its summer feeding passages for the winter. By this time, the upper layers of the soil are still frozen, and each mole rat is isolated. But they have well-developed all senses except vision.
To attract attention, they make grunting sounds and specific smells. But even with excellent hearing and sense of smell, it remains a mystery how they manage to overcome 10-15 or even more meters in the frozen ground between neighboring burrows. How this happens is unknown; in winter, heaps of earth do not appear on the surface, but about half of the females successfully complete their dates and bear offspring by the end of March - beginning of April.
During the year, animals have offspring once. In a litter, as a rule, there are from two to four naked and helpless babies, weighing 5 g each. While feeding with milk, the babies are in the nest; by one and a half months they are already moving freely through the tunnel passages. With the onset of autumn, young people leave their parents' hole and begin to build their own network of underground labyrinths. In winter, the activity of animals decreases, and they also consume significantly less food.
Interesting fact: Observations have shown that on a virgin plot of one hectare, mammals built almost 3.5 thousand heaps of earth in four years. Their volume was 13 cubic meters.
Fighting methods
Since the mole rat lives underground, it is not easy to fight it. For this purpose, mechanical traps or ultrasonic repellers are used. But these means are ineffective, since the animal cleverly avoids them. Considering the low reproductive rate of giant mole rats, fighting them is not advisable. But if these rodents are active in your garden en masse, then of course you can resort to control methods:
- mole rats are afraid of strong air currents. The hole can be blown out, and a rodent that has crawled out of another exit of the hole can be destroyed manually
- Rodenticides (poison against rodents) are sold against mole rats, but their use in gardens where crops are grown for food is not recommended
- Another good way to deal with mole rats is to install traps, traps or crossbows near the entrances to the burrow
- An ultrasonic repeller is also used in the fight against mole rats. The repeller must be installed evenly throughout the entire area and its effect will not keep you waiting long. The repeller has an irritating effect on the rodent and it immediately leaves the area where the device is exposed. To understand which repeller is better to choose, you can read reviews on the relevant sites.
Interesting facts about the rodent:
Mole rat in its habitat photo
- Mole rats are solitary animals. Adult mole rats live only in separate burrows. They are very careful and rarely fall into human traps.
- The mole rat can cause damage to agricultural crops in vegetable gardens and household plots. Soil emissions make it difficult to carry out field work, for example, mechanized mowing of perennial grasses for hay, and spoil field roads. At the same time, it is difficult to fight the mole rat due to its underground lifestyle. For this purpose, mechanical traps and repellent devices are used.
- The giant mole rat is a protected species listed in the Red Book of Russia and the IUCN Red List.
How to deal with a pest
The simplest method is “catch”.
While the individuals are still young, they are very small, inexperienced, and clumsy - they are easier to find and catch. For example, blind people really don’t like drafts. Find a fresh plant that the animal is picking at and take a few steps back. Then find an underground passage near the plant, dig lightly, and wait. After some time, the pest will approach it to bury it, because there will be a draft there. As soon as he appears, block his escape route with a shovel and quickly catch him.
What to do with it next? If you use humane methods, then simply take it away from the gardens, or throw it to unfriendly neighbors.
Pros and cons of the method
One of the advantages is humanity. Animals will not suffer, as they can simply be released. The downside is that you will have to “sweat”, plus do all these procedures systematically.
Let's take it on the hook
When the mole rat has become more or less accustomed, it will be difficult to catch it. Therefore, we will resort to the “hook” fishing method. Everything is simple - we break the passage in the same way, and insert into it a wire up to half a meter long, at the end of which there is a kind of hook, or even better - several. Then we catch the animal on this hook and pull it out.
Important! There are also “giant” blind people, which are most often found in the warm part of our country. They are listed in the Red Book, therefore, killing them is strictly prohibited! Pros and cons of the method
Pros and cons of the method
The method is also quite humane, but you will have to build hooks and catch the animals from time to time.
