Molecatcher
A molecatcher (also called a mowdy-catcher)[citation needed] is a person who traps or kills moles in places where they are considered a nuisance to crops, lawns, sportsfields or gardens.
History of molecatching
[edit]Roman times
[edit]
Excavations of ancient Roman sites have revealed earthenware pots that had been set in the ground. The pots were filled with water, and acted as traps for moles.[1]
Traditional molecatchers
[edit]Many early molecatchers set out snares for the moles, taking care to remove human scent from the loops.[2] Over time, traps used to catch and kill moles became more advanced and complicated, incorporating weighted wood or cast iron, and eventually sprung steel.[2]
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Some itinerant molecatchers travelled from farm to farm. The molecatcher's customers would provide food and lodging, as well as a fee for every mole caught. The molecatcher could also earn additional money by selling the moleskins to furriers.[3][4]
Modern molecatching
[edit]In more recent times, traditional molecatching has given way to the use of poison.[5][6] Poison resulted in moles dying much more quickly and in greater numbers. For some time, strychnine was used to kill moles; its purchase was cheaper than paying molecatchers,[7] but sometimes other animals that shared the environment or interacted with moles were accidentally poisoned as well.[5]
Repellents, including sonic devices, holly leaves, moth balls, garlic and castor oil have not proven successful in preventing damage caused by moles.[8]
In the United Kingdom
[edit]The value of moleskins was subject to the vagaries of fashion. In 1903, a furrier in Leicester was offering £1 per hundred, in 1926, the price was 12s 6d (62.5p) per dozen. By the 1930s, only a few pence per skin was being paid. Some molecatchers were full time. In 1875, the town of Out Rawcliffe was advertising for a molecatcher for a term of fourteen years. In Windsor Great Park the molecatcher was said to receive £1 per week in 1910. In 2002, Victor Williamson, the molecatcher for the Sandringham, received a Royal Warrant.[9] Following the withdrawal of the poison from the market in 2006, the use of strychnine is no longer an approved method of control in the UK.[8] Fumigation with products based on aluminium phosphide (Trade names 'Talunex' and 'Phostoxin') is still an approved method of control, but may be carried out only by fully trained operatives.[8]
Since the removal of strychnine from the UK market, there has been a revival of traditional molecatching methods in Britain.[8] Modern traditional mole catchers use traps, and usually charge a 'per-mole' fee, as their predecessors often did. The price charged reflects the fact that there is no longer a market for moleskins.
References
[edit]- ^ Jeff Nicholls (2006). Molecatcher: A Guide to Traditional Molecatching Methods. Troubador Publishing Ltd. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-1-905237-76-0.
- ^ a b Thomas Hennell (2 February 2012). Change in the Farm. Cambridge University Press. pp. 201–. ISBN 978-1-107-65140-1.
- ^ Henry Tegner (November 1972). Natural history in Northumberland and Durham. Graham. p. 150. ISBN 9780902833128.
- ^ Monger, Garry (2021). "Fenland Mole-catchers". The Fens. 38: 20.
- ^ a b W. Carnegie (16 April 2013). Practical Trapping - A Description Of The Methods In Vogue For The Destruction Of Vermin. Read Books Limited. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-1-4474-9234-4.
- ^ Graham Rose (1989). The Traditional Garden Book. Greenhouse. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-86436-263-6.
- ^ Jeff Nicholls (1 October 2012). Mole Catching: A Practical Guide. Crowood. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-1-84797-470-9.
- ^ a b c d Frances Hubbard (18 April 2015). "Louise used to be a drama teacher. Now she kills moles". The Telegraph.
- ^ Monger, Garry (2021). "Fenland Mole-catchers". The Fens. 38. Natasha Shiels: 20.
Bibliography
[edit]- Atkinson, Rob (2013). Moles. Whittet Books. ISBN 9781873580868.
- Bowles, Bill (1986). Memoirs of a Fenland Molecatcher. Bowles. ISBN 978-0902436404.
- Randell, Arthur (1970). Fenland Molecatcher. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0710068026.
- Smith, Guy N. (1980). Moles and Their Control. Saiga Publishing. ISBN 0904558827.
External links
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