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How to lay mole mesh

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a galvanised strip in the shed and a lawn that is already down, and you want to know whether how to lay mole mesh means sliding it under the grass or opening the soil first. The Royal Horticultural Society says netting goes in before turf is laid. Open the ground, take depth from a named source, and leave an edge a mole can still use to leave. Which roll to buy stays on the [mole mesh comparison](/hub/garden-supplies/mole-mesh). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. used those listing lines and public UK sources, and did not lift a lawn or bury a sheet.

You have a galvanised strip in the shed and a lawn that is already down, and you want to know whether how to lay mole mesh means sliding it under the grass or opening the soil first.

Our top picks

C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 400 mm × 6 m

Best overall

C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 400 mm × 6 m
8.8/10about £26.99
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C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 200 mm × 12 m

Rank 2

C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 200 mm × 12 m
7.7/10about £22.78
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PICK FOR LIFE PICK FOR LIFE roll, 6 m × 20 cm

Best value

PICK FOR LIFE PICK FOR LIFE roll, 6 m × 20 cm
8.4/10about £13.49
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On this page
  1. 1.Open the soil first
  2. 2.Depth depends on who you are reading
  3. 3.Overlap, pegs, and edges that stay open
  4. 4.Cut edges, and when to stop

Open the soil first

The barrier belongs in ground you have opened, not under a lawn you leave intact. The RHS says mole netting must be installed before turf is laid. If the grass is already there, Premier Netting's method is to lift the turf, place the net, peg it, and put the turf back. The metal rolls here are strips, 20 cm or 40 cm wide. Six metres by 20 cm is 1.2 square metres before overlap, while a 4 m by 3 m lawn is 12 square metres. If you cannot lift the turf yourself, hire help rather than fold a ribbon into a trench.

Depth depends on who you are reading

There is no single British figure for mole mesh depth. Duranet, a European maker, says about 2 cm under the turf. Premier Netting, a UK seller of polypropylene net, says about 4 inches down, which is about 10 cm. A Tenax note kept with this comparison gives 10–15 cm. Garden UK prints 30–45 cm. Those four depths stay with the page that printed them. Duranet's 2 cm figure is that maker's method for their net, not a measurement on the galvanised rolls here. Premier's 4 inches belongs to plastic net that is often 1 m or 2 m wide. If you follow one seller, follow that seller's depth for that product.
C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 400 mm × 6 m

Testsieger

C&Xanadu C&Xanadu roll, 400 mm × 6 m
8.8/10about £26.99
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Overlap, pegs, and edges that stay open

Joins are where a mole finds the way through. Duranet says overlap at least 30 cm, with staples every 2–3 m. Garden UK's overlap, kept separate, is at least 15 cm. Do not merge those into one number. On a 20 cm strip, a 30 cm overlap is wider than the roll, so two ribbons cannot meet Duranet's figure without a third piece or a wider sheet. Pegs hold the sheet while the turf goes back. Premier mentions metal or plastic pegs. On a seeded lawn, Duranet turns the edges up to the surface and says never fold the net downward, or the mole is closed in. Mesh is not a trap. Leave the boundary so an animal already in that soil can still reach the edge and leave.

Cut edges, and when to stop

C&Xanadu's listing bullets require gloves. Reviews of these rolls report cuts and recoil when the sheet springs back. Wear gloves before you cut, and keep the offcut off the grass where someone kneels. Stop when the job is no longer a sheet you can pin. GOV.UK says traps go at least 150 mm down in the main run, checked at least daily, and that gas is for a trained user. A whole-lawn lift you cannot do, or any killing method, belongs with someone else. If you are choosing a sheet against a basket around one plant, that fork is mole mesh or a bulb basket. The checks before you buy are on the mole mesh buying guide.

Common questions

How deep do you lay mole mesh?
Use the depth printed by the source you are following, and do not average the others. Duranet says about 2 cm under turf. Premier Netting says about 4 inches, about 10 cm, for their plastic net. A Tenax note gives 10–15 cm, and Garden UK prints 30–45 cm. None of those is a British Standard for the metal strips in this comparison. Say which page you mean if someone else is doing the dig.
Can you add it without lifting the lawn?
Not if you want the sequence these sources describe. The RHS says the net goes in before turf is laid. On an existing lawn, Premier's method is to lift the turf, lay and peg the net, and replace the turf. Sliding a sheet under grass you have not lifted leaves gaps you cannot see. A whole-lawn lift you cannot do yourself is a job for someone who can, compared with a trench along one edge.
How much should the sheets overlap?
Duranet says at least 30 cm, with staples about every 2–3 m. Garden UK's figure is at least 15 cm. Keep them apart. A 20 cm roll cannot give you a 30 cm overlap against the next 20 cm roll, because the overlap is wider than the strip. A wider sheet, or several strips with a stated overlap you can actually achieve, is the practical fix.
Should mole mesh be folded down?
Duranet says no. That maker turns edges up to the surface on a seeded lawn, and warns that folding the net downward closes the mole in. Mesh is not a trap. Leave the boundary so an animal under the new turf can still reach an edge and leave. GOV.UK's trap and gas rules are a different job, and gas is for a trained user.
When should you stop and call someone?
Stop if you would have to kill moles, use gas, or lift a lawn you cannot manage. GOV.UK limits traps to types commonly used for moles, at least 150 mm down, checked at least daily, with a humane kill of a live catch. Gas is for a trained user. A landscaper can lift turf. A pest controller is the person for the killing methods. Pinning a sheet you can reach is the part that stays with you.

Related pages

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Mole mesh

Best mole mesh for a shed strip, a lawn, or one plant

Mole and vole mesh baskets: stated hole, size and metal

Mole mesh buying guide: hole, metal and square metres

Mole mesh or a bulb basket for hills and eaten bulbs

Sources

Public UK sources for this comparison. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. Page updated 22 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK: foxes, moles and mink (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. RHS: moles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Mammal Society: mole (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. The Wildlife Trusts: mole (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Mesh Direct: 6 mm mole mesh (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Premier Netting: anti-mole netting (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. British Pest Control Association: mole traps (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Spring Traps Approval (England) Order 2018 (retrieved 22 October 2026)