We eliminate the problem with water
For this method, you need to prepare about a dozen buckets of water or run a hose to the hole. But, not to any hole, but to the one that leads through the tunnel to the rodent’s nest. To find it, you need to carefully examine the soil that is thrown out of the hole. If there is clay there, then this is the main nest of the blind man.
Its “house” is located deep underground – often down to 2-3 meters. We need to dig out a passage near the hole and continuously pour water into it. At first, the animal will try to block the flow, but if you pour it all the time, it simply will not be able to resist and will float up. It needs to be caught quickly and sent to a dry place so that it does not drown.
Pros and cons of the method
Advantages - the animal will not return to its original place for quite a long time. Disadvantages: time consuming.
Other methods of struggle
An original method, but not very humane, is to connect the hose to the exhaust pipe of the car, insert it into the hole, and turn on the ignition. But, this method is temporary - since the animal simply will not leave the hole for a couple of weeks. The disadvantage of this method is that you will pollute the soil.
Rodent repellent is another good method. Mole rats are very sensitive to various noises and vibrations. Therefore, in the garden you can simply install several of these devices, compacting them well into the ground. Having felt the vibration, the pest will try to get as far away from it as possible.
Pros and cons of methods
The first disadvantage is not very humane and reasonable, since you will harm the soil and the animal itself. And, it will also have to be done from time to time. The second is more effective and long-lasting, but you will have to buy the repeller in the store.
Ultrasonic repellers - a modern method
Such a device generates high-frequency waves of high volume. They are able to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for rodents in the area, and force them to get out of the garden as quickly as possible. To prevent mole rats from getting used to the noise, the device constantly changes the ultrasonic frequency.
Pros and cons of the method
The most effective and safest method. The downside is financial costs, the main advantage is the long duration of action.
The best chemicals to combat blindness
Detia Degesch Gmbh produces “Rodent Repellent”. It is completely natural and is not harmful to the skin, soil, and the environment. It is a yellow ball containing lavender extract, bioactive additives, and a variety of essential oils. It is lavender that repels blind people and moles. The balls need to be dug into the ground near the holes to a depth of about 50 cm.
Another good preparation is “Russian black beans”. Rodents also don't like them, and will gradually drive them out of your area. The beans just need to be planted throughout the entire plot, every 40 cm around the beds. In addition to rodents, they can drive away some other pests of garden vegetation.
Pros and cons of the method
The disadvantage is that the animal will still be harmed, no matter how “natural” the remedy is. But, if other methods do not help, then you can resort to this.
How to drive a mole rat away from a site
The means and options for controlling rodents are varied, not all give good results, and for the most part they are inhumane. But in critical cases, pity fades into the background, because the damage from the mole rat is very great, you won’t envy those who had to get to know this voracious neighbor!
Fighting mole rats with water
A good option would be to lure out the mole rat by flooding its hole, but given the scale of the underground dwelling, serious work remains. A couple of buckets of water will not do here; you need to completely fill the nests located in the lower tiers.
To find the right place to pour water, take a closer look at the lumps of earth left by the rodent. Those slides where the soil is mixed with clay will be the entrance to the deepest parts of the hole. For the procedure, you should prepare a hose and clear the soil to locate the entrance to the hole. The more water is poured in, the greater the chance that the animal will come out.
Disadvantages of this method:
- those who have water meters have to choose what to sacrifice, finances or harvest;
- when you begin to fill the mole rat’s home with water, he, sensing something is wrong, will begin to move away from your site. As soon as the water completely leaves the holes, the animal can return.
Everyone decides for themselves what to do with a caught rodent; it would be more humane to take it as far away from the site as possible.
Jar traps
A trench up to 30 cm deep is dug along the perimeter of the yard, and boards, roofing felt or slate are laid on top of it. At the bottom of the trench, at a short distance from each other, deep grooves are dug. Large jars or deep buckets can be placed in the holes.
