[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?

--
Si

In article , $3o&m
says...
[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?


I have to say I had always wondered what the fuss was about (not having
moles here!) but have recently visited a cousin up near Cambridge who has
moles, heaps are no problem, but walking across her grass was like
walking on a water bed it was so undermined.
What ever you chose to do just bear in mind that as soon as one mole
moves out another will soon occupy the vacant territory, so a sonic
deterant may be worth a go, mixed views on here, from wonderfull, to,
does nothing at all.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

Brilliant idea. Another way would be to get one of the celeb chefs to come
up with a really good mole recipe.

In article ,
says...

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

Brilliant idea. Another way would be to get one of the celeb chefs to come
up with a really good mole recipe.



First catch your mole!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In message , Uncle Marvo
writes

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
. ..
Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

Brilliant idea. Another way would be to get one of the celeb chefs to come
up with a really good mole recipe.

'There's money in them thar (mole)hills'.

--
Si

"Si" $3o&m wrote in message
...
In message , Uncle Marvo
writes

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
. ..
Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

Brilliant idea. Another way would be to get one of the celeb chefs to
come
up with a really good mole recipe.

'There's money in them thar (mole)hills'.

--
Si

Got enough for a pair of trousers?

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:23:16 -0000, "CWatters"
wrote:


"Si" $3o&m wrote in message
...
In message , Uncle Marvo
writes

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
. ..
Si wrote:
[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?

Hope for a really hard winter.

Brilliant idea. Another way would be to get one of the celeb chefs to
come
up with a really good mole recipe.

'There's money in them thar (mole)hills'.

--
Si

Got enough for a pair of trousers?


Wogan has more than enough.

http://www.tvscoop.tv/2007/10/terry_wogan_ups.html
--

Martin
-------------------------
Up in Cumberlad I have watched Mole catchers at work many times. Some call
the animal "Mowdiwarps".
The catchers have specially made traps. They can tell by the mounds of
soil where the mowdiwarp's tunnel run is. They can tell where the animals'
store compartment is. They take great care not to let 'hand-smell'
contaminate the trap.
A hole is lifted out and the trap is triggered and placed appropriately in
the hole . A part of the trap from the trigger sticks out of the top at
ground level.
He will set two or three dozen traps. Returning next day he pulls them out
and puts them into a big pocket inside his heavy coat, goes to the nearest
fence and skins them. There's always a wide board nearby on a fence so he
apreads the skins one at a time on the board with tin-tacks. He has a
small spade and buries the flesh and guts.
He then goes home. He'll have a drink and a "crack" with the Farmer that
evening "In't' Pub"
When he decides the skins are matured and dried properly on the shaded fence
he collects them and the package goes to places like London to be made into
long fur coats for those people with enough money..
Properly lined with silk, the coats are - (were), - in great demand by the
rich women of "Society".
Doug.
-----------------------

"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...ole-review.pdf

It's written by DEFRA the government agengy. We had mole problems for years
and I wasted a lot of money on ultrasonic and other devices that simply
don't work. Then I googled for advice and found this report and other web
sites that say the same thing. Basically the only solution is trapping or
poisioning and if I remember correctly there is no currently licenced poison
for moles in the UK.

I've tried two traps...

sissor traps
http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/88/b0/c21a_1.JPG
and barrel traps.
http://i14.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/c4/8d/b209_1.JPG

I've never caught a mole with the sissor traps but the barrel traps have
been remarkably effective and have eliminated the 7 moles from our garden
and padock (sorry mr Mole but you cause too much damage). Both types are
made from wire and metal and may need adjusting/bending to adjust the
sensitivity/shape There is also a knack to setting them and getting them in
the ground without getting your fingers trapped. The main advantage of the
barrel trap is it has a metal plate that stops dirt falling into their
tunnel when you cover it over.

I got five traps from ebay for a few pounds each . I probably wasted £100 on
ultrasonics and batteries that don't work before I gave up on those. The
DEFRA report make clear why they don't work.

Good luck

"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...tes/reports/mo
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...

Hope this helps

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

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

On 26 Nov, 11:07, Richard Perkin wrote:
"CWatters" wrote :

Indeed. Trapping works, and is easy to do.

Agreed. Don't muck about with sonic repellents - ours appeared to work
for a week, then ended up in the middle of a faerie ring of new
molehills. I tried a scissor trap that I got from my dad, that he got
from an antique shop (!), and claimed to have caught a couple of moles
with. It got set off twice, but on each occasion was empty. Bought
three traps from this lot:

http://www.theflatpack.co.uk/

(with whom I have no connection, by the way), and within a couple days
we'd got a mole. If it wasn't dark and 'orrible outside I'd be going
to check whether there were any more of the blighters.

You can't pussyfoot about with moles. Either you decide you're going
to put up with them, or you have to get rid with extreme prejudice. I
took the benign attitude for a bit, then decided that if I didn't do
something, next summer they wouldn't be tunnelling so much as riding
about the lawn on little motocross bikes. I'm tripping over the ground
just walking to the shed, so obviously took too long to come to this
decision.

