I have three separate grass areas in my garden .One of these has started
to attract the attention of moles or similar animals. This is the first
time i have seen molehills in my garden.

I don't think there is much point in trying to evict mole and I'm hoping
it/they won't take up permanent residence.

I'm stamping on the "hills" as they appear and if more appear I am
thinking of planting in these areas later on. For the Summer months
"Impatiens" but what about late Winter and Spring ? I want the plants to
stay within the patch area.

Relaying the grass is not an option.Also it has
two heavy metal plates covering a disused "cesspit".

I would be interested in your comments on what I could plant.
Thanks.

Mike.

Euphorbia lathyrus


"Mike" wrote in message
...
I have three separate grass areas in my garden .One of these has started
to attract the attention of moles or similar animals. This is the first
time i have seen molehills in my garden.

I don't think there is much point in trying to evict mole and I'm hoping
it/they won't take up permanent residence.

I'm stamping on the "hills" as they appear and if more appear I am
thinking of planting in these areas later on. For the Summer months
"Impatiens" but what about late Winter and Spring ? I want the plants to
stay within the patch area.

Relaying the grass is not an option.Also it has
two heavy metal plates covering a disused "cesspit".

I would be interested in your comments on what I could plant.
Thanks.

Mike.

Cereus-validus....... writes

Euphorbia lathyrus

Interesting. How many people have had does-what-it-says-on-the-tin
success with this plant? And/or, more importantly, anyone with
persistent moles despite using this plant?

Some of the net references have that tendency to err on the side of:
"...believed to banish Voles and Moles." The cynic in me is alighting on
the first word!

Moles have been a real headache for me these past couple of years.
Typical really. Lived here for 20+ years and never seen a mole, get into
gardening and... GAH! I won't even bother to list all the things I've
tried. And I wish I had a pound for every suggestion! It seems the urban
myth and old wives tales ring loud and long in the how-to-shift-a-mole
misleading prophecies.

Oh, and Euphorbia lathyrus... Not conducive to dog ownership?

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

Moles are not interested in plants-they are after earthworms. When we lived
in Cheshire after several years in our neighbours' garden they moved into
ours. I plotted the layout of their runs-with molehills on the perimeter of
the lawn and occasionally a hill in the middle you can follow the runs by
probing with a screwdriver.
I managed to direct them out of the tunnel system by inserting 'Renardine
soaked rags at strategic points. Bottles in runs were not effective and my
fingers are not strong enough to set mole traps.
My neighbour retaliated by flooding the tunnels on her side. Eventually we
got them to leave by the adjacent field.
If your garden is not too big it would be possible to find the entry point
and re-direct them.
In Devon the soil is much heavier-clay rather than sand- and they prefer to
burrow in cultivated areas and our woodland, which doesn't bother me too
much as they don't seem to cause much damage away from the lawn.
They tend to live in easy ground.
Cats will kill them when they are travelling above ground, but they won't
eat them.

Regards
David T
"Flower Bobdew" wrote in message
...
Cereus-validus....... writes

Euphorbia lathyrus

Interesting. How many people have had does-what-it-says-on-the-tin
success with this plant? And/or, more importantly, anyone with
persistent moles despite using this plant?

Some of the net references have that tendency to err on the side of:
"...believed to banish Voles and Moles." The cynic in me is alighting on
the first word!

Moles have been a real headache for me these past couple of years.
Typical really. Lived here for 20+ years and never seen a mole, get into
gardening and... GAH! I won't even bother to list all the things I've
tried. And I wish I had a pound for every suggestion! It seems the urban
myth and old wives tales ring loud and long in the how-to-shift-a-mole
misleading prophecies.

Oh, and Euphorbia lathyrus... Not conducive to dog ownership?

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

I can vouch for that - although i was amazed that our cat had caught one.
the neighbours were pleased -- poor moley!

I think the cats don't eat them cos of the fur, same with shrews.

(first ever garden and it has moles!!)
((one less now!))

"david taylor" wrote in message
...
Cats will kill them when they are travelling above ground, but they won't
eat them.

Space wrote:
I can vouch for that - although i was amazed that our cat had
caught
one. the neighbours were pleased -- poor moley!

I think the cats don't eat them cos of the fur, same with shrews.
[...]
There's more to it than that: they eat other furry creatures. I think
moles and shrews taste foul: there was a parson in the 18 or 19 C
whose ambition was to eat his way through the entire animal kingdom,
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...

--
Mike.

In message , Mike
writes
I have three separate grass areas in my garden .One of these has started
to attract the attention of moles or similar animals. This is the first
time i have seen molehills in my garden.

