You cannot pass a lawn, lawn or park in Zoetermeer without seeing mountains of earth: Molhopen! The dark gray floops are safely hidden in the ground, but we see their structures in large numbers throughout the city. It seems as if there are more molehills than normal. Is that also so? Indebuurt is looking for it.
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Reader Timo Scharleman also notes the Molhopen in the city. He e -mails the editors of Indebuurt Zoetermeer: ’Do we have a mole plague in Zoetermeer? Wherever I walk or cycle, it is full of the Molhopen. “
Count
First of all the figures: they are measured every year in February because then the moles of the Mol begins. The Mammal association then organizes the annual mole count in which people count (traces of) moles or molehills. What turns out? In the weekend of 14 February, the participants had more moles throughout the Netherlands than in 2024. In the province of South Holland, 87 participants had a total of 2,050 moles, last year 71 participants had 1,210. This means an increase of 69 percent!
So many moles, so many hope
With those figures, the mammalian association wants to gain insight into the behavior of the moles. ‘The count says nothing about the number of moles that lives in the Netherlands, and whether this number increases or falls. That’s because not everyone counts in the same place and way every year. It does say something about the spread of the animal, “says the website of the association.
Wet feet
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But why those many molehills? First of all, moles are extra active during the mating season and ensure more hopes. Secondly, the wild mammals don’t like wet legs. “With a high groundwater level, the corridors of moles can get too wet. This ensures that the moles are looking higher and dig a dry course system. Those extra activities therefore create more Molhopen. “
Curious how many moles were counted in the Netherlands in February? Then view the map below:
Not everyone is waiting for plowed soil and mountains of earth in gardens and parks. But according to the Mammal Association, De Mol is a useful animal. “De Mol digs corridors that cause aeration of the soil and better water drainage. They also eat snails, larvae and (harmful) insects. “
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