Moving along the trench, the mole rat will sooner or later fall into the hole, but will not be able to get out. There have been successful experiments, but this option still remains in the background. There is no complete certainty that the animal will go into the trench, and it will take a lot of time and effort to implement the idea.
Solomon's Trap
Finally, we’ll tell you about a humane trap for a mole rat; it will get inside the structure and will not be able to get out again. How to build a trap yourself:
- take a piece of pipe at least 6 cm in diameter and up to half a meter in length, in the upper part, 2 holes are cut out on both sides of the pipe, they are needed for attaching the wire;
- cut out 2 covers, it is advisable to take the strongest, bendable material possible. The height of the cover should be slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe, since it will need to be installed with an inward slope and leave some material for fastening on top. It turns out that the height of the lid will be up to 80 mm. The width of the valve is cut slightly narrower than the diameter of the tube;
- pieces of strong wire are threaded into the holes in the pipe and secured on top. The upper part of the lid is inserted under the wire, an allowance of about 1 cm is made, and the edge is folded;
- The mole rat's passage is opened, a pipe is inserted into it and it is buried.
The procedure must be carried out very carefully and quickly, it is important not to arouse the animal’s interest or scare it away. We must try to avoid unnecessary collapses in the hole. Despite the fact that you don’t have to kill, the chance of catching a rodent is too small; rather, the animal will feel threatened, close the exit and dig new tunnels in another place. To check whether a pest has been caught, you will have to dig up and bury the pipe each time.
How to get rid of mole rats on your property
Seeing a dug-up area, gardeners decide how to get rid of the mole rat. This is difficult to do, but you can try to drive away the rodent using effective methods.
Traps
Adult mole rats avoid traps: the animals are observant and careful. Young individuals are more likely to fall into traps. Experienced gardeners tell you how to catch the pest.
- A hole is dug next to the underground tunnel, and a trap is placed near it (covered with plywood on top). The animal is afraid of the smell of humans. In order not to scare away the rodent, the trap is picked up while wearing gloves.
- A ditch 0.4 m wide is dug along the perimeter of the garden. Ruberoid is placed at the bottom, and wide containers of water are installed. Moving along the side, the rodent will fall into the trap.
Ultrasonic repellers
Mole rats are afraid of sharp ultrasonic and sound vibrations emitted by devices. Sudden noise attacks change the usual way of life of animals, prevent them from resting and eating, and force them to move to safe places. When purchasing, you should prefer devices with a frequency regulator. Rodents get used to the same frequency and stop reacting. The disadvantage of ultrasonic repellers is their short range; in a large garden it is necessary to install several devices.
Toxic substances
Poisonous drugs cause severe suffocation in the rodent. Three days after consuming the poison, respiratory paralysis occurs and the pests die. The most effective means:
1. “Testox” - red briquettes with a nutty aroma, the smell of cheese or vanilla.
2. "Dakfosal" - tablets for fumigating burrows. The active ingredient is aluminum phosphide. Poisonous gas penetrates into remote corners of the tunnels.
3. “Storm” - blue briquettes with a smell that attracts mole rats.
4. “Brodifan” - a solution for impregnating baits.
5. “Antikrot” - granules containing bromadialone and garlic.
The poison acts quickly, but towards the end of the season the animals may not notice the bait: there are a lot of tasty vegetables around. They refuse to use poison if they bring children or pets to the dacha.
Homemade devices
The animal will be frightened by devices that make noise. A metal rod is driven into the ground next to the hole, leaving a fragment 0.35 - 0.45 m high above the surface. A tin can is placed on the rod. When the wind blows, the tin spins and hits the metal. Unpleasant sounds are heard underground.
Odors that repel rodents
Strong aromas repel rodents. The mole rat avoids vegetable gardens where:
- black root;
- elder;
- sagebrush;
- imperial hazel grouse;
- mint.
