Mole catching and mole removal

What a mole catcher does

A mole catcher deals with moles in lawns, gardens, paddocks and sports turf. The first job is a survey. The catcher walks the ground, finds which tunnels are live and decides where traps will work best. One territorial mole often makes all the hills in a garden, so the aim is usually to catch that single animal.

The standard method is a tunnel trap set in the run, checked regularly and removed once the mole is caught. One Surrey catcher says catches often come within 24 hours. A typical job is a survey, trap setting and a few follow-up checks over about a week or two. Simple lawns can be quicker, and larger or wetter ground can take longer.

Moles are not a protected species and may be controlled, but the method matters. Only spring traps approved under the Pests Act 1954 can be used, and a good catcher will say so before you ask.

What it costs and how quotes work

Mole catching costs from about £80 a job and averages £150 (howmuchshoulditcost, 2026). Pricing comes in two styles. Some catchers charge per mole, with a discount for each extra one. Others quote a flat fee per garden. A Surrey catcher charges £150 for the first mole on a domestic job, with discounts for later ones, and cheaper rates for farmland.

Ask which model your quote uses and what happens if no mole is caught. No mole, no fee is the common promise. It means you pay only if the catcher catches one. It is not a time-based warranty, so ask what happens when a new mole moves in. See what mole catching costs for the full breakdown.

Before the catcher arrives

A few small steps help the job go quickly:

• Note where you see fresh hills and tell the catcher which are newest.
• Do not flatten the tunnels or hills beforehand. The catcher reads the runs, and flattening them hides the live ones.
• Keep children and pets off the lawn while traps are set.
• Say if the lawn has been turfed recently, treated or netted.

If you are not sure it is a mole at all, check our guide to identifying moles and molehills first. Worm casts, ant hills and vole or rabbit workings look similar at a glance.

Will the moles come back

Catching the mole removes the problem for now. It does not stop another mole moving into the vacated territory, which often happens, especially when the neighbouring land holds moles too. Ask the catcher about repeat visits and whether the quote covers a second animal.

If you are happy to try without a catcher, our guide to getting rid of moles yourself covers what is lawful and what the evidence says about repellents. The Royal Horticultural Society suggests tolerating moles where you can.

Who to hire

There is no licence needed to catch moles, and no licence to check. Two registers exist for specialist catchers. The British Mole Catchers' Register has run since 2006 and lists professional catchers who work as traditional craftspeople. The Guild of British Molecatchers is a trade association with a members' list.

Both show membership and a stated method. Neither is a licence, and neither checks insurance. BPCA and NPTA membership is not usually needed for a sole mole catcher, but they are trade associations with codes and audits if you prefer a pest control firm. Before you book, ask three things:

• Which method do you use? The answer should be traps only.
• Are you insured?
• Is the price no mole, no fee, per mole or per garden?

Will the council help

Councils rarely deal with moles. A couple, including Solihull and Lancaster, offer a quote on request, but most will point you to a private mole catcher. Our council pest control guide shows what your own council treats. The page also shows how many councils treat moles, and the figure is small.

Renting a home

Moles are a garden problem. The pest duties that apply to landlords cover rats and mice, not moles. Check your tenancy agreement for who looks after the garden. If it is yours, you can book a catcher yourself, and it is worth telling your landlord first.

What is not lawful or sensible

Strychnine has been banned since 2006, and gassing, poison and flooding are not sensible or legal routes. Unapproved traps and leghold traps are an offence in England and Wales. Cruelty to wild mammals is also an offence under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. A catcher who suggests any of these should not get the job.

Moles in the garden

Fresh heaps of fine soil across a garden are the clearest sign of a mole. The mole is eating earthworms and other soil animals, not your plants, and one animal often makes every hill. That means the damage looks worse than the problem is.

If you can live with the hills, rake the soil flat once the activity moves on. If the garden is a showpiece or you keep animals, a catcher can usually clear a single mole within a week or two. Tell them where you see the newest hills. Moles are most active in late winter and early spring, so expect more hills then.

Moles in the lawn

Hills and soft, raised ridges in turf are what most people mean by a mole problem. The runs sit just below the surface and the lawn sags when you walk over them. Mowers can catch the hills, and the soil smothers the grass.

Do not flatten the runs before a catcher visits, because the catcher reads them to place traps. After the mole is caught, rake the soil out and reseed any patches. In summer moles dig deeper because the ground is harder, so fewer hills appear even when a mole is still present. Call a catcher if fresh hills keep appearing after a week.

Moles in flower beds and raised beds

Loose soil in a bed can make it look as if the mole has uprooted your plants. It is usually the tunnelling lifting roots and letting them dry out, rather than the mole eating them. Press the soil back firmly around the plants and water well.

A mole in a raised bed has usually come up from the ground beneath. The RHS says mole netting must be installed before turfing, so it does not help an existing bed. For an existing bed, a catcher is the realistic fix. Ask them to set traps in the run that leads to it.