Regards
Richard

In article 548a4fb1-9149-4742-a144-cc0d92ec7640
@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com, geraldthehamster says...
On 26 Nov, 11:07, Richard Perkin wrote:
"CWatters" wrote :

Indeed. Trapping works, and is easy to do.

Agreed. Don't muck about with sonic repellents - ours appeared to work
for a week, then ended up in the middle of a faerie ring of new
molehills. I tried a scissor trap that I got from my dad, that he got
from an antique shop (!), and claimed to have caught a couple of moles
with. It got set off twice, but on each occasion was empty. Bought
three traps from this lot:

http://www.theflatpack.co.uk/

(with whom I have no connection, by the way), and within a couple days
we'd got a mole. If it wasn't dark and 'orrible outside I'd be going
to check whether there were any more of the blighters.

You can't pussyfoot about with moles. Either you decide you're going
to put up with them, or you have to get rid with extreme prejudice. I
took the benign attitude for a bit, then decided that if I didn't do
something, next summer they wouldn't be tunnelling so much as riding
about the lawn on little motocross bikes. I'm tripping over the ground
just walking to the shed, so obviously took too long to come to this
decision.

Regards
Richard


One of the worse aspect of moles is the unseen tunnels just
below the surface. I've had one or two jarred ankles while
pushing the mower along and the ground gives way under
foot. They sometimes bring little rocks to the surface too
which hit the mower blades.
--
David in Normandy

On 26 Nov, 19:13, David in Normandy wrote:
In article 548a4fb1-9149-4742-a144-cc0d92ec7640
@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com, geraldthehamster says...

One of the worse aspect of moles is the unseen tunnels just
below the surface. I've had one or two jarred ankles while
pushing the mower along and the ground gives way under
foot. They sometimes bring little rocks to the surface too
which hit the mower blades.

And the little banjos they play at night. Drive you mad after a
while.

Can't you still get "mole exploders" in France?


Regards
Richard

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
In article 548a4fb1-9149-4742-a144-cc0d92ec7640
@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com, geraldthehamster says...
On 26 Nov, 11:07, Richard Perkin wrote:
"CWatters" wrote
:

Indeed. Trapping works, and is easy to do.

Agreed. Don't muck about with sonic repellents - ours appeared to work
for a week, then ended up in the middle of a faerie ring of new
molehills. I tried a scissor trap that I got from my dad, that he got
from an antique shop (!), and claimed to have caught a couple of moles
with. It got set off twice, but on each occasion was empty. Bought
three traps from this lot:

http://www.theflatpack.co.uk/

(with whom I have no connection, by the way), and within a couple days
we'd got a mole. If it wasn't dark and 'orrible outside I'd be going
to check whether there were any more of the blighters.

You can't pussyfoot about with moles. Either you decide you're going
to put up with them, or you have to get rid with extreme prejudice. I
took the benign attitude for a bit, then decided that if I didn't do
something, next summer they wouldn't be tunnelling so much as riding
about the lawn on little motocross bikes. I'm tripping over the ground
just walking to the shed, so obviously took too long to come to this
decision.

Regards
Richard


One of the worse aspect of moles is the unseen tunnels just
below the surface. I've had one or two jarred ankles while
pushing the mower along and the ground gives way under
foot. They sometimes bring little rocks to the surface too
which hit the mower blades.
--
David in Normandy

There's an easy solution - get rid of the lawn.

Mary

On 26/11/07 19:13, in article ,
"David in Normandy" wrote:

In article 548a4fb1-9149-4742-a144-cc0d92ec7640
@j20g2000hsi.googlegroups.com, geraldthehamster says...
On 26 Nov, 11:07, Richard Perkin wrote:
"CWatters" wrote
:

Indeed. Trapping works, and is easy to do.

Agreed. Don't muck about with sonic repellents - ours appeared to work
for a week, then ended up in the middle of a faerie ring of new
molehills. I tried a scissor trap that I got from my dad, that he got
from an antique shop (!), and claimed to have caught a couple of moles
with. It got set off twice, but on each occasion was empty. Bought
three traps from this lot:

http://www.theflatpack.co.uk/

(with whom I have no connection, by the way), and within a couple days
we'd got a mole. If it wasn't dark and 'orrible outside I'd be going
to check whether there were any more of the blighters.

You can't pussyfoot about with moles. Either you decide you're going
to put up with them, or you have to get rid with extreme prejudice. I
took the benign attitude for a bit, then decided that if I didn't do
something, next summer they wouldn't be tunnelling so much as riding
about the lawn on little motocross bikes. I'm tripping over the ground
just walking to the shed, so obviously took too long to come to this
decision.

Regards
Richard


One of the worse aspect of moles is the unseen tunnels just
below the surface. I've had one or two jarred ankles while
pushing the mower along and the ground gives way under
foot. They sometimes bring little rocks to the surface too
which hit the mower blades.

Might be worth a look:
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techni...trol_owen1.asp

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'