The pest is afraid of essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender, and mint. Avoids strong odors of ammonia and kerosene. Holes are dug throughout the area at different depths, into which rags soaked in an odorous liquid are placed. Young bird cherry shoots are dug in next to the holes.
Water
To drive away the rodent, use water: the animal mole rat is afraid of dampness. The tail and paws are poorly developed - this makes it difficult to go outside. A lot of water is needed: to flood all the holes in a standard area, approximately 100 liters of liquid will be required. If the cottage is located next to a pond and the gardener has an electric pump, the holes will quickly fill with water. The method is effective when one hole is found on the territory.
House hunters
Summer residents are skeptical about the help of cats. A cat who has previously caught rats will help you catch 1–2 animals. The gardener needs to start digging a hole, going deep on the bayonet of the shovel. At the same time, a 0.35 m deepening is made near the exit from the hole. A rodent that cannot tolerate drafts will begin to fill the dug passage with earth and appear from the dug hole. At this time, the cat may catch him. Dogs of hunting breeds - dachshunds and fox terriers - help fight mole rats well.
Introducing cats to hunt mole rats
To do this, the following steps are required:
First, you need to determine the location of the animal’s underground passages, which is not difficult to do, since in those places the earth collapses under your feet.
Using a shovel, dig about half a meter of underground tunnel. Since rodents are sensitive to the appearance of a draft, you will very quickly see a mole rat coming to fill the open part of the hole with earth.
Cats are natural hunters, but not all domestic animals are capable of catching mole rats.
At this time, there is no need to waste time - you need to dig a wide hole (up to half a meter) near the exit from the hole, the depth of which should be 30-40 cm, and then take your favorite pet and wait with it for the rodent to appear. If the mole rat is young, it is less agile, and catching it is not difficult.
By the way, you can also use the help of a dog to catch mole rats.
Ultrasonic repellers for mole rats
Those summer residents who do not want to make their own repellers can use electronic ones. Ultrasonic repellers propagate waves through the soil. These devices operate on batteries, solar power, or a charger. The wave frequency range of these repellers is such that it causes rodents to experience discomfort and anxiety. Animals leave the area. But you shouldn’t expect an immediate effect. It will take at least a month and a half.
The device should be installed in the ground, not in a hole, leaving about five centimeters on the surface.
The most effective ways to combat mole rats are noise and ultrasonic repellers, and planting plants with aromas that are unpleasant to them.
How to get a blind man out of the garden using hooks
Instead of a trap, you can install a hook or several hooks in this place, to which a loop is attached. Hooks are dug in near the exit of the hole. The mole rat comes to fill the hole and gets hooked.
This method of rodent control is quite labor-intensive and not always effective. Success is determined by correctly locating the rodent, which is usually quite problematic. In addition, the mole rat is a cunning animal; only a young and inexperienced animal falls into the trap.
After catching one rodent, it is almost impossible to detect others: they begin to show increased caution. But usually blind people are solitary animals, so sometimes after catching one of them, the crop can be saved.
Lifestyle Features
The behavior of this amazing animal has been little studied.
The giant mole rat leads a sedentary underground lifestyle, constructing multi-tiered complex systems of passages underground in layers of sand. Its incisors are the primary tool for digging passages laid at a depth of 20-50 cm, with a diameter of 11-15 cm. The peak of digging activity is spring (from March to April).
The surface of the earth in these places is indicated by soil emissions in the form of heaps 30-50 cm high with a diameter of up to 1.5 meters. The total length of the tunnels is several hundred meters, and the storerooms and nesting chambers are located at depths of 0.9-3 meters.
The distance between animal settlements is 150-250 m. Very rarely, mole rats come to the surface. The giant mole rat is active all year round and around the clock. He does not hibernate.
Reproduction occurs once a year in early spring. Usually from 2 to 6 cubs are born, which at first stay with the mother, and by the fall they settle. The mole rat (the photo below represents the baby) reaches sexual maturity by the 2nd year of their life.
