science

Molecatcher

Molecatcher is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Molecatcher rather than just read about it. In short: A molecatcher 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 Roman times Excavations of ancient Roman sites have revealed earthenware pots that had been set in the ground.

Key takeaways

Molecatcher belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Molecatcher to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Molecatcher from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A molecatcher 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

Roman times

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.

Traditional molecatchers Many early molecatchers set out snares for the moles, taking care to remove human scent from the loops. Over time, traps used to catch and kill moles became more advanced and complicated, incorporating weighted wood or cast iron, and eventually sprung steel.

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.

Modern molecatching In more recent times, traditional molecatching has given way to the use of poison. 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, but sometimes other animals that shared the environment or interacted with moles were accidentally poisoned as well. Repellents, including sonic devices, holly leaves, moth balls, garlic and castor oil have not proven successful in preventing damage caused by moles.

In the United Kingdom 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. 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. 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.

Since the removal of strychnine from the UK market, there has been a revival of traditional molecatching methods in Britain. 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

Bibliography 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

Association of Professional Mole Catchers British Traditional Molecatchers Register Guild of British molecatchers Mole Catcher UK

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Molecatcher

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Molecatcher claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Molecatcher before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Molecatcher ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Molecatcher

In research: Molecatcher appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Molecatcher in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Molecatcher is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Hunters by game, Mammal pest control, Pest trapping, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Molecatcher outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Molecatcher in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Molecatcher means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Molecatcher out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Molecatcher in simple terms?

A molecatcher 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 Roman times Excavations of ancient Roman sites have revealed earthenware pots that had been set in the ground.

Why does Molecatcher matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Molecatcher?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Molecatcher.