With all the mole traps out on the market today it can be very tricky to decide on the right one. There are 3 sorts in the shops these are the barrel trap, sometimes referred to as the duffus trap, the scissor trap and the humane pipe trap. No matter which trap you choose you will need to follow some basic principles in order to make sure a quick catch.

Firstly don't just buy the traps from a retailer and expect to make use of them straight away. Before you use the mole traps they must first be exposed for 48 hours to the weather elements to get them weathered. Weathering your traps will get rid of any human scent which will put any mole off from going near the trap.

Next is the introduction of the trap. Look closely for 2 mole hills in the ground and pick a spot halfway between the two. At this spot poke the ground with a sharp object such as a garden fork. Mole tunnels are only around 5 - 10cm from the surface so your fork will sink into the ground when you locate a tunnel. Once you have the location of a tunnel set dig away a small patch of earth around 3cm by 3cm and using a gloved had place your finger into the hole and determine which way the tunnel is running north to south or east to west. Now you have the tunnel dig an alternative small territory removing the sod of earth and grass to show the run. This hole only needs to be big enough to drop the trap into around 20cm long.

Make sure that the trap is sitting in the run and after that replace the sod of earth without the loose soil. Next fill out around the sod with the loose soil so that no light is penetrating into the mole run.

That's the hard succeed done. Check the trap after 3 days and take into account to wear gloves each time you touch the trap and to block out any light should you have to relocate it.

If you choose to use the scissor sort trap then leave the top of the prongs to protrude from the ground but still take care to cap out any light from the tunnel. When you catch your mole the prongs will cork giving you an indication of the catch.

Moles are very territorial so it is likely you may only have 1 or 2 moles per acre of estate. They only meet up to mate and after that lead solitary lives. They feed mainly on earth worms and are very sensitive to any vibration. They also have an magnificent sense of smell which is why they can easily be put off by human scent.