I don't think there is much point in trying to evict mole and I'm hoping
it/they won't take up permanent residence.

I'm stamping on the "hills" as they appear and if more appear I am
thinking of planting in these areas later on. For the Summer months
"Impatiens" but what about late Winter and Spring ? I want the plants to
stay within the patch area.

Relaying the grass is not an option.Also it has
two heavy metal plates covering a disused "cesspit".

I would be interested in your comments on what I could plant.
Evening primrose?
--
June Hughes

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Space wrote:
I can vouch for that - although i was amazed that our cat had
caught
one. the neighbours were pleased -- poor moley!

I think the cats don't eat them cos of the fur, same with shrews.
[...]
There's more to it than that: they eat other furry creatures. I think
moles and shrews taste foul: there was a parson in the 18 or 19 C
whose ambition was to eat his way through the entire animal kingdom,
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...


i did consider that or as above. my thinking was that shrews and moles have
pelts of fur

i know they eat furry creatures - he has kindly demonstrated swallowing a
mouse in front of me! Yeuch!

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

There's more to it than that: they eat other furry creatures. I think
moles and shrews taste foul: there was a parson in the 18 or 19 C
whose ambition was to eat his way through the entire animal kingdom,
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...

I can't remember, though I had heard of him - a long time ago.

I believe moles and shrews are bitter.

--
Rusty

Rusty Hinge writes

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

There's more to it than that: they eat other furry creatures. I think
moles and shrews taste foul: there was a parson in the 18 or 19 C
whose ambition was to eat his way through the entire animal kingdom,
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...

I can't remember, though I had heard of him - a long time ago.

Yeah, it all began when he swallowed fly, apparently. I heard he
eventually died when a giraffe got stuck in his throat.

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

Rusty Hinge wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" [...]
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can
remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...

[...]

I believe moles and shrews are bitter.

You disappoint me: as I said, if there's anybody in urg who's tried
to eat a mole...

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:
Rusty Hinge wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" [...]
and even he said he couldn't manage a mole. I bet Rusty can
remember
the bloke's name, but I can't. Indeed, if there's anybody in urg
who's tried to eat a mole...

[...]

I believe moles and shrews are bitter.

You disappoint me: as I said, if there's anybody in urg who's tried
to eat a mole...

I've peeled a few, with the intention of having a waistcoat made. Will
that do?

--
Rusty

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these
words:
Rusty Hinge wrote:
[...]

I believe moles and shrews are bitter.

You disappoint me: as I said, if there's anybody in urg who's
tried
to eat a mole...

I've peeled a few, with the intention of having a waistcoat made.
Will
that do?

Close, but, on the whole, no cigar.

Further OT, I have always wondered if nobody ever actually had a
moleskin wessk't made of moleskins, but that the reference was merely
to the kinds of cloth which go under the name.

There's a 1903 ref. in OED which may perhaps not contradict my
thought, since it's possible that the news was based on a
misunderstanding by either the king or his subjects, or both. (There
was a rush on moleskins because it got about that the King had
ordered a moleskin waistcoat.)

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Close, but, on the whole, no cigar.

Further OT, I have always wondered if nobody ever actually had a
moleskin wessk't made of moleskins, but that the reference was merely
to the kinds of cloth which go under the name.

My grandmother had a moleskin coat, and it was made with moleskins. I
inherited this, and a tailor used some unmotheaten bits of it to make me
a waistcoat, so the answer is 'Yes'.

There's a 1903 ref. in OED which may perhaps not contradict my
thought, since it's possible that the news was based on a
misunderstanding by either the king or his subjects, or both. (There
was a rush on moleskins because it got about that the King had
ordered a moleskin waistcoat.)

I believe gamekeepers and molecatchers used to use the skins for some
garments - probably to advertise their trades.

--
Rusty

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these
words:

Close, but, on the whole, no cigar.

Further OT, I have always wondered if nobody ever actually had a
moleskin wessk't made of moleskins, but that the reference was
merely
to the kinds of cloth which go under the name.

My grandmother had a moleskin coat, and it was made with moleskins.
I
inherited this, and a tailor used some unmotheaten bits of it to
make
me
a waistcoat, so the answer is 'Yes'.
[...]
Excellent! I hope you still wear it at intervals. I'd like to see
one: do you think they've got one in the V&A or somewhere?

(In Aus, "moleskin" always means cloth. It was the typical material
for bushmen's trews till a couple of generations ago: the sartorially
correct footwear to go with them was elastic-sided boots.)

--
Mike.