This month on the Tinderet farm trials have begun a trial to naturally control the destructive burrows of the African mole rat. The small indigenous mammals can burrow up to 15 feet an hour creating a maze of burrows that disrupt soil stability, plant roots and cause havoc in the tea fields.
The Tephrosia vogelii, a soft, woody herb is said to emit chemical scent from its roots that repel moles as well as having local medicinal uses. In a sustainability experiment shrubs have been planted to create a boundary around the tea fields in the aim to naturally and humanely curb the mole rat problem. Now well established the experiment has been a great success, with mole rat activity dramatically reduced in the area of the leafy herbs. A natural solution for a natural problem!
