Wetteren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – RFC Wetteren football club’s 4 pitches face mole infestations, damaging 2 grass fields. Chairman Geert Pelsemacker seeks professional help after volunteers struggle. Moles are drawn by watering and earthworms, risking player safety.
Asa VRT News reported, the training grounds of RFC Wetteren, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, have been plagued by moles for weeks. The club has 4 pitches: 1 artificial turf and 3 grass fields used for training and youth matches. For several weeks, 2 of the grass pitches have been covered in molehills. These molehills make it hard for the groundskeepers to mow the grass properly.
How is RFC Wetteren tackling the growing Mole problem on its pitches?
The molehills also pose a safety risk for the young players. They mentioned that the bumpy fields increase the chance of trips and injuries like twisted ankles. Geert Pelsemacker, chairman of RFC Wetteren, said the moles have easily entered the fields and caused a large number of molehills.
He mentioned that the club now faces the challenge of protecting the pitches while keeping the playing area safe for its players. This issue has become a serious concern for the club’s training routine and youth activities.
RFC Wetteren has been trying to control the mole problem on its own so far. For weeks, 2 volunteers have checked the fields daily, clearing molehills and filling in holes to keep the pitches usable.
Chairman Geert Pelsemacker says the situation is now getting worse and the club needs extra help. They have brought in a professional mole catcher device that stops the animals from making new mounds and tries to drive them away. The club hopes the problem will be solved by the end of this week.
“The spray water attracts worms, and moles are attracted to it.”
Chairman Geert Pelsmacker
The sudden rise in mole activity puzzles the club. Officials mentioned that one reason could be their watering routine during warm weather, which helps the grass grow. This watering attracts earthworms, which are food for moles, to the fields. The moles follow the worms and settle in the pitches, causing the recent surge in molehills.
Last year, a football club in a nearby town dealt with a serious mole problem that damaged several of its grass pitches. The molehills made the fields uneven and unsafe for players, causing delays in both training sessions and matches. The club faced difficulties maintaining the grounds and had to call in professional pest control experts to tackle the issue.
