A molecatcher (also called a mowdy-catcher) is a person who traps or kills

moles Moles can refer to: * Moles de Xert, a mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain * The Moles (Australian band) *The Moles, alter ego of Scottish band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound People *Abraham Moles, French engin ...

in places where they are considered a nuisance to crops, lawns, sportsfields or gardens.

History of molecatching

Roman times

Excavations of Ancient Roman sites have revealed earthenware pots that had been set in the ground. The pots were filled with water, and acted as

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

s for moles.

Traditional molecatchers

Many early molecatchers set out snares for the moles, taking care to remove human scent from the loops. Over time, traps used to catch and kill moles became more advanced and complicated, incorporating weighted wood or cast iron, and eventually sprung steel. Mol (Talpa europaea) 03

Some itinerant molecatchers travelled from farm to farm. The molecatcher's customers would provide food and lodging, as well as a fee for every mole caught. The molecatcher could also earn additional money by selling the moleskins to

furriers Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...

Modern molecatching

In more recent times, traditional molecatching has given way to the use of poison. Poison resulted in moles dying much more quickly and in greater numbers. For some time, strychnine was used to kill moles; its purchase was cheaper than paying molecatchers, but sometimes other animals that shared the environment or interacted with moles were accidentally poisoned as well. Repellents, including sonic devices, holly leaves,

moth ball Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae (especially clothes moths like ''Tineola bisselliella''). Composition Older ...

s, garlic and

castor oil Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans. It is a colourless or pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor. Its boiling point is and its density is 0.961 g/cm3. It includes a mixture of triglycerides in which about ...

have not proven successful in preventing damage caused by moles.

In the United Kingdom

The value of moleskins was subject to the vagaries of fashion. In 1903 a furrier in Leicester was offering £1 per hundred, in 1926 the price was 12s 6d (62.5p) per dozen. By the 1930s only a few pence per skin was being paid. Some molecatchers were full time. In 1875 the town of

Out Rawcliffe Out Rawcliffe is a village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Wyre in the Over Wyre area of the Fylde in Lancashire, England. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 626. It is the location of the medieval ...

was advertising for a molecatcher for a term of fourteen years. In

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...

the molecatcher was said to receive £1 per week in 1910. In 2002 Victor Williamson, the molecatcher for the

Sandringham Sandringham can refer to: Places * Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia * Sandringham, Queensland, Australia * Sandringham, Victoria, Australia **Sandringham railway line **Sandringham railway station **Electoral district of Sandringham * Sand ...

, received a Royal Warrant. Following the withdrawal of the poison from the market in 2006, the use of strychnine is no longer an approved method of control in the UK. Fumigation with products based on

aluminium phosphide Aluminium phosphide is a highly toxic inorganic compound with the chemical formula AlP, used as a wide band gap semiconductor and a fumigant. This colorless solid is generally sold as a grey-green-yellow powder due to the presence of impurities a ...

(Trade names 'Talunex' and 'Phostoxin') is still an approved method of control, but may be carried out only by fully trained operatives. Since the removal of strychnine from the UK market, there has been a revival of traditional molecatching methods in Britain. Modern traditional mole catchers use traps, and usually charge a 'per-mole' fee, as their predecessors often did. The price charged reflects the fact that there is no longer a market for moleskins.

Bibliography

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References

External links

{{Commons category, Mole catching
Association of Professional Mole CatchersBritish Traditional Molecatchers RegisterGuild of British molecatchersMole Catcher UK
Mammal pest control Hunters by game Pest trapping Talpidae