Moles

[oldmoleskins]

I can only guess the relatively high water table has forced worms - and moles - up nearer the surface this summer where they're more obvious, but has anyone else been plagued with them? I've literally dozens of molehills - and they don't half blunt the mower...



OM.

[Weeterrier]

Oh Dear, that is bad, if I had that I might change my opinion of them
At the moment, I love them and the hills of lovely, finely tilthed virgin soil that they push up to fill my tubs. But they seem to do it all in the fields which surround the house, and have been kind enough to leave my garden alone.
Don't suppose I will have many posters on my side, will I? ;D

[jean]

Was plagued with moles whilst I lived in Belgium a good few years back. OH actually caught one and took it down the road and let it go - soon found its way back Tried all the different ways of getting rid of them and non of them worked. Glad I haven't got them here. Have to say though, they are beautiful creatures, shame about the havoc they cause

[Shrubrose]

They are beautiful. Fortunately I dont have them in my garden and have seen one, only once and it was at the foot of the stairs in my hallway, dead unfortunately. Cat - 1, mole - 0. It had huge spade like hands and soft, soft hair.

[Weeterrier]

My dogs once found the dried up body of a mole in the field behind our house. It was just like a little silky furry purse with a paw in each corner. It wasn't yucky, too dry for that. But it must have been so sweet when it was alive.

[Deleted]

they are very cute.
when we lived in norfolk my parents did everything they could to get rid of the moles in our lawn.
unfortunately that included KILLING them in traps which i threw so many hissy fits about as a teenage vegetarian.
they stopped killing them in traps and went on to catching them in humane traps after i threw an almighty fit and told them i was leaving home if they killed any more.
anyway the point being.they are so sweet and so very soft.i would cry tears over the dead ones and bury them where the dogs couldnt get them!!!!
i wasnt a dramatic teenager honest ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[oldmoleskins]

jlotie said:

Was plagued with moles whilst I lived in Belgium a good few years back. OH actually caught one and took it down the road and let it go - soon found its way back

How did you know it was the same one JL?

Anyway, have enlisted an enthusiastic 'reprofiler of molehills' to the staff. She's absolutely no chance of catching one of course and seems (thankfully) reluctant to dig, but does spread the hills out so they won't make the mower grunt...



OM.

[4pygmies]

Actually OM, your post made me realise I haven't seen any molehills for weeks. Normally they're everywhere and very annoying they can be too! Pr'aps they've gone to the Broads for their holidays.......

[jean]

oldmoleskins said:

jlotie said:

Was plagued with moles whilst I lived in Belgium a good few years back. OH actually caught one and took it down the road and let it go - soon found its way back

How did you know it was the same one JL?

Anyway, have enlisted an enthusiastic 'reprofiler of molehills' to the staff. She's absolutely no chance of catching one of course and seems (thankfully) reluctant to dig, but does spread the hills out so they won't make the mower grunt...



OM.

He poked his little nose out of his hill and winked at me ;D

(Sorry OM)

[oldmoleskins]

Well, in a sort of "Mole 2008" update, have now found a product that seems to work... I give you:



I bunged some down the holes of a nightmare situation where I'd taken two full barrowloads of 'hill' away, and a week later there's no sign of fresh digging. It is eye-wateringly expensive at £12.25 but may save your sanity in a lawn (let alone my old rough grass) and the contact number is 01953 603150 if you want to track some down.

Just two footnotes: it does smell remarkably like the stuff used in chemical toilets in boats, which may be worth a try (and cheaper) and it is just one week of mole-freeness I'm celebrating: how long it will last is another thing. But where sudden death in the form of trapping isn't an option, it could be a breakthrough.

OM.

[Barbara]

i'm glad i dont have them in my garden, because i couldn't bear to kill them, and yet they would drive me mad making that much mess.
and i'm glad you seem to have found a solution, and no that wasn't intended as a pun.

[4pygmies]

That's too much parting of the dosh for me! I am learning to appreciate the redesigning of the contours in my flat Norfolk garden instead....maybe one day smallest will enjoy a mountain bike run around the garden every so often.....sigh....funnily enough though (and thank goodness) they seem to cluster around the goats area and ignore the more cultivated bits atm (when I say cultivated, I mean those bits where I have half heartedly had a go at growing flowers instead of nettles ) One day my entire garden will sink about 2ft lower....atm it's just a bit bumpier than is desirable......makes mowing the grass much more of a challenge......whilst trying not to sprain an ankle... ;D

[oldmoleskins]

Aug 25, 2008 7:17:24 GMT 4pygmies said:

That's too much parting of the dosh for me! I am learning to appreciate the redesigning of the contours in my flat Norfolk garden instead....maybe one day smallest will enjoy a mountain bike run around the garden every so often.....sigh....funnily enough though (and thank goodness) they seem to cluster around the goats area and ignore the more cultivated bits atm (when I say cultivated, I mean those bits where I have half heartedly had a go at growing flowers instead of nettles ) One day my entire garden will sink about 2ft lower....atm it's just a bit bumpier than is desirable......makes mowing the grass much more of a challenge......whilst trying not to sprain an ankle... ;D

Track down a boating or caravan mate 4P - and cadge some chemical toilet 'additive'... make up a wateringcan full of fairly strong-smeling solution and having scraped away some hill to expose the run, pour a pint or two down a few holes.

Hugely theraputic, if nothing else - but could be a useful 'trial' of an alternative too...

OM.

[Ruthie]

We haven't had moles in the garden for years. Last week there was an annoying, repetitive noise coming from my neighbour's garden. Can't emulate it (even if you could hear me) but it was very high pitched. OH reckoned it was a mole scarer. I laughed and poo pooed this suggestion.

I decided that if it was still going when we came back from our W/E away I would have to grasp the nettle and go and have a polite word with them about noise nuisance and my greatly reduced enjoyment of my garden.

Then, just before we went away..............molehills, appearing in our garden!!!! Why couldn't they have scared the moles into the field the other side of them!!

There are no fresh ones since we've been away so p'raps it's gone back whence it came or carried on to the next garden!

[4pygmies]

Hmm......but is it organic?? ;D I do have a boating friend but I think they are pretty basic in their toilet arrangements whilst at sea...more I will not say.....
I'll bear it in mind, thanks Moley but just at the moment the moles aren't too much bother...but, hang on - oooh, would it work in the rat holes?? AHA! ;D

[oldmoleskins]

Aug 26, 2008 6:24:39 GMT 4pygmies said:

Hmm......but is it organic?? ;D I do have a boating friend but I think they are pretty basic in their toilet arrangements whilst at sea...more I will not say.....
I'll bear it in mind, thanks Moley but just at the moment the moles aren't too much bother...but, hang on - oooh, would it work in the rat holes?? AHA! ;D

May well do - I read once rats don't like changes in their environment - even had a name... somethingphobic. Maybe a dosing if the cloyingly sweetsmelling toilet chemical would drive them elsewhere. How far though?

OM.

[4pygmies]

Knowing my toxic rats they'd prolly take a few hearty swallows of the solution, beat their hairy little chests and grow another 4 inches.......gulp.......or mutate into a sub species even worser....

[Dutchy]

;D sorry

I have always been very succesful with a clamp you place in their walkways.
Mind you once one is killed another moves into the old territory.
As I have no lawn I leave them to it mostly. Not yet seen a plant upheaved by them.
There is activity though as I noticed some parts near the brooklet suddenly looking like the equivalent of a dwelling mound.