Today we will talk about a representative of the mole rat family. The mole rat, a photo of which will be presented below, differs from the mole in appearance, food preferences. It happens that one day summer residents discover earthen mounds, dug underground tunnels in their garden. You walk around the site, and your leg suddenly falls through the ankle or even lower. Often the first thought that came to mind was moles! But it is not always the case. We will not minimize the “merits” of the mole in this matter. But this is not about him. In different places, mole rats are called differently: Zinsky puppy, earthen puppy, earthen dog, blind man.
Photo of mole rat:
What does the mole rat eat and how does it look
In fact, mole rats cause more significant damage to the garden than moles. Insectivorous diggers annoy the fact that they dig hills, minks on the site, but mole rats are real rodents.
What does mole rat eat in the garden? They really like to feast on root vegetables: potatoes, beets, carrots, do not deprive stalks with leaves, they also like flowers with a bulbous root system. Closer to winter, the rodent makes significant reserves (approximately 10 kg). He activates year-round, does not fall into hibernation, but before the approach of cold weather he becomes a little calmer.
Who is mole rat? He is often confused with a mole, even often called a mole-mole rat, but this is the wrong name. A mole is a mole, and a mole rat is a mole rat. He is much larger than his "colleague." The mole digs the earth in paws. And in the mole rat they are poorly developed (five-fingered, with small claws), so he digs tunnels up to 450 meters long with his powerful teeth. With wide incisors, the animal gnaws at the ground. The lips are behind them, they have many folds - this nuance helps not to get the earth into the animal’s mouth. His head is flat, spade-shaped, his eyes are reduced, in their place there is a fold of skin. Ears and tail are also weakly expressed, the whole body is covered with a thick, dense hair.
Blind rodent, photo:
The habitat of the rodent are steppes, fields, virgin lands, forest belts, beams. Common mole rat digs tiered burrows with a complex system of moves. The so-called forage passages are located at a depth of 10-30 cm. Deeper fragments branch from them. These are nesting, pantry compartments located at a depth of 80 cm to 3 meters. In the process of digging moves, the animal throws heaps of earth to the surface, which can reach impressive sizes. Getting rid of mole rats is fraught with certain difficulties, since most of the time it stays underground.
Traces of rodent activity, photo:
Mole rat, how to deal with it, methods, means, traps
Strong poisons, similar to those used for bullying rats, are an effective way to combat pest. But in this situation, there is another side to the coin - pets or even children may suffer. Installing traps or live traps will require time and prudence from you, as mole rats are quite smart, and often go around dangerous places. Old seasoned rodents are distinguished by their instincts, they often bypass cunning traps, they can even show aggression - let out a growl when they suspect a threat to life. Traps should be placed near the entrance to the holes.
Traps and traps for mole rats, photo:
If you have an active cat or a cat that previously successfully caught rats, you can try to introduce them to the hunting for mole rats. This method has been successfully and more than once tested by summer residents.
This is done as follows: the place of the underground passage of the rodent is determined (the soil falls under the feet), with the help of a shovel, about half a meter of the manhole comes off. Since the mole rat is sensitive to temperature changes, a draft, it soon appears to fill the open entrance with earth. After this, do not waste time, in the area of exit from the hole, dig a wide hole (50 cm), about 30-40 cm deep, then take a tailed partner and wait for the rodent to appear. Young individuals are less efficient, they are easier to catch. By the way, dogs are no less reliable helpers in this matter.
Experienced mole rats can be hooked. To do this, again, the entrance to the hole is dug, a long wire with a hook at the end (with two, three hooks) is inserted inside. There is a loop at the other end of the wire, with the help of which the hook is fixed in the hole (so that the mole rat does not inadvertently drag the trap). Having reacted to the draft, the rodent rushes to the exit and gets hooked, any movement to the sides will only aggravate its situation. When you come to inspect the holes, you can remove the animal, remove the hook - then decide its fate at your discretion.
Trap, photo:
How to catch a mole rat with water? In this case, you will not do one or two buckets. Well, if you have a long irrigation hose, otherwise you will need about 10 buckets of water. First you need to identify the tunnel that leads exactly to the hole. Ordinary moves can be calculated by the type of land that is dug in the form of knolls. The lead in the hole will be distinguished by the presence of clay in the hill. Nests of mole rats are located at great depths, where clay is present.
You need to dig a hole near the clay embankment, direct a continuous stream of water deep into the course. Such holes usually have a helical depression, if water is generously poured into them, the mole rat will emerge sooner or later. Grab the animal and follow as you wish.
Self-arrows, traps, poison - these are the methods that lead to the death of a rodent, water and an electronic repeller (for example, “Tornado”) are more humane. Sometimes on the forums you can see recommendations regarding the “smoking” of a mole rat from a hole using a hose connected to the exhaust pipe of the car. This method helps to drive the animals away from the site for a couple of months, but because of tangible soil contamination, I would not recommend it.
The electronic repeller of moles and mole rats gives a very good effect - rodents do not tolerate vibration, try to quickly get out of the area. In this matter, the main thing is not to skimp on the scarers themselves (it is better that there are a lot of them), on high-power batteries for them.
A mole rat, whose photo will now not allow you to confuse it with another animal, is a voracious pest, and it is also a long-liver. To protect your harvest, choose the method that you prefer.
Watch a video of a mole rat digging a hole in the wild: