Pelts '', 1921 Moles' pelts have a velvety texture not found in surface animals. Surface-dwelling animals tend to have longer fur with a natural tendency for the
nap to lie in a particular direction, but to facilitate their burrowing lifestyle, mole pelts are short and very dense and have no particular direction to the nap. This makes it easy for moles to move backwards underground, as their fur is not "brushed the wrong way". The leather is extremely soft and supple.
Queen Alexandra, the wife of
Edward VII of the United Kingdom, ordered a mole-fur garment to start a fashion that would create a demand for mole fur, thereby turning what had been a serious pest problem in
Scotland into a lucrative industry for the country. Hundreds of pelts are cut into rectangles and sewn together to make a coat. The natural color is
taupe, (derived from the French noun
taupe meaning mole) but it is readily dyed any color. The term "
moleskin" for a tough cotton fabric is in common use today.
Pest status: extermination and humane options s in eastern Bohemia Moles are considered agricultural
pests in some countries, while in others, such as
Germany, they are a
protected species, but may be killed with a
permit. Problems cited as caused by moles include contamination of
silage with soil particles, making it unpalatable to
livestock, the covering of pasture with fresh soil reducing its size and yield, damage to agricultural machinery by the exposure of stones, damage to young plants through disturbance of the soil, weed invasion of pasture through exposure of freshly tilled soil, and damage to drainage systems and watercourses. Other species such as
weasels and
voles may use mole tunnels to gain access to enclosed areas or plant roots. Moles burrow and raise
molehills, killing parts of
lawns. They can undermine plant roots, indirectly causing damage or death. Moles do not eat plant roots. Moles are controlled with traps such as mole-catchers, smoke bombs, and poisons such as
calcium carbide, which produces
acetylene gas to drive moles away.
Strychnine was also used for this purpose in the past. The most common method now is Phostoxin or Talunex tablets. They contain
aluminium phosphide and are inserted in the mole tunnels, where they turn into
phosphine gas (not be confused with
phosgene gas). More recently, high-grade
nitrogen gas has proven effective at killing moles, with the added advantage of having no polluting effect to the environment. However, when the tunnels are near the surface in soft ground or after heavy rain, they may collapse, leaving (small) unsightly furrows in the lawn.
Meat William Buckland, known for eating every animal he could, opined that mole meat tasted vile.
Archaeology Moles can inadvertently
help archaeologists by bringing small artifacts to the surface through their digging. By examining
molehills for
sherds and other small objects, archaeologists can find evidence of human habitation. ==See also==