Harm
The activity of this pest leaves behind long, several-tiered passages in the garden, as well as underground storerooms in which the animal stores part of the crop grown by the owners in their gardens. As a rule, it eats the green mass first and stores the root crops for the winter. Even one mole rat is capable of taking away a considerable share of the harvest. If several individuals appear on the site, then you can forget about high yields of crops such as potatoes, onions, beets and carrots.
In addition, it digs quite large tunnels, with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm, due to which it damages some plants in the area. The lower tiers can be located at a depth of up to 3 meters, and the upper ones - at a depth of 10 cm. Such a system of underground passages often does not allow the normal development of many cultivated plants.
Animal pest
Branched underground labyrinths are perfect for the life of mole rats, but can cause anxiety for humans. If a garden or personal plot becomes the habitat of this rodent, you can say goodbye to the lion's share of the harvest. Most likely, the animal will like carrots, potatoes and onions. He may also like onion flowers, legumes, corn and young trees.
Endless piles of dug up earth, subsidence of the soil, sudden disappearance of planted crops and even small trees - this is what people observe when a common mole rat settles on their plot of land. The description of his sabotage can be continued for a long time, and stopping them is an impossible task for many.
What kind of animal is this mole rat?
Few people know that there is also such a pest that can take away a significant part of the harvest from its owners. It is almost impossible to see it on the surface of the ground during such an activity as destroying crops.
Pest information:
- The pest can grow up to 30 cm in length.
- It has no eyes, but in their place there is a fold of skin, in the upper part of which hard hairs grow.
- The tail and ears are not large at all, and the front legs are short.
- The animal's fur has a dark gray tint with a blue tint, and adult individuals are distinguished by a characteristic "gray hair".
- The pest has powerful front incisors, which help it dig long underground passages. Only the 2 front incisors are clearly distinguishable.
- The pest digs long tunnels in several tiers.
- The animal's diet includes potatoes, carrots, beets, worms, insects, etc. Loves onions most of all.
- When a mole rat appears on a personal plot, it begins to destroy large plants, dragging them into a dug underground passage. After this, he eats the tops and places the root crops in his storage. Sometimes his storage facilities contain up to 50 kg of various root crops.
- It is not difficult to detect the presence of the animal if you pay attention to the peculiar mounds that look like the entrance to mole holes. Such mounds can be seen both in the garden and next to it.
Lifestyle
The animal leads an exclusively underground lifestyle, coming to the surface on rare occasions. Creates an extended, highly branched system of burrows, consisting, as a rule, of two tiers, of which the most extensive is the upper “feeding” one, lying at a depth of about 20-25 cm. In addition to the feeding tier, it creates a system of summer and winter nests, as well as food storage areas, connected by a second, deeper (up to 3-4 meters) tier of passages. When digging tunnels, the mole rat loosens the soil with the help of incisors, then discards it with its paws and subsequently moves it to the soil surface, where characteristic so-called. “Mole rats” are heaps of discarded earth of significant size (about 50 cm in diameter, the weight of discarded earth in one mole rat is about 10 kg). The area of the feeding area of one adult individual is 0.02-0.09 hectares, the length of the feeding passages varies widely and can be up to 450 meters or more per individual.
Population densities also vary widely, reaching 20 or more individuals per hectare. In a long-term context, the population density is quite stable and is not subject to sharp fluctuations. The optimal population density is 3 individuals per hectare; if the population drops to 1.8-1.1 individuals per hectare, there is a high risk of population degradation. A change in population size is possible with a significant change in environmental conditions, in particular, droughts, periods of increased moisture, and plowing of land have a negative impact. The common mole rat is a strictly herbivorous animal; its diet is based on rhizomes, bulbs and tubers of plants. In spring and early summer, the above-ground parts of plants (stems and leaves) are also actively used for food. The range of forage plants consists of several dozen species, among which Compositae, Umbelliferae and legumes predominate. By winter, the animal makes large (more than 10 kg) reserves.
