Richard Perkin wrote in
:

"CWatters" wrote in
:


"Si" $3o&m wrote in message
...
[note x-post to uk.d-i-y & uk.rec.gardening]

I have a mole at the top of my garden. The first hill appeared
about 10 days ago and the second, nearby, a couple of days ago.
Both in lawn.

What should I do? Our garden is intended to encourage wildlife
but hills all over the grass doesn't seem to me to be a friendly
hello from a visitor. Do the sonic repellents work or do I have
to insert a trap in a tunnel and take it far away?


If you want to get rid of the mole read this before you do
anything...

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-cou...ates/reports/m
o le-review.pdf

... The DEFRA report make clear why they don't work.

Indeed. Trapping works, and is easy to do. The tunnels are only a
few inches below the surface and can be readily located. There is
usually a main tunnel with branches; the approx location of the
main tunnel can be seen by the line of molehills and the exact
location found by probing with a pointed stake or similar. Dig out
and clear a very short section [I found a trowel + tablespoon (for
clearing the actual tunnel you have broken into) to be useful].

I used scissor traps very succesfully but YMMV. They were of a
different design to that linked to on eBay and similar to the
'Sure Grip' design shown he
http://www.moletraps.co.uk/mole_trap_supplies.html
I ordered them by phone from a company advertising on-line (but
can't remember who) - they are readily available in hardware
stores, garden centres etc.

Aside: despite the cuddly image, moles are nasty, vicous, solitary
and cannibalistic creatures. They even eat their own young if they
hang around too long. Indeed, one reason that poison is effective
is that an incoming mole entering a vacated tunnel network will
eat the poisoned corpse of the previous occupant. Just thought
you'd like to know...

Followup to my own post with some info on molish habits:
http://www.golf-industry.com/news/yeartodate/news2000/mole.html

I'm sure I've seen the details in that article in some more official
publication, but it does offer some clues as to how to deal with the
beasts...

Kind regards

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

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