Molehills across a lawn and fresh burrows along a hedge line are usually the first signs you need mole and rabbit control, and in the UK both animals can be managed, but only using approved, humane methods. Left alone, moles undermine drainage and contaminate silage, while rabbits graze crops, strip bark and burrow under buildings, banks and railway lines. Dealey Environmental’s agricultural pest control team has spent over 60 years helping farms, estates and commercial sites across East Anglia deal with both, using the least invasive method that solves the problem.
What Signs Show You Have Moles or Rabbits on Your Land?
The mole (Talpa europaea) is the UK’s only true mole species. It spends almost all its life underground, using spade-like front paws to dig up to 20 metres of new tunnel a day while hunting earthworms and grubs. Rabbits, by contrast, live above ground in warrens and are far easier to spot, especially at dawn and dusk.
How Do You Spot a Mole Problem?
- Small, cone-shaped mounds of loose soil (molehills) appearing overnight
- Raised ridges running across lawns, paddocks or verges, marking shallow feeding tunnels
- Sunken or uneven patches where deeper tunnels have collapsed
- Sudden bare, disturbed areas on sports pitches, golf greens or paddocks
How Do You Spot a Rabbit Problem?
- Round burrow entrances, often in banks, hedgerows or under sheds, forming a warren
- Closely cropped grass and gnawed bark on young trees and shrubs, especially in winter
- Small, round, greenish-brown droppings clustered near burrows or on raised mounds
- Rabbits grazing at dawn and dusk, or during the day if numbers are high
What Damage Do Moles Cause on Farms, Gardens and Sports Turf?
Mole activity is more than a cosmetic nuisance. On agricultural and amenity land, it can affect safety, machinery and forage quality.
- Molehills scalp mower blades and damage machinery on amenity turf, paddocks and playing fields
- Tunnels can weaken banks and footpaths and disrupt land drainage
- Loose soil pushed onto pasture raises the risk of soil-borne bacteria such as Listeria contaminating silage, particularly in fields with a high number of molehills, according to guidance from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
- Persistent activity can reduce the value and usability of high-grade turf, such as golf greens and cricket squares
Is It Legal to Control Moles in the UK?
Moles are not a protected species in England, but they are covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause them unnecessary suffering. Natural England’s official guidance sets out exactly which methods are, and are not, allowed.
You must not use the following on moles:
- Self-locking snares
- Bows and crossbows
- Explosives, other than legal ammunition for a licensed firearm
- Live birds or animals used as bait or decoys
Strychnine, once the standard poison for mole control, was withdrawn from use in Britain in 2006 because of the suffering it caused and the risk it posed to other wildlife, and it remains illegal today. There are also no commercially available repellents approved for mole control, so a spray or sonic device is not a genuine, approved solution.
How Do You Get Rid of Moles Safely and Legally?
- Spring traps: only types commonly used for catching moles are permitted, and they must be set at least 150mm below ground in the main tunnel and checked at least once a day
- Gassing: must only be carried out by someone trained in the use of gassing products, following Health and Safety Executive guidance
- Timing: mole control is most effective between October and April, before the breeding season, when moles are digging new tunnels most actively
- Monitoring: because moles can move back into cleared tunnels from neighbouring land, ongoing monitoring tends to work better than a single treatment
Our pest control specialists can advise on which method suits your site, whether that is a domestic lawn or a working farm.
What Damage Can Rabbits Cause to Land and Property?
Rabbits are non-native to Britain and have no legal protection, so landowners can manage numbers according to their own priorities. However, without control, damage escalates quickly.
- Grazing on cereals, vegetables and grass leys, reducing yield and increasing reseeding costs
- Stripping bark from young trees and shrubs in winter, which can kill them
- Burrowing that undermines building foundations, riverbanks, railway embankments and archaeological sites
- Rapid population growth: rabbits can have up to around 25 young a year, so numbers build quickly once a warren is established
Before the myxomatosis outbreak of the 1950s, rabbits were destroying an estimated £50 million of crops a year in Britain, a reminder of how quickly numbers, and damage, can escalate without control.
Is Rabbit Control a Legal Requirement in the UK?
Yes. Under the Pests Act 1954, England, except the City of London and the Isles of Scilly, is designated a Rabbit Clearance Area. Occupiers of land are legally required to control wild rabbits or, where that is not reasonably practicable, to prevent them damaging neighbouring land, usually with rabbit-proof fencing. Failing to act can lead to a notice from Natural England and prosecution.
What Are the Approved Methods of Rabbit Control?
- Fencing: electric netting, electric strained wire or permanent wire-mesh netting excludes rabbits from vulnerable areas
- Ferreting: ferrets are sent into the burrow system to drive rabbits into nets or towards waiting guns
- Shooting: the occupier of land, or someone they authorise in writing, may shoot rabbits on that land during the day
- Trapping and snaring: cage traps, drop-box traps and approved spring traps are permitted; self-locking snares are not
- Gassing: burrows can be treated with approved gassing products, but only by someone trained in the method, following Health and Safety Executive guidance
Because burrow gassing crosses into specialist fumigation territory, many landowners bring in a qualified team rather than attempt it themselves.
When Should You Call in a Professional for Mole or Rabbit Control?
- Numbers are increasing despite your own efforts
- The problem covers a working farm, grain store, sports ground or commercial site
- You have received a notice relating to a Rabbit Clearance Area
- Burrows or tunnels are close to livestock, silage fields, buildings or drainage
- You want treatment carried out to recognised welfare and safety standards, rather than a one-off DIY attempt
We work across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, so whether you need pest control in Norwich, Cambridge or Colchester, our engineers understand the local ground conditions that attract moles and rabbits in the first place. This applies equally to commercial pest control clients, such as grain stores and warehouses, and not just gardens.
Dealey Environmental is a member of the British Pest Control Association and follows the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use code of practice on every site we visit. Our approach favours integrated pest management, prevention and monitoring, over repeat call-outs, so once a mole or rabbit problem is under control, it tends to stay that way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mole and Rabbit Control
Are moles a protected species in the UK?
No. Moles have no special conservation protection in England, but the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it illegal to cause them unnecessary suffering, and control methods are restricted to those set out by Natural England.
Can I still buy mole poison?
No. Strychnine was withdrawn for mole control in 2006 and remains banned. Only approved spring traps, or gassing carried out by a trained operator, are legal today.
Do I have to control rabbits on my land?
In England, yes. The Pests Act 1954 designates almost the whole country a Rabbit Clearance Area, meaning occupiers must control rabbits or prevent them damaging neighbouring land.
What is the best time of year for mole control?
October to April, before the breeding season, when moles are most active digging new tunnels.
If molehills or rabbit burrows are becoming a problem on your farm, site or land, Dealey Environmental can help you control both quickly, safely and within the law. Contact us today to speak to one of our pest control specialists.