The mole rat is active all year round and does not hibernate, although by winter its activity sharply decreases. On a daily basis, they are most active at night and in the afternoon. Adult individuals live separately, showing strong aggression towards relatives (if it is impossible to retreat, collisions, as a rule, end in death). At the same time, the population has a certain social structure, consisting of family groups (male and 1-2 females), the burrows of which are connected or located nearby. Family groups are stable and disintegrate only with the death of one of the partners. About half of the males live outside family groups, thus being excluded from the breeding process. Mole rats live quite a long time for rodents, the average generation duration is 2.5-4 years, some individuals live up to 9 years. The survival rate of young animals is high, about half or more of the individuals.
Features and habitat of the mole rat
The common mole rat is a mammal that belongs to the order of rodents. During evolutionary development, all organs of this animal adapted to the underground lifestyle.
The eyes completely atrophied and lost the ability to see. This is almost the only case in the delight of rodents when a complete loss of vision occurred. The lifestyle of these mammals is exclusively underground. Mole rats , like moles, dig long labyrinths of passages, and they push the excess soil that interferes with them to the surface.
There are 4 species in the mole rat family. Each of them has its own habitat. The animal mole rat chooses steppes, deserts, forest-steppes and forest outskirts for its residence. The soil suitable for their habitat should be of moderate density. Clay and sandy soil is not suitable for them. Their habitat includes forest-steppes and steppes of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia.
A mole rat digs the ground with its teeth
These are mainly pastures or unplowed lands rich in herbaceous vegetation. The mole mole itself is small in size. Its length is 30-32 cm. It weighs from 700 g. up to 1 kg. He leads a rather secluded lifestyle, so few people have seen him live. To correct this oversight and have an idea of the appearance of this animal, we bring to your attention several photos of mole rats .
As you can see in the image, it has no ears, its eyes are hidden under folds of skin, and its small tail is almost invisible. The limbs of this underground inhabitant are short, and the head resembles a bayonet shovel. the mole mole rat digs its tunnels exclusively with its teeth, and not with its paws.
This happens in the following way: the front incisors of the mammal bite into the soil, and then with the help of a shovel-shaped head, crushed lumps of earth are pushed out. The special structure of the jaw and muscles allows the lower incisors to move apart and move them forward and backward.
Such work leads to significant wear on the mole rat's . But don’t worry, the incisors grow very quickly, so this underground inhabitant will not be left without a “tool” for digging his tunnels. By the way, thanks to his work, he not only grinds down the incisors, but also sharpens them when biting into the soil. Animals in captivity deserve more sympathy.
They do not have the opportunity to grind their teeth and sometimes they cannot close their mouth due to the fact that the incisors have grown to enormous sizes. The fur of these giants of their craft is very soft and dark in color. The nose is covered with a keratinized layer of skin. It is this layer that is protective. It protects against various mechanical damage during compaction of the burrow walls.
How to recognize a pest?
The appearance of the rodent resembles a mole, but they cause much more harm to gardeners. Moles are mammals and feed on insects, but when digging they cause damage to plant roots. Mole rats are rodents; they eat various root crops growing on the site. They can also feed on plants; they will not even disdain onion flowers, which repel moles.
The animal has no organs of vision; where the eyes should be, it has a fold of skin covered with bristly hairs. The tail and ears are poorly developed. The body length of an adult mole rat can vary from 15 to 35 centimeters. Unlike the mole, it has small forelimbs. The main working tool of the pest are sharp teeth, or rather two protruding incisors. The remaining teeth are located inside, they are covered by multifold lips. It digs burrows in several tiers, the minimum depth of the burrows is usually 15 cm, and the maximum depth is three meters. The passages are quite spacious and can reach 12 cm in diameter; the mole rat needs this in order to move root crops along them.
