ILMINSTER NEWS: Moles trapped and killed after causing grave problems at cemetery

CUTE moles have been trapped and killed after an increase in population of the small mammals started to cause problems at Ilminster Cemetery.

The council’s expenditure over the past month includes £190 to IEP Pest Control for the “catching of moles” at the cemetery.

And town clerk Joy Norris said: “There is an ongoing mole issue which normally we tolerate, but this year we seem to have had an increase in molehills in the cemetery.

“So we have had a mole-catcher contractor come in to do some work for us.”

It is understood that the town council’s senior warden had discussed with the mole-catcher about catching them and then relocating them elsewhere.

But this was deemed to be “not practical” and so the traps used to catch the moles actually killed them.

Moles are industrious diggers and can create 20m of tunnel per day. They leave characteristic mounds of earth on the surface as they excavate their tunnels.

Large chambers within the tunnel system are lined with dry grass and used for nesting during periods of rest.

The infestation of moles at a cemetery could have serious consequences considering the rate at which they can dig and could lead to the subsidence of grave plots.

There have been similar problems at cemeteries up and down the country.

Moles are very common throughout Britain, however, they are rarely seen as they spend almost their entire life underground.

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