MOLE TRAP SUPERCAT

It is important to follow these instructions exactly and to work carefully when setting up the Trap. A badly-installed Trap catches nothing and can even make the mole wary of traps and consequently very difficult to catch.

1. Locate the mole's tunnel using a probe.
2. Dig a 10cm diameter hole down into the tunnel and check the direction of the tunnel.
3. Pour loose dry soil down into the hole to fill and block the tunnel.
4. Insert the trap into the hole and push its 'legs' through the loose earth down to the bottom of the tunnel, making sure that the alignment matches the direction of the tunnel.
5. Rapidly raise and lower the 'wings' of the trap three times to make sure the 'legs' move freely through the loose soil without being impeded by stones.
6. Fill the hole round the sides of the Trap with loose soil to keep out light and fresh air.
7. Finally, raise the 'wings' of the Trap to set the Trap.
8. Check the Trap every 2-3 days. If the 'wings' have dropped to the sides of the Trap, the Trap has been sprung and has probably made a catch.

1) Finding a suitable tunnel using a probe (such as a sharp stick or a metal rod).
A suitable tunnel is 5-15 cm below ground, is straight and has no secondary branch tunnels. The simple way to locate a tunnel is to push a probe into the ground in many places along the imaginary line between two recently created molehills. When your probe suddenly plunges into the ground without resistance, you have hit a tunnel.

2) You need to dig a 10 cm diameter hole down into the tunnel to accommodate the trap.
The Hole Cutter in the Swissinno Mole Trap Accessory Set makes it very easy to dig an accurate hole for the Trap to fit into perfectly. Reach with your hand down into the hole, or use the probe to check the depth and direction of the tunnel. If the tunnel is straight and not too deep, install the trap here. If the situation is not suitable, fill the hole with earth and look for a better location.

3) To install the Trap,
fill the tunnel at the bottom of the hole and the hole itself with loose earth making sure that there are no stones or hard lumps in the earth that would impede the action of the trap. Loose earth from a nearby molehill makes a good filling. Keep the filling loose; do not press it down. It is important that the earth filling spills over into the two openings of the tunnel as the trap will then be concealed behind the earth and the mole will not detect its presence. If the trap is installed without this camouflage, the mole will perceive the trap as a foreign intruder and will try to cram it full of earth (futilely setting it off in the process) and will bypass the trap by digging a tunnel under or round it. If, on the other hand, there is no sign of the trap and the tunnel seems merely to be blocked with earth, the mole will not be prompted to act defensively, but rather will dig into the blockage to repair the tunnel and will almost certainly enter the jaws of the trap with fatal consequences

4.) Place the trap in the loose earth; be mindful of the direction of travel and tauten
Insert the trap into the opening, press it lightly downwards, and tauten. When tautening, press the clamping arms of the trap into the tunnel wall, and the release will go down. If the ground is very firm, it may not work right away. Simply tauten again, and press a little until the ground gives way. The metal ends of the trap should sit firmly on the tunnel floor but not be pressed in too deeply.

5.) Snap the trap 3 times
By lightly pressing on the plastic ends, snap the trap 2–3 times and re-tauten. This ensures that the trap is not blocked, that it works properly, and closes easily.

6.) Cover the sides of the trap with loose earth
Pile up some loose earth on the sides of the trap to completely cover or seal the tunnel. The trap is now optimally set.
 

7.) Perform a follow-up check after 2–3 days
In most cases, the mole will be caught after one or two days. It is easy to see from above whether the trap has been triggered. When pulling out the trap, press the plastic halves of the trap together in such a way that the mole is held firm and can be pulled out of the tunnel. If the trap has been triggered but no animal caught, set the trap again in another tunnel. The best way to do this is to again look for the most recent molehills or burrows. If the trap has not been triggered after 2–3 days, it is also advisable to change the location.

Sometimes it can happen that a mole only walks into the trap after many days or weeks, but instead of waiting so long, it is faster to situate the trap better.

Moles are loners apart from when it's mating season. The males are raised only by their mothers. From August onwards, the young animals leave the mother's den and migrate at night, preferably in the rain, and look for their own territory.

In most cases, the mole is caught after one or two days. If the trap, once set, is unchanged after two to three days, move it to another location.

In a normal house garden with an area of approx. 200–500 m², there is usually only one mole present and a single trap is sufficient.

The burrow test can be used on the one hand to determine whether a tunnel is even in use, and on the other hand to distinguish whether it belongs to a vole or a mole. The burrow test involves opening the tunnel in question. Moles and voles do not like such openings in their tunnel systems. Voles react very quickly to this disturbance and close the opening within a few minutes. With moles, it takes considerably longer – hours or even 1–2 days – until openings are closed again. If there is no reaction at all, the tunnel is not in use.

• Moles are very sensitive to odours. 
• New traps can be rid of odours by placing them in the earth a few days before use.
• Wash traps that are frequently covered with burrowed earth thoroughly with hot water. Do not use soap. Do not smoke when setting the trap. Before setting the trap, wash your hands with water, without using soap. Do not use perfumed skincare products.
• The trap should be stored in a place that is as odourless as possible, e.g. in an airy shed. A car garage where there are petrol, exhaust and engine smells is less suitable.
• Only touch the trap on the plastic handles, never underneath on the metal part.
• Wear gloves at all times when working with the trap and in the tunnels, not only to avoid transmitting odours, but above all for hygienic reasons.

The traps should be rinsed after use, solely with water. Do not use soap or a cleaning agent. 
The traps must never be oiled, even with odourless oil. Oil would impair proper functioning.

Then you probably forgot to fill up the hole around the trap with loose soil. The earth camouflages the metal parts of the trap. If you place the trap in the opening without this camouflage, the mole will in most cases recognise the trap from afar as a foreign object, will mess the trap up with its burrowing, and dig a bypass tunnel under or next to the trap. If, on the other hand, a tunnel appears to be clogged with earth, no defensive behaviour is triggered on the part of the mole, but rather, it attempts to repair the tunnel, unfailingly setting off the trap in the process.

Check the hole after pulling out the trap. 

It could be that the mole was not pulled out with the trap and is still in the passage.

If a mole has set off the trap but not been caught, there is usually a new passageway next to or underneath the trap. In this case, reset the trap in a different location. When setting it up, ensure that the metal ends of the clamps are well seated on the floor of the tunnel.

After several failed attempts, the mole will usually completely ignore the trap. And then the trick with the earth will not help any more.

The trap is triggered very easily; pets, children or passers-by could also be the cause.

Moles are not explicitly known for being carriers of disease, but as with all other wild animals, unnecessary contact with the skin should be avoided.  For this reason, gloves should always be worn when setting traps, and the hands and arms should be thoroughly washed after working.

Moles are naturally suspicious loners and are not easy to catch. What's more, from time to time it can happen that an animal sets off traps, escapes, and then becomes trap-shy. You can find a few "insider tips" from professionals here.

It can help to open the passage using the hole cutter 15cm ahead of and behind the trap. The additional openings distract the mole from the trap. 

Another trick is to not only lay traps, but at the same time to damage the rest of the tunnel system as much as possible. Tread into all mounds and surface passages and damage deeper passages with the search rod. This massive disturbance can also distract from the trap.

The use of Solar Mole Repellers can also lead to improved success at catching. The disturbing noises distract the mole and make it more careless.

If all this does not help, experienced trap-layers take a two-week break and try a different trap model.

A.) Feeding tunnel

B.) Earth molehill

C.) Laufgang

D.) Travel runway

E.) Food storeroom