The animal lives in the south of Russia, in the west of the Ciscaucasia, as well as throughout Ukraine. The mole rat is a mammal that belongs to the order of rodents, the mole rat family. They lead a predominantly underground lifestyle, and only occasionally come to the surface in search of food or a new place to live. In the countries of the former USSR, 4 types of mole rats are most common:
- giant;
- small;
- sandy;
- ordinary;
On the territory of Russia, you can most often see the common mole rat; it is also called small-eyed or South Russian. You can meet it both on your own site and in the forest-steppe zone, as well as on the edges and in the steppes. It lives in areas with herbal plants; the animal does not go far into the forest.
Interesting! Every year the number of mole rats is rapidly decreasing; “Giant” is even listed in the Red Book.
One single animal can cause enormous damage to a gardener; in the summer it mainly feeds on the above-ground parts of plants, but drags root crops into a hole, making reserves for the winter. In the animal's bins you can find up to 18 kg of various vegetables: beets, carrots, potatoes. It can harm not only garden crops, but also flowers, so gardeners should also be concerned when an uninvited guest appears. But what about several individuals or a family with offspring? Some sources say that in a day a blind person can eat as much food as he weighs. The mammal does not hibernate, but in the warm season it is more active.
These voracious animals do not have many enemies. In the wild, they often become prey for ferrets. Young individuals who are in search of a new habitat are often destroyed by foxes and birds of prey. On average, the lifespan of rodents is from 4 to 9 years.
Kinds
Several species are known. The animal that annoys summer residents is most likely a mole rat. The giant is a very rare species, listed in the Red Book. It is found in the foothills of the Caucasus range, Moldova and southern Ukraine. The number of individuals of this species and its habitat are declining, this is due to active human agricultural activities. Very rarely it can be found in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. The sandy species has a light color, allowing it to blend with the soil, and is distributed along the lower reaches of the Dnieper. Lives in arid steppe expanses and natural black soils.
Harm from the blind
If we describe the result of the rodent’s “work,” it looks like “closets,” dug holes, and numerous underground passages in the garden. Just one adult individual can “take” a huge part of the harvest from its owners. If a family of blind people with large incisors lives on the site, then you can simply forget about the yield of potatoes, carrots, and beets.
The second unpleasant point is that underground passages can have a diameter of about 4-20 cm. The blind man digs very actively and quickly, and damaged parts of plants will be noticeable almost immediately after the rodent settles on the site.
The third point is that the “underground passage system” seriously harms the soil, which also affects productivity, as it interferes with the normal development of plants.
What else is a blind man afraid of?
You can purchase a special poison to kill the pest. Even rat repellents work. But they must be handled carefully so as not to harm pets and children. Even if the poison does not come into contact with vegetables in the garden, it is still dangerous.
There is an abundance of food in the garden, so the likelihood that a rodent will choose bait with poison is extremely low.
Besides:
- Some gardeners pour foul-smelling waste into holes, pour in kerosene and other odorous substances. But their effectiveness is extremely low.
- The blind man cannot stand the smell of parsnips. Therefore, it is recommended to plant it around the perimeter of the entire plot and in several rows in the center. You should choose long-rooted varieties so that when moving underground, the mole rat will bump into them.
- Some gardeners dig a metal mesh into the ground around the perimeter of the site to a depth of 0.5 meters, which is considered an effective method to prevent the pest from entering the site.
Tar is considered an effective folk remedy (you can buy it in the store). It is diluted with water (30 ml per bucket of water), wooden sticks are soaked in the solution and placed in places where mole rats are found. They cannot stand the smell of tar and leave. This treatment is enough for a season. We'll have to repeat it next year.
If there are blind people on the site, then you need to take care of the safety of the crop in advance. Treatment or trapping must be carried out in late spring-early summer, otherwise the pest will eat or drag most of the root crops into its hole. The same methods are used to eliminate moles. The struggle is not always successful, so it is recommended